AIBS News

2010 AIBS Board of Directors

The 2010 AIBS Board of Directors, led by President Joseph Travis (Department of Biological Science, Florida State University), took office last month for the calendar year 2010. James P. Collins (Arizona State University) joins the board as President-Elect. Alan H. Savitzky (Old Dominion University, Virginia) has been reelected to a second term on the board from the AIBS Council of Member Societies and Organizations. Muriel E. Poston (Skidmore College, New York) has been elected to the board from the general membership. Continuing board member Louis J. Gross (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) has been elected to Treasurer. Continuing board member Steward T. A. Pickett (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, New York) has been appointed by President Travis to fill the remainder of Gross's board position, through to the end of 2010, vacated when Gross was elected Treasurer.

AIBS thanks Rita R. Colwell (University of Maryland at College Park) for her service to AIBS as she rotates off the board, having served as president in 2008, and Richard B. Norgaard (University of California, Berkeley) for his service to AIBS as he rotates off the board, having served as treasurer from 2004 to 2009.

For the full 2010 AIBS Board roster, go to www.aibs.org/about-aibs/board.html.

Recent Articles Online at www.actionbioscience.org

Original article in English
"The Future of Marine Fish Resources," by J. Emmett Duffy, of the College of William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science. In this article, Duffy warns that if we do not act soon, many marine fish species will disappear. He suggests ways to mitigate the damage caused by overfishing, destructive fishing practices, and pollution. Read the article at www.actionbioscience.org/biodiversity/duffy.html.

"Technology: An Educational Issue?" blog posts
This blog (http://teachissues.blogspot.com) about issues in educational technology discusses ways to learn and teach the biological sciences using technology. Recent posts and discussions include:

* Edublog Awards
* Science Policy/Public Affairs Webinar
* Video Curator

Spanish translations of a previously posted article
"En Busca de la Sra. o el Sr. Gen Perfectos: Exámenes Genéticos Premaritales" [Looking for Ms. or Mr. Gene Right: Premarital Genetic Screening], by Gil Siegal, director of the Center for Health Law and Bioethics at Ono Academic College in Israel. Siegal addresses questions about premarital genetic testing and responsible decisionmaking. Read the article in Spanish at www.actionbioscience.org/esp/genomic/siegal.html and in English at www.actionbioscience.org/genomic/siegal.html.

Recent Public Policy Reports Online at www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports

Public Policy Report for 7 December 2009

AIBS Webinar to help students, young professionals explore careers in science policy.
A growing number of people seek employment that allows them to apply their scientific skills and training to the resolution of societal problems. Whether an individual's interests are in education, health, environment, or the nation's investment in scientific research, a public policy career is one way that scientists can convert their education into action.

New presidential bioethics council to take policy-based approach.
On 24 November, President Obama announced the establishment of a new presidential council to advise him on bioethical matters, replacing the sometimes-controversial bioethics council that advised President George W. Bush.

Upcoming Webcast on reporting requirements for stimulus funds.
On 10 December, the US Chief Financial Officers Council, a division of the federal government, hosted a Webcast for stakeholders regarding reporting requirements for grants funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Attention graduate students: AIBS accepting 2010 EPPLA applications.
AIBS is pleased to announce that applications for the 2010 Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award are now being accepted. This award recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who have demonstrated initiative and leadership in science policy.

AIBS writes to senators about scientific integrity in health care reform.
On 30 November, the AIBS wrote to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) about a provision in the health care reform bill that could have negative ramifications for scientific research on comparative effectiveness of medical treatments. The letter calls for the removal of language from Section 6301 of HR 3590 that could require that research findings funded by a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute be reviewed and approved by an administrative process prior to submission for scientific peer-review and publication.

National Survey of Natural History Collections Launched

The Web site www.CollectionsWeb.org has initiated a new survey to inventory all US natural history collections, produce a comprehensive database of this information, and establish a baseline for periodically assessing status and trends. The collected data will be shared with the natural science collections community for use in research or grant writing.

In recent years, efforts by the federal government have improved our knowledge of the number and status of natural history collections in the United States. Reports released by the Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections and the National Science Foundation (NSF) provide valuable information about federally held science collections; however, these surveys reached less than half of US natural history collections. The CollectionsWeb survey will complete the knowledgebase of collections in this country. As a partner organization of the NSF-funded Research Coordination Network grant, "Building a Community of Natural History Collections," AIBS is promoting this initiative to its members. Please complete the CollectionsWeb Survey of US Natural History Collections at www.museum.tulane.edu/collectionswebsurvey.

APGA Joins Campaign for Collections

AIBS member organizations continue to join the effort to secure a presidential executive order for scientific collections. The campaign, launched last summer by the Natural Science Collections Alliance, an AIBS member organization, has generated at least 17 organizational endorsements. Most recently, on 10 November, the American Public Gardens Association lent its support to the effort.

For more information about this campaign, please visit www.nscalliance.org/?p=144.

AIBS at the White House

On 23 November, AIBS director of public policy Robert Gropp attended a White House event at which President Obama announced a new national initiative, Educate to Innovate.

This national campaign is "an effort to help reach the administration's goal of moving American students from the middle of the pack to the front in science and math achievement over the next decade," according to White House documents. At the event, the president announced five public-private partnerships that have committed to helping unleash the power of media, interactive games, hands-on learning, and community volunteers to reach millions of students. The goal is to inspire them to become the next generation of scientists, engineers, inventors, and innovators.

The president also issued a call for the private sector, which includes scientific associations, to work with the nation's community colleges to improve science education and ensure that students have the skills required for the 21st-century workforce or to continue onto a four-year college program.

According to President Obama, Educate to Innovate is a response to his call to action issued during an April 2009 speech to the National Academy of Sciences.

Earlier in November, AIBS sent the president a short letter describing some of the community-based education initiatives AIBS has helped to cultivate in recent years through programs such as the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science and the Year of Science 2009. To read this letter, visit www.aibs.org/position-statements/20091120_aibs_writes_to.html. For more information about AIBS education programs, visit www.aibs.org/home/index.html.

AIBS Accepting Applications for 2010 EPPLA

AIBS is now accepting applications for the 2010 Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award (EPPLA). This award recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who have demonstrated initiative and leadership in science policy. EPPLA recipients receive first-hand experience at the interface of science and public policy.

In 2010, winners will receive fare for domestic travel to Washington, DC, to participate in a Congressional Visits Day event that showcases the importance of federal investments for fundamental biological research supported by agencies such as the National Science Foundation. Winners will also attend a Capitol Hill reception recognizing a member of Congress for his or her work to advance the biological sciences through public policy, and will discuss with members of Congress the importance of federal investments in the biological sciences. Winners will receive a one-year paid AIBS membership, including a subscription to BioScience and a copy of Communicating Science: A Primer for Working with the Media, and will become a part of the growing EPPLA alumni network.

The 2010 EPPLA is open to US citizens enrolled in a graduate degree program in the biological sciences, science education, or closely allied field. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in and commitment to biological science policy or science education policy. Prior EPPLA winners and AIBS science policy interns or fellows are not eligible.

Application details can be found at www.aibs.org/public-policy/student_opportunities.html.

New Outreach Coordinator/Informal Educator Section Events at NABT Conference

The newest section of the National Association of Biology Teachers, Outreach Coordinator and Informal Educators, was launched at the 2009 Professional Development Conference in mid-November. AIBS participated in the section's events. A symposium for this group on the first day of the conference provided resources and programs that address the unique challenges of teaching biology without classrooms. AIBS staff members Susan Musante and Oksana Hlodan interacted with colleagues at a poster session the next day and shared information about AIBS outreach and informal education programs that offer resources and networking opportunities to the informal teacher and learner.

Biologists, Educators Recognize Excellence in Evolution Education

The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) recognized Leonard C. Yannielli, professor of biological sciences at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, Connecticut, with the 2009 Evolution Education Award during the NABT annual professional development conference from 11–14 November in Denver, Colorado. The Evolution Education Award is cosponsored by AIBS and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) and awards innovative classroom teaching and community education efforts to promote the accurate understanding of biological evolution. Professor Yannielli received a plaque, a $1000 prize, and a set of resources provided by AIBS and BSCS to support the teaching of evolution.

"AIBS, BSCS and NABT are doing important work with this award, as it says loud and clear that evolution education is important," Yannielli said. "I'm humbled to be recognized by peers and feel I'm sharing the honor with many educators who have toiled courageously under very difficult situations."

Yannielli has been teaching biology courses that have placed emphasis on evolution and evolutionary origins for more than 41 years. His microbiology courses, for example, highlight the evolutionary interplay between microbes, humans, and disease, thereby encouraging students to shed egocentric approaches to thinking about evolution.

Recent Articles Online at www.actionbioscience.org

Original article in English

"Darwins, Demons, Demiurgers and the Anguish of Discovery," by John Buckeridge, of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Buckeridge suggests there is more to Darwin's story than science or faith alone. Humans are spiritual beings, but it is not an imperative that we excise science in pursuit of spirituality, or vice versa. Read the article at www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/buckeridge.html.

Recent "Technology: An Educational Issue?" blog posts

K12IMC.org: Tech Resources

Foldit: Protein Folding Game

Spanish translation of a previously posted article

"Cómo Enseñar Anatomía y Fisiología en la Autopista Virtual" [Teaching Anatomy and Physiology on the Virtual Highway], by Karen Smith, a biology teacher at Holton Governor's School and Southwest Virginia Community College. In this article, Smith describes the multiple advantages of virtual learning and presents educators with ideas about implementing virtual schools or courses. Read the article in Spanish at www.actionbioscience.org/esp/educacion/smith.html or in English at www.actionbioscience.org/education/smith.html.

Policy Office to Participate in Faculty Training Program

AIBS is pleased to announce that in January, director of public policy Robert Gropp will conduct a day-long policy and media training workshop as part of the annual New Mexico Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NM EPSCoR; www.nmepscor.org) Junior Faculty Training Program. AIBS participated in this innovative faculty development program last year as well.

Early-career faculty from higher-education institutions across New Mexico will participate in a three-day program that includes a variety of workshop activities designed to enhance leadership skills and increase competitiveness for national-level funding opportunities. In 2008, program topics included communication with decisionmakers, proposal development, management of large research projects and laboratories, meeting facilitation, and broadening impacts through education and outreach.

"AIBS is pleased to once again be participating in this important program," Gropp said. "We often hear from graduate students and early career professionals that they want to develop skills that will help them communicate their science. The NM EPSCoR program helps to cultivate communication and other leadership skills that will serve faculty members throughout their career."

The NM EPSCoR is designed to enhance research competitiveness through investment in three strategic areas: critical research infrastructure, cyberinfrastructure, and human infrastructure. These investments are intended to help establish New Mexico as a laboratory for climate change research and as a model for science-based public policy. The multidisciplinary, multiscale effort aims to transform climate-change science and policymaking in New Mexico by providing the tools required for quantitative, science-driven discussion of difficult water policy options facing the state in the 21st century.

The NM EPSCoR program gathers resources and expertise from academic institutions, national labs, private industry, and state and federal sources to benefit education, the environment, and the New Mexican economy. The initiative focuses on ensuring that New Mexicans gain access to superior education, state-of-the-art research, and the quality of life and employment that comes with an active and competitive science and technology base.

For more information about AIBS policy and communication training programs, please visit www.aibs.org/public-policy/policy_training.html.

NSC Alliance President to Lead Woods Hole Research Center

The president of the Natural Science Collections Alliance, William Y. Brown, will be the next president and director of the Woods Hole Research Center, an independent, nonprofit institute focused on environmental science, education, and public policy. The center, located in Falmouth, Massachusetts, has projects in the Amazon, the Arctic, Africa, the mid-Atlantic, and New England, as well as integrative efforts at continental to global scales. Brown will begin his appointment at the center on 1 February 2010. He is currently the president and chief executive officer of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The previous director of the Woods Hole Research Center, John Holdren, was appointed to be science adviser to President Obama and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

AIBS Welcomes New Member Society

AIBS welcomes the American Society of Primatologists (ASP; www.asp.org) into membership.

As described on its Web site, the purposes of this society are both educational and scientific. Its goals are to promote and encourage the discovery and exchange of information regarding primates. Anyone engaged in scientific primatology or interested in supporting these goals may apply for membership. The society is established as a nonprofit corporation under the nonprofit laws of the state of Washington and the United States.

Robert Gropp, the director of public policy at AIBS, has been corresponding with the leadership at ASP about potentially sponsoring a policy fellow or making a public policy contribution. We are pleased to have them among our member organizations.

Participate in the ActionBioscience.org Visitor Survey

ActionBioscience.org, the bilingual educational Web site produced by AIBS, is running an online survey in English and Spanish to learn more about the site's visitors and to gauge user satisfaction with the site's content and usability.

Some educators use the Spanish version of the site with students whose first language is not English. The resource may improve students' scientific literacy skills, especially if they experience difficulty reading scientific information in English.

Is ActionBioscience.org of value to you? What do you prefer to read, teach, or study? How can AIBS better meet your needs? Please let us know by participating in our visitor survey. The English version is located at www.actionbioscience.org/2009-survey.html and the Spanish version is at www.actionbioscience.org/esp/encuesta.html.

Recent Articles Online at www.actionbioscience.org

Original articles in English

"Coral Reefs Under Stress," by Peter J. Mumby, of the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. In this article, Mumby explains why coral reefs are more critical to an ocean's health than you might think, and investigates the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems. Read the article online at www.actionbioscience.org/environment/mumby.html.

"Investigating Foodborne Illness," by Robert Tauxe, Deputy Director of the Division of Food-borne, Bacterial, and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne, and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an interview at this year's AIBS annual meeting, Tauxe talked about multistate outbreaks and how they are tracked. Read the interview at www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/tauxe.html.

Recent "Technology: An Educational Issue" blog posts
This blog about issues in educational technology discusses ways to learn and teach the biological sciences using technology. Recent posts and discussions include copyright-friendly wikis, tech tools for schools, and student copyright awareness. Visit the blog at www.teachissues.blogspot.com.

Spanish translations of previously posted articles

"Una Vez en un Millón de Años: Como Enseñar el Tiempo Geológico" [Once in a Million Years: Teaching Geologic Time], by Susan E. Lewis, Kristen A. Lampe, and Andrew J. Lloyd, of Carroll University. In this article, the authors offer suggestions about how to help students understand the magnitude of geologic time. Read the article in Spanish at www.actionbioscience.org/esp/educacion/lewis_lampe_lloyd.html or in English at www.actionbioscience.org/education/lewis_lampe_lloyd.html.

"Comparación de los genomas de las especies" [Species: Comparing their Genomes]. This is an adaptation of a report from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute that illustrates why there are discoveries to be made by mapping the genome of different species. Read the article in Spanish at www.actionbioscience.org/esp/genomic/hhmi.html or in English at www.actionbioscience.org/genomic/hhmi.html

Coming Soon

AIBS will publish an electronic newsletter starting in 2011. We need your e-mail
address to send it to you—please verify your contact information at www.aibs.org/membership-directories/.

US Geological Survey Coalition Honors Senators at Congressional Reception

Senators Diane Feinstein (D–CA) and Lisa Murkowski (R–AK) were presented with the annual US Geological Survey (USGS) Coalition Leadership Award at a congressional reception on 14 September. They were honored for their continuing support for the USGS. Senator Feinstein chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment; Senator Murkowski is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Additionally, the USGS Coalition reception highlighted the research, information sharing, and services provided by the USGS.

"Senators Murkowski and Feinstein are keenly aware of recent volcanic eruptions in Alaska and ongoing wildfires in California," said Craig Schiffries, cochair of the USGS Coalition and director for geoscience policy at the Geological Society of America. "The USGS provided advance warning of explosive volcanism at Alaska's Mt. Redoubt, and it is working with other agencies to provide maps of California wildfire locations and the potential spread of fires. The USGS helps prevent natural hazards from becoming natural disasters. It plays a pivotal role in reducing risks from volcanic eruptions, wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, and other natural hazards that jeopardize human lives and cost billions of dollars in damages every year."

Robert Gropp, cochair of the USGS Coalition and director of public policy at AIBS, added: "Data and products derived from USGS research benefit everyone. The work conducted and supported by the USGS informs drinking-water studies, biological and geological resource assessments, natural hazards monitoring, and other activities. The USGS is more essential than ever before to our national efforts as we try to conserve a growing list of threatened species, develop sustainable and cleaner energy sources, ensure that all Americans have access to clean water, and understand how our rapidly changing environment will impact our way of life."

USGS scientists and their collaborative partners were at the reception to discuss the vital work the USGS conducts in the biological, geographical, geological, and hydrological sciences.

Ecosystem Scientists Brief Policymakers on Climate Impacts

The Association of Ecosystem Research Centers (AERC), an AIBS member organization, briefed policymakers on Capitol Hill about the impacts of climate change on urban ecosystems. The briefing, held 24 September, provided information about how climate change may affect urban infrastructure and water resources. Leading ecosystem researchers presented congressional staff, federal agency employees, and representatives of scientific societies with information about sea-level rise, water scarcity, urban infrastructure, and watershed planning. The briefing was held in conjunction with the annual AERC science meeting in Washington, DC. Presentations were made by Donald Boesch and Allen Davis, of the University of Maryland; Douglas Farr, architect at Farr Associates; Nancy Grimm, of Arizona State University; and Peter Groffman, of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

For more information about AERC, please visit www.ecosystemresearch.org.

AIBS Public Policy Office Conducts Workshop at LTER Science Meeting

AIBS public policy associate Jenna Jadin traveled to Estes Park, Colorado, in early September to participate in the 2009 Long Term Ecological Research program's All Scientists Meeting.

Jadin presented a plenary talk that addressed science in the federal government, the federal investment in scientific research, and the efforts of AIBS to help scientists engage with policymakers. Jadin's presentation also demonstrated how individual scientists can become advocates for science through the AIBS Legislative Action Center (capwiz.com/aibs/home). Following the plenary presentation, Jadin conducted a two-hour workshop that, through hands-on exercises, showed participants how to develop skills that will help them become effective advocates for science.

To learn more about AIBS policy initiatives and to find out how you can secure a training workshop for your meeting or academic department, please visit www.aibs.org/public-policy or send an e-mail to publicpolicy@aibs.org.

Live, Free Webcast of "Evolution in Extreme Environments" Symposium

Those who cannot attend this year's National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) conference in Denver will nonetheless be able to participate in the fifth annual evolution symposium, cosponsored by AIBS and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. Educators and students are encouraged to tune in to the live Webcast on Friday, 13 November, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Mountain Standard Time, and to take advantage of this opportunity to hear internationally renowned researchers discuss their fascinating, cutting-edge work in "extreme" evolutionary biology. Speakers will talk about how life evolves, adapts, and flourishes in some of the most extreme environments on Earth, such as high-altitude areas, the deep-sea, Arctic ice, and caves. Classrooms around the world will be able to submit questions online and speakers will respond in real time. For full program information, including speaker names, talk titles and times, and the link to view the live Webcast, please visit www.nescent.org/NABT09Webcast.php or send an e-mail to eog@nescent.org.