ABLE Bioblog

ABLE 2011 Conference images

ABLE-webmanager — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:33:14 +0000

Thanks for everyone’s submissions to our ABLE 2011 Photo Album! Though the wait was long and your patience was tried…it is finally posted: http://www.ableweb.org/conf/able2011/photopub/index.html.

The attendee profile pictures are not yet loaded, though I am now in possession of them (thanks Lina). It just takes time to draw mustaches, remove wrinkles, touch-up make-up, add animals crawling on or plants growing through people, etc.

mark

Coming to an end…

ABLE-webmanager — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:16:29 +0000

For those going on a field trip on Saturday (hooray that Carlsbad opened back up, after the fire being too close!), it is like an extended “social ABLE” day. But, the official meeting is done, after a full day of mini-workshops, a vendor presentation, posters, great food (of course! Great job Ralph and team!), a banquet complete with Flamenco dancing, and my standard after-hours drinks for colleagues. The heat didn’t bother me here in NM like I thought it might, I enjoyed some really good food (including some spicy), met some enthusiastic first-timers (I look forward to putting their “why I enjoyed ABLE” audio file online soon), enjoyed seeing my “camp friends,” and am taking away a renewed appreciation for biology education and new ideas to boot. Happy travels to everyone!

Mark

A full day!

ABLE-webmanager — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:14:21 +0000

How do you highlight a day filled with so much goodness? You just talk about it all! I enjoyed my first breakfast at the dining hall–a great chance to meet new people (and their accompanying spouses). Majors workshops gave me a chance to learn great ideas and hear some biology content. I enjoyed the vendor presentation just before lunch, then a great lunch in the great outdoors. Before 6pm, off we went in our 3 bus-loads of people to enjoy the White Sands National Monument. It was a beautiful, snow-like scene filled with more great food, discussions, wandering, searching for–but not finding–scorpions, “sledding” fun, and a great sunset. My warm bus ride back didn’t warrant heading up to my room in the dorms quite yet. So, a couple of cold drinks at Dublin’s has now prepared me for a short night’s sleep in anticipation of tomorrow’s conference-ending events.

Mark

A Pinata-full of fun

ABLE-webmanager — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:45:30 +0000

I’ve heard it multiple times on Wednesday of our annual conference: ABLE is the people! People presenting majors, people presenting minis/posters, people bringing their colleagues, people serving on committees, people discussing biology lab issues during workshops, people socializing at the Hayden-McNeil mixer, people breaking open the mixer pinata, people laughing over drinks and bad karaoke at Dublins…

I love the people of ABLE. So, why not let others enjoy this great meeting? Several new members had expressed their dissatisfaction in having learned about ABLE too late in their careers. SPREAD THE WORD! (Oh, and if you’re a Facebooker, find us there as well and “like” us). Now, I’m off to bed to have the energy for more PEOPLE and workshops/presentations on Thursday.

(OH, and we’re very excited about the announcement of ABLE 2012 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!)

A tall glass of something

ABLE-webmanager — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:03:26 +0000

ABLE Attendee Jen enjoying a drink out on the patio during our opening reception

Though I enjoyed the ABLE board meeting today (what? I really did!), I was very excited to see more and more attendees arrive to

share in this New Mexico adventure. I look forward to hearing from those that went to the Zuhl Library, Chili Pepper Institute, and the Arthropod museum. I’ve heard, and we’ve seen a few, very impressive petrified wood specimens. Laugh if you will…bunch of nerdy biologists impressed with hardened botanical slices…but it is beautiful! I walked with a few other folks along the International Mall Walkway through the beautiful NMSU campus heading to the opening reception. Ralph (conference host) went all out this year and surprised us with a sit-down dinner for our “reception” and a good time was had by all. Too bad the place didn’t serve anything larger than this “small drink” pictured here.

Soon, I’m off to bed in my well air-conditioned dorm room to dream about the 7:00 am new members/board members breakfast, then setting up for our 8:30am Major Workshop. I’ll need my brain to process all the great ideas always generated at the discussions during our sessions.

Night, night.

Mark