APS News

   The APS summer Council meeting was held in Bethesda, MD, on July 25-27, 2003. During the meeting Council met with the APS committee chairs. The chairs presented reports of the committees’ programs and accomplishments during the past year, and committee plans for the coming year. These committee reports are published in this issue of The Physiologist.
   Approximately two years ago, the APS Council established a Task Force on Trainees charged with identifying ways in which the Society could do more for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. One of the recommendations of the Task Force was to establish a Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) comprised of members from each of the Society’s disciplinary sections. At the summer meeting, Council approved the formation of this new Committee, and the charge of the Committee. The primary mission of TAC will be to “investigate the needs of trainees, both pre-doctoral and postdoctoral, to determine how the Society can provide necessary support and assistance.” As with the other APS Committees, the TAC will meet regularly during the Experimental Biology meeting and at other times needed for the completion of business.
   The Chairs of both the Public Affairs Committee and the Animal Care and Experimentation (ACE) Committee are due to retire from their respective committees at the beginning of 2004. The continuity of expertise in the chair position is critical to the success of both these committees, and is critical to the continued relationship between the two Committees. The PAC and the ACEC recommended that the term of one of these chair positions be extended so that both are not retiring during the same year. Council agreed with this idea and approved extending the term of the Public Affairs Chair to a four-year term. Council also added a new position to both Committees, that of Past Chair.
   The ACE Committee also reported on the efforts of a subcommittee, chaired by Kevin Kregel, to develop a white paper detailing acceptable practices for models of exercise physiology. The study is supported by the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. The ACE Committee Chair also raised the issue of the challenges being faced by departments using animals in teaching programs. The Council asked the ACE and Education Committees to study the problem and prepare a report.
The Animal Care and Experimentation Committee once again organized and presented a Public Affairs Symposium at EB 2003 entitled IACUC 101 For Scientists. This was a 4-hour IACUC training program open to all EB attendees. The goal was to provide scientists with training to improve their performance on and interaction with IACUCs.
   The Communications Committee is in its final stage of development of the APS Timeline of Physiology. Once completed, the Communications office will distribute the timeline to scientific and general media. Copies will also be available in conference pressrooms. The Education department will use the timeline as a giveaway at several upcoming conferences including the National Association of Biology Teachers and the National Science Teachers Association. The timeline will also be on display at the APS booth at EB 2004. The Communications Committee requested funding to have 7000 copies of the timeline printed. Council approved the necessary funding for this project.
   The Publications Committee continues to strive to make each individual APS journal the best in its field, and to provide the highest possible quality publications. The Journal Impact Factors made a strong showing again in 2002, with four of our journals (PRV, AJP-Renal, Physiological Genomics, and AJP-Cell) ranking in the top 10 Physiology journals. Physiological Genomics jumped from 3.352 to 4.667 in one year. The Committee reported that the first phase of the Legacy Content, going back to 1986, was put online in 2002, and the second phase, going back to 1966, is near completion.
   The Career Opportunities in Physiology Committee reported that its session at EB 2003 was well attended. They requested that Council support a careers session at EB 2004. The theme will be how to develop and implement a proactive plan for a successful postdoctoral experience. Speakers will discuss how to formulate an individualized development plan with a mentor, how to tailor the postdoctoral experience to meet individual goals, how to develop teaching skills, and provide information on the new National Postdoctoral Association developed at the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Council approved the necessary support for this session. The Committee also reported that the APS Summer Undergraduate Research program has gone very well. The Committee continues to receive more quality applications than can be funded. The Committee received 57 applications this year, which is an increase of 46% from last year. The Committee requested, and received, funding to support up to 12 Summer Undergraduate Research Program Fellowships for summer 2004. During the upcoming year, the Committee will be working on a Career Outreach Slide Presentation Package. The goal is to have power point presentation slides available to APS members. These slides will cover topics such as careers available to physiologists.
The Women In Physiology Committee reported that the first Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen Distinguished Mentor and Scientist Award will be presented at EB 2004. The awardee will be asked to attend the APS Women in Physiology Committee/ASPET Women in Pharmacology workshop at EB 2004, and to present a lecture at the meeting. The Committee requested that Council approve funding for a luncheon lecture by the Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen awardee. Since many mentors and mentees are geographically separated, the Committee said that the luncheon would provide a convenient venue for one-on-one meetings of mentors and mentees. Council approved the funding for the luncheon.
   The Education Committee reported that their programs have been very successful over the past year, especially the “Explorations in Biomedicine” and the “Frontiers in Physiology” programs. Over the next year, the Committee will continue to work on a series of web-based, self-directed mini-tutorials for graduate and postdoctoral students. The Committee also reported that it has completed the development of guidelines and procedures for the new David S. Bruce Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. The first awards will be made at EB 2004. Up to four awards will be made to undergraduate students based on a submitted abstract and completion of the award application materials. The Chair also reported that the APS/ACDP Medical Objectives in Physiology would be used to develop learning objectives in pathophysiology. The Council asked the Education Committee to work with the ACDP to explore the development of undergraduate physiology programs at ACDP institutions.
   Reports from the Awards, Committee on Committees, Finance, International Physiology, Joint Program, Liaison with Industry, Long Range Planning, Membership, Perkins Memorial Fellowship, Porter Physiology Development, Public Affairs, and Section Advisory Committees were also presented to Council.

APS President John Williams and Executive Director Martin Frank present certificates of appreciation to Joelle Grossnickle, Coleen Kitaguchi, Michael Gentry, Ruth Freehling, Geraldine Marklin, Georgia Stine, and Maria Kurhmann.

APS President John A. Williams hosted a staff appreciation reception for the Society’s employees. This year’s reception was held in the Beaumont House on the FASEB campus. APS Executive Director Martin Frank, President Williams, and the rest of the APS Council thanked the staff for their efforts over the past year. Williams said that he, and the rest of Council, appreciates the work and efforts of the staff in making APS a quality organization. Many of the APS committee chairs also attended the reception and thanked the staff for all the assistance provided to the various committees.
A major portion of the staff appreciation reception is the recognition of years of service to the Society. This year, Williams presented a 20-year certificate to Ruth A. Freehling (Copy Editor); a 15-year certificate to Maria E. Kuhrmann (Copy Editor); a 10-year certificate to Marsha L. Matyas (Education Officer); and 5-year certificates to Michael Gentry (Web Copy Editor), Joelle Grossnickle (Web Support Specialist/Copy Editor), Coleen Kitaguchi (System Support Specialist), Geraldine Marklin (Membership Services Assistant), Michael Quinn (Information Systems Manager), and Georgia Stine (Membership Services Assistant). On behalf of Council, Williams thanked the employees for their years of service.


Back row: John Williams, Curt Sigmund, JR Haywood, Peter Wagner. Middle row: Charles Tipton, D. Neil Granger, Virginia Miller, Helen Raybould, Robert Carroll. Front row: Kim Barrett, Jeff sands, Barbara Horwitz, susan Barman, Dale Benos.	Back row: William Talman, Raouf Khalil, Glenn Reinhart. Middle row: John Stallone, L. Gabriel Navar, Francis Belloni, Carol Leidtke. Front row: Pamela Gunter-Smith, Pat Preisig, Hector Rasgado-Flores, Andrea Gwosdow.