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Chapter News |
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Nebraska Physiological Society Holds Annual Meeting |
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The eleventh annual meeting of the Nebraska Physiological
Society (NPS) was held on Saturday, September 6, at the Univ. of Nebraska at
Omaha Thompson Alumni House, Omaha, NE. Attendance at the meeting totaled 80
registered individuals, including undergraduate and graduate students,
postdoctoral fellows, and faculty members. Thirty nine research posters from
five research institutions were presented. The meeting began at 9:00 am with
welcome and introductory remarks from Thomas E. Pisarri, NPS President and
Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences at Creighton University.
Pisarri thanked this year’s sponsors for their support. Sponsors included
the American Physiological Society; the Department of Cellular and
Integrative Physiology, UNMC; the Dean’s Office of the College of Medicine,
UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center. Corporate sponsors were Data Sciences
International, AD Instruments, North Central Instruments, and the Bruker
Biospin Corporation – EPR Division. He then thanked the staff of the
Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology for their help and support
during his presidency: Pearl Sorensen, Linda Tegeder, Janine Wilson, Cindy
Norton, and Richard Robinson. The meeting began with the research keynote address by Joey Granger, Univ. of Mississippi Medical Center. The title of Granger’s presentation was, “Pathophysiology of Hypertension in Response to Placental ischemia During Pregnancy.” Granger’s address was followed by Young Investigator Presentations by Carol Fassbinder-Orth, Assistant Professor from Creighton University and Jennifer Wood, Assistant Professor from the Univ. of Nebraska at Lincoln. The speakers were selected to present their research projects based on the quality of their submitted abstracts. Following the Young Investigator Presentations, Dee Silverthorn, Univ. of Texas-Austin, presented the education keynote address entitled, “Teaching in the Interactive Classroom.” Pisarri called the NPS business meeting and luncheon to order. Irving H. Zucker, President of APS and Chair of the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology (UNMC) presented an update on the state of the APS. Zucker highlighted current programs and strategic goals of the parent society. David Holtzclaw highlighted the activities that took place during APS sponsored PhUn Week and the 7th Grade College and career fair that took place at Metropolitan Community College on April 18, 2008. Harold D. Schultz, presented an update as NPS representative to the APS Chapter Advisory Committee. Cindy R. Norton, Executive Director and Administrator, Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UNMC, presented the current financial status of NPS. She noted that the current financial status of the NPS is sound. Norton called for a vote to reinvest the Chapter Certificate for Deposit for additional year and invest $1,500 of the Lee Zucker funds into a 12-month Certificate for Deposit. Motion passed. Pisarri presented a plaque NPS Past-President, Harold D. Schultz, Professor, Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology in recognition of his innovative efforts in planning the 2007 Combined Iowa-Nebraska Physiological Society Meeting. Pisarri then presented a plaque to Cindy R. Norton, Executive Director, in recognition of her ongoing dedication to the NPS and her meticulous organization of the annual meeting. The afternoon portion of the meeting was dedicated to poster viewing and judging. Posters were judged in the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral categories from institutions that included: Univ. of Nebraska at Lincoln, Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton Univ., Univ. of South Dakota, and Wayne State College. After the judges’ rankings were compiled, the each group of judges met to finalize the awards. The NPS business meeting reconvened and Pisarri presented awards to individuals in each of the categories. In the undergraduate category, award recipients were: 1st place, Sumit Kar, UNMC; 2nd place, Tiffany L. Bohlender, UNL; 3rd place, Rachael Farrar UNMC. Award recipients in the graduate category were: 1st place, Lee Zucker Graduate Student Research Award, P. Richard Grimm, UNMC; 2nd place (tie), Sarah Clayton, UNMC, and Laura Liete, UNMC. In the postdoctoral category, award recipients were: 1st place, Amit Mitra, UNMC; 2nd place, Muhammad Bari, UNMC; 3rd place, Yangfeng Ding, UNMC. Recipients received certificates and monetary awards of $250 (1st place), $100 (2nd place), or $50 (3rd place). Pisarri again thanked this year’s sponsors for their support and thanked all individuals who helped made the meeting a success. Pisarri then introduced Kaushik P. Patel, Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UNMC, as the incoming 2008-2009 NPS President. The meeting attracted students from institutions throughout the state and promoted interdisciplinary contacts among individuals interested in the physiological sciences at the local level. It also highlighted goals on education for future physiologists. Officers for NPS the coming year are: President: Kaushik P. Patel, Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center; President-Elect: George J. Rozanski, Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center; Past President: Thomas Pisarri, Creighton Univ.; Secretary/Treasurer: Jessica Meendering, Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha; Councilor: Janet E. Steele, Univ. of Nebraska at Kearney; Councilor: Barbara Engebretsen, Wayne State College; Councilor: G. Patrick Lambert, Creighton Univ. The meeting concluded at 4:30 pm. Cindy R. Norton CPS/CAP Executive Director |
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