AIBS News April 2004

From the pages of BioScience magazine, the online version of our current events column, with discussions of the latest happenings at AIBS in support of our mission.

• AIBS Presents Awards at 2004 Annual Meeting

  At its annual meeting, AIBS presents a number of awards, including the Distinguished Scientist Award, Outstanding Service Award, Education Award, President's Citation Award, and Media Awards. Recipients of this year's awards are profiled below. Additional awards will be reported next month.

  Distinguished Scientist Award

  Since 1972, the AIBS Distinguished Scientist Award (previously called the Distinguished Service Award) has been presented annually to individuals who have made significant contributions to the biological sciences, particularly in the field of integrative and organismal biology. This year's Distinguished Scientist Award was presented to Jane Lubchenco, Valley Professor of Marine Biology and Distinguished Professor of Zoology at Oregon State University.

  Jane Lubchenco is one of the nation's most distinguished biologists. Her research interests cover a broad range of disciplines, including marine biology, biodiversity, climate change, and environmental sustainability. She maintains an active and innovative research program in marine science; she is one of the world's leading advocates of research on the oceans.

  Lubchenco is in the forefront of US science: She has served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Ecological Society of America; she has twice been a member of the National Science Board; and she founded the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, which trains environmental scientists to communicate effectively with lay audiences. Lubchenco is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and she has served on the boards of trustees of several foundations and institutes concerned with the environment. Moreover, Lubchenco has been an active participant in many AIBS programs and events. She also figures prominently in the advancement of international science for the good of society, currently serving as president of the International Council for Science, which is headquartered in Paris.

  Lubchenco is outstanding in her contributions to research, in her dedication to teaching, and in her service to the scientific community. She is a powerful, thoughtful, articulate voice for science in the service of humanity and the environment.

  Lubchenco, a Pew Scholar and a MacArthur Fellow, has been the recipient of many honors and awards, among them eight honorary degrees, the 2002 Heinz Award, and the 2003 Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest.

  Outstanding Service Award

  The Outstanding Service Award, given annually to individuals or organizations in recognition of noteworthy service to the biological sciences, was presented to Rita Colwell, chairman of Canon US Life Sciences and former director of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

  While at NSF, Colwell spearheaded the agency's efforts to improve education in science and mathematics at the K–12 level, as well as in science and engineering at the graduate level, and to increase the participation of women and minorities in science and engineering. She enabled NSF to strengthen its core activities and to establish support for major initiatives concerning nanotechnology; biocomplexity; information technology; social, behavioral, and economic sciences; and the 2lst-century workforce. In her capacity as NSF director, she served as cochair of the Committee on Science of the National Science and Technology Council.

  Before joining NSF, Colwell was president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (1991–1998), and she remains professor of microbiology and biotechnology (on leave) at the university. Colwell, a respected scientist and educator, has held many advisory positions in the US government, in nonprofit science policy organizations, and in private foundations, as well as in the international scientific research community. She was a member of the National Science Board from 1984 to 1990.

  She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Medal of Distinction from Columbia University, the Gold Medal of Charles University (Prague), Barnard's Medal of Distinction, the UCLA Medal from the University of California–Los Angeles, and the Alumna Summa Laude Dignata from the University of Washington.

  Although service to AIBS in particular is not a criterion for the Outstanding Service Award, it should be noted that Rita Colwell has made many contributions to AIBS. She was the anchor keynote speaker at the 2001 AIBS annual meeting, speaking on the topic that she "invented," biocomplexity. She was also a generous participant in the first Presidents' Summit convened by AIBS in 1999: Her participation meant a great deal in terms of validating the efforts of presidents of AIBS member societies, and her thoughtful comments about the role that AIBS could, and should, play in the future of the biological sciences were insightful. She has maintained helpful communications with AIBS in the development of many AIBS programs.

  Education Award

  The AIBS Education Award, presented annually to individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to education in the biological sciences, went to John R. Jungck, of Beloit college.

  John Jungck has specialized in science education for at least 20 years. He has published many constructive papers in American Biology Teacher, Biosystems, the Journal of College Science Teaching, and other science education journals; he has also made many contributions to other scientific journals.

  His work in developing the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium represents another extensive contribution to biology education. As a 17-year-old reform effort, BioQUEST has sustained a community of innovative educators, providing them with a professional outlet for teaching scholarship that emphasizes the use of technology to support realistic problem solving and student-centered pedagogy. Indeed, as the 4 November 1994 issue of Science noted in its coverage of great teachers, Jungck is known as the "godfather of pedagogical software." The BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium has received two EDUCOM Higher Education Software Awards for "distinguished natural sciences curriculum innovation." The consortium has also been chosen as a Project Kaleidoscope "model program" of science education that works.

  Jungck has worked in biology and biology education not only in the United States but also in Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, Scotland, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Hungary, Croatia, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Peru, Ecuador, and the Ukraine.

  President's Citation Award

  The AIBS President's Citation Award, which recognizes meritorious accomplishments by individuals or groups in the biological sciences, went to Tyrone Hayes, a dynamic young faculty member in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California–Berkeley.

  Hayes is a distinguished teacher and mentor who is deeply committed to the promotion of diversity in academia, and his synthetic research is of the highest caliber, integrating endocrinology, development, and ecology to understand synergies and effects on organisms in nature, particularly frogs. His fieldwork is done in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the United States.

  His recent research on endocrine disruptors, which has produced a potential test that has general application, has revealed major problems with various agricultural agents, including a widely used pesticide. His research entails large samples in double-blind studies, and his work is carefully documented and rigorously analyzed — the science is impeccable. He has earned the approbation of many scientists and policymakers, yet because of the economic and policy implications of his research, Hayes has met with scientific and personal attacks.

  With great personal courage, Hayes continues to expand his research into areas that are scientifically and politically important. He is a role model for a new generation of biologists who use basic research to look at major problems confronting humans and other species and their environments.

  Media Awards

  The AIBS Media Awards, established in 1995, recognize outstanding reporting on biology to a general audience. The award is limited to nontechnical journalism in the print and broadcast media.

  The Print Media Award went to Sarah Staples for "The Forgotten Frontier," a series of articles that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen during the period 3–31 August 2003. The judges noted that "the series was an engaging introduction to the work of researchers and an impressive examination of their work. It dealt with topics of the broadest public impact; it had strong inherent interest, and was deftly handled. It gave someone who doesn't know much about science an understanding of how science works."

  Staples is a freelance writer who reports on science for the Ottawa Citizen and other major Canadian newspapers, from Montreal's The Gazette and the Toronto Star to the National Post and its financial counterpart, Financial Post; for magazines, including Canadian Business and ROB Magazine; and for top-tier US media, such as the Boston Globe and New York-based Genetic Engineering News. Staples has also reported for Ottawa television and radio.

  The Broadcast Media Award went to Daniel Grossman for "The Penguin Barometer," which aired on The Research File of Radio Netherlands on 10 November 2003. The judges commented that "the story was outstanding for a wide range of data, non-clichéd use of scene setting, use of humor, and a broad, diverse voice. It tracked the issue of global warming through time, across the globe, and through different media. It highlighted the contributions of amateurs and shows that some really important global change scientists are looking at these data." Grossman has produced material for various radio shows and networks, including National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday and Living on Earth, Radio Netherlands, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Germany's Deutsche Welle radio. He writes regularly for Scientific American. His reports generally concern science and the environment.

  Among Grossman's journalism awards are the George Foster Peabody Award and the American Association for the Advancement of Science Pinnacle of Excellence prize (both of which were awarded to a series to which he contributed a one-hour documentary).

  Honorable mention for print journalism was awarded to Philip Cohen, for "Renegade Code," which appeared in New Scientist magazine on 30 August 2003. The judges commented that the story was outstanding for its courage and confidence in tackling a difficult topic — provocative research that challenges a biological orthodoxy — and interpreting it for readers.

• Participation High in Congressional Visits Day

  
  Participants in the 2004 Congressional Visits Day: (standing) Eric Nagy, Heidi Weiskel, Letise Houser, Sedra Shapiro, Ian Billick, Allison Vogt, and William Dahl; (seated) Mark Bain, E. W. Cline, Robert Gropp, and Philippe Cohen.

  Ten representatives of AIBS member societies and organizations participated in this year's Congressional Visits Day (CVD) 3–4 March 2004. Organized by the Science-Engineering-Technology Working Group (SETWG), CVD is an annual event bringing scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, and technology executives to Capitol Hill to increase visibility and raise support for funding of the nonmedical sciences. Representatives from over 30 groups stressed the message that basic research and development will secure the nation's future and benefit all of society through improved security, prosperity, jobs, health, and sustainability.

  After briefings by various key officials, participants visited the offices of their respective members of Congress to stress the importance of continued support for federal funding of the sciences. In total, AIBS CVD participants visited 24 congressional offices (see below). Participants shared insights into how federal funding dollars benefit their state and home institutions, as well as how continuing federal support ensures that these groups can continue operating at present levels. They reminded congresspersons that while defense and health-related research and development funding have increased significantly over past years, increases for other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), have not kept pace.

  During the two-day event, SETWG honored several members of Congress for their demonstrated support of science and technology. Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) were given the George E. Brown Jr. Award for serving as effective advocates of federal science and technology. (The late George E. Brown made significant contributions to improve federal support for science and technology during his long and distinguished congressional career.) Rep. Biggert has been instrumental in strengthening and promoting the Department of Energy's Office of Science and was a cosponsor of the NSF "doubling" bill. A physicist who understands the important function of science in future economic growth, Rep. Holt has pushed for science funding for the physical sciences and for K–12 education. Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI), original sponsor of the NSF doubling bill, was also recognized at a group breakfast for his continued support of science and technology.

  Adrienne Froelich and Robert Gropp, of the AIBS Public Policy Office, took part in CVD, along with representatives from AIBS member organizations: Mark Bain, Cornell University; Ian Billick, Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory; E. W. Cline, OBFS, Cleveland State University; Philippe Cohen, OBFS, Stanford University; William Dahl, Botanical Society of America; Letise Houser, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, University of Delaware; Eric Nagy, OBFS, University of Virginia; and Sedra Shapiro, OBFS, San Diego State University Field Station.

  Also in attendance were the winners of the AIBS 2004 Emerging Public Policy Leader Awards, Allison Vogt, master's student at the University of Georgia, and Heidi Weiskel, doctoral student at the University of California–Davis. (Emerging Public Policy Leader Awards recognize graduate students with a demonstrated commitment to and interest in biological science or science education policy.)

  For more information regarding Congressional Visits Day, please contact AIBS Public Policy Assistant Amy Sproston at .

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