AIBS Council News

"The AIBS Council shall review the actions of the AIBS Board of Directors, make recommendations for action and response, consider agenda items brought before it, initiate agenda items, and elect four of its members to the Board."
— AIBS Constitution, Article VII (extract)

AIBS can achieve success in its federation activities with its members only with the active participation and inclusion of the AIBS Council in AIBS affairs. It's a two-way street—please let us know what we could be doing better! Contact: .

We encourage the participation of presidents and executive directors, as well as their designated representatives, in Council activities. For a directory of AIBS Council members and other membership information, see our Member Society and Organization Directory — corrections and updates are always appreciated.

2008 AIBS COUNCIL MEETING, 14 May in Washington DC

Council meeting briefing book online here (PDF, 1 MB)

COPUS and Year of Science 2009 briefing book online here (PDF, 1.83 MB)

TO: Presidents, Presidents-Elect, AIBS Council Representatives, and Executive Directors of AIBS Member Societies and Organizations

AIBS President Rita Colwell, the AIBS Board, and the AIBS staff invite you to attend the 2008 AIBS Council meeting to discuss opportunities for collaborative action among the AIBS membership on research, education, and public policy issues.

RSVP: Sheri Potter,

LOCATION: Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel, 801 North Glebe Road, Arlington, Virginia 22203 — a two-minute walk from the National Science Foundation building and a few station stops (Ballston) from downtown Washington DC on the Metro subway system's Orange Line. Hotel website: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=0710190492&key=893BC

TIME: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

SPECIAL NOTE: The Council meeting takes place immediately after the 2008 AIBS Annual meeting, held in the same hotel, 12 - 13 May. The theme of the Annual meeting is "Climate, Environment, and Infectious Diseases" and will examine how malaria, Dengue fever, Lyme disease, Avian influenza, SARS, and other infectious diseases are known to be closely linked to the environment and, more recently, to climate and climate change. Plenary lecturers include James E. Hansen, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, speaking on "Global Warming: The Threat to Life." The Annual meeting's website for program details, registration, and poster submissions is: http://www.aibs.org/annual-meeting/annual_meeting_2008.html.

AIBS COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA

14 May 2008

Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel, Hemingway Room

9:00 am - 4:30 pm (with mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee breaks, plus lunch break from 12 pm - 1 pm)

---

8:30 am - 9:00 am

Continental Breakfast

9:00 am - 9:30 am

Welcome

• Rita Colwell, AIBS President

Status reports on AIBS programs and operations

• Richard O'Grady, AIBS Executive Director

9:30 am - 10:00 am

Guest Presentation: BioOne online publishing program

• Susan Skomal, Executive Director, BioOne
• Mark Kurtz, Director of Business Development, BioOne
• Lauren Kane, Manager of Library and Publisher Relations, BioOne

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Guest Presentation: Encyclopedia of Life

• Marie Studer, Education and Outreach Director, Encyclopedia of Life
• Thomas Garnett, Biodiversity Heritage Library Program Director, Encyclopedia of Life

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Break

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

AIBS Public Policy / Public Affairs activities and breakout discussions with the Council:

• Holly Menninger, Senior Public Affairs Associate, AIBS Public Policy Office
• Megan Kelhart, Senior Policy Associate, AIBS Public Policy Office

• Science policy & science funding. The 2007 Annual Report from the AIBS Public Office is online at http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/annual_reports.html, as is information on the services available to member societies and organizations that pay to support the Public Policy Office.

• Evolution / creationism issues

• Presentation on Communicating Science: A Primer for Working with the Media, a new book by Holly Menninger and Robert Gropp in the AIBS Public Policy Office. Recognizing that many scientists are reluctant to engage in media outreach, the Primer outlines compelling reasons for scientists to interact with the media and describes key differences between journalism and science that may not be apparent to practicing scientists. The book walks scientists through the interview process -from appropriate questions to ask when a reporter calls to practical advice for looking and sounding one's best on- air or on-camera. For more information, see: http://www.aibs.org/announcements/080213_new_aibs_book_primes.html

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Lunch (served in room)

1:00 pm

NSF Updates

• Judith E. Skog, Division Director, Division for Biological Infrastructure, National Science Foundation

AIBS Education activities and breakout discussions with the Council:

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

• NSF Conversation in Undergraduate Biology / AIBS Biology Education Summit at AAAS Headquarters, 15 - 16 May; see program details at www.aibs.org/special-symposia/aibs_biology_education_summit.html

• Gordon Uno, AIBS Secretary and Chair of AIBS Education Committee

• Year of Science 2009 / Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science - now with more than 225 participating organizations; website www.copusproject.org

• Sheri Potter, Senior Associate, AIBS Executive Office and COPUS Network Project Manager
• Holly Menninger, Senior Public Affairs Associate, AIBS Public Policy Office

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

AIBS Meeting activities

• Future AIBS meetings plans, including AIBS symposia at the annual meeting of the National Association of Biology Teachers with collaborating organizations, including the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center and the Understanding Evolution website at Univ. of California, Berkeley.

• Richard O'Grady, AIBS Executive Director

4:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Call for member-driven initiatives / Council meeting ends