Branches: ASM Activities at the Local Level

ASM News ASM News JMBE 2.0 –Coming December 2010 important service for educators going through tenure and promotion processes. JMBE articles will focus primarily on microbiology and biology undergraduate education. JMBE 2.0 will feature an editorial review process modeled after that used for the ASM journals. “This is a major undertaking that will provide life science educators opportunities to publish sound pedagogical research and practices,” says Woolverton. “I am really excited about where JMBE is going and look forward to working with a team of editors dedicated to advancing student learning in the biological sciences.” Discussion items at the planning retreat included delineating editorial policies and prac- The Steering Committee of ASM’s Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (JMBE) held a planning retreat on 26 –27 September 2009 at ASM headquarters. Although the journal has been in production since 1999, the retreat marked the beginning of a new era for JMBE as the editorial committee, led by JMBE editor-in-chief Christopher Woolverton (Kent State University), met to redesign the future structure and scope of the journal. Also attending were Education Board chair Neil Baker (The Ohio State University), JMBE editors Jean Cardinale (Alfred University), Lucy Kluckhohn Jones (Santa Monica College), and Jeffrey Pommerville (Glendale Community College), and journal producJMBE Editors tion consultant Heather Shand (Multimed, Inc.). The new JMBE will feature rigorously reviewed content divided The newly expanded into six sections, and corresponding editors will guide authors JMBE (JMBE 2.0) will through the review process. continue to feature outstanding science educaResearch, Chris Woolverton, editor, welcomes manuscripts feation research artituring hypothesis-driven research with valid assessment methods cles while adding six focused on teaching and student learning. new sections to which Perspectives, Jeffrey Pommerville, editor, seeks papers that place authors may submit a particular, current topic of microbiology or biology into permanuscripts. JMBE 2.0 spective. will also uncouple from ASM’s MicrobeLibrary Curriculum, Jean A. Cardinale, editor, seeks innovative, fieldand reside at a new tested and assessed classroom and laboratory exercises for teachwebsite (www.jmbe ing undergraduate microbiology and biology. .asm.org), allowing for Departments: Tips and Tools, Lucy Kluckhohn Jones, editor, electronic submission seeks brief, exciting, and innovative tips and tools used in teachand review of manuing. scripts, open access to all articles, and the Departments: Reviews, Ruth Gyure, editor, seeks reviews and eventual indexing of opinions of microbiology and biology-related books and media. content in national daDepartments: News, Kelly Gull, editor, provides up-to-date intabases. These changes formation for educators regarding current events and a calendar will provide authors of relevant educational programs and events. with more visibility for their scholarly work, an 568 Y Microbe / Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 tices, roles and responsibilities of the committee, author and reviewer guidelines, production workflow, and rights and permissions policies. The committee also developed an action plan for implementing upcoming changes. Immediately on its agenda is recruiting articles for the first expanded issue to be published online in May 2010. Articles for this issue must be submitted by 1 February 2010. Another exciting development is the addition of a second issue to be published in December 2010, with a deadline of 1 September 2010 for submissions. JMBE’s online submission site will be available in December. Authors interested in submitting articles are welcome to e-mail advance inquiries and potential manuscript ideas to [email protected]. ASM LabCap Microbiology Training Working Group Meeting Numerous evaluations have identified the challenges faced by resource-limited countries to develop and sustain laboratory diagnostic services that provide consistently efficient and effective services to national populations. These challenges have included lack of training, poor procurement and inventory management systems, and inadequate financing or resourcing resulting in a lack of equipment, reagents, and supplies. Additionally, standardization of procedures and processes and the implementation of quality management systems in resource-limited laboratory environments continues to be limited or nonexistent. In many developing countries, weak microbiology laboratory services and a lack of trust in the results provided by laboratories have forced clinicians to rely on a quasi-syndromic approach to diagnose patients. ASM has committed to supporting international initiatives under the auspices of its International Board, and in 2005 initiated an International Laboratory Capacity Building Program (LabCap) with the mandate to strengthen clinical microbiology laboratory capacity in resource-limited countries. LabCap is currently poised to scale up their activities concerning sustainability, strategic planning, quality assurance, health systems strengthening, monitoring and evaluation, and the creation of key in-country partnerships under a renewed five-year Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In readying themselves for this undertaking, LabCap is reviewing its in-country microbiology training programs and building on lessons learned to date and recognizing the need to make training more effective and outcomes more sustainable. In pursuit of this goal, LabCap convened a small working group comprised of ASM LabCap consultants, expert training development facilitators, and ASM International Affairs staff in August 2009. The goal was to identify gaps in the existing ASM LabCap microbiology curriculum for training in-country laboratory staff, to agree on the additional curriculum components using a constructivist approach, and to identify the key components of a trainers/mentors/facilitators training package for personnel who support ASM’s in-country microbiology capacity building efforts. Participants included Wendy Kitson-Piggott, Valerie Wilson, Ellen Jo Baron, Larry Buck, Vlademir Cantarelli, Geri Lennon, Shirley Lowe, Janet Maleski, and Josephine San Pedro. In establishing the baseline for decision-making, the workgroup agreed upon essential components of effective and relevant microbiology diagnostic laboratory services. Strategic techniques, structures, and systems necessary to provide microbiology support for HIV/AIDS diagnostic, treatment, and care services, as well as other key communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, were identified. Members shared their own experiences as they sought to identify not only barriers and challenges to delivering LabCap in-country programs, but opportunities to significantly move laboratory strengthening efforts forward. The workgroup also defined the knowledge and skills set expected of microbiology staff supporting the delivery of effective quality services. A modular curriculum framework was developed in which both technical and general competencies and their corresponding learning objectives were defined, and the methods for measuring the competency’s achievement were discussed. The LabCap training curricula activities for both laboratory staff and LabCap mentors/facilitators will be implemented in phases: completing the curricula design; creating relevant training package materials to support the curricula; piloting the trainings; and the development and Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 / Microbe Y 569 Participants in the ASM LabCap Microbiology Training Working Group Meeting at headquarters, August 2009. application of pre- and posttraining evaluation tools to measure their effectiveness. Programmatic success of ASM LabCap Program initiatives will require a creative, structured and well-planned approach. Through the aforementioned workgroup, LabCap will continue to tailor its efforts to ensure success of its global laboratory capacity-building efforts. Wendy Kitson-Piggot Valerie Wilson Wendy Kitson-Piggot and Valerie Wilson are consultants with the LabCap program. XXII National Congress of the Spanish Society for Microbiology The Spanish Society for Microbiology (SEM) held its XXII National Congress on 21–24 September 2009 at the University of Almeria in Almeria, Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. President of the Organizing Committee Joaquin Moreno Casco combined a broad range of topics presented through lectures, seminars, roundtables, and posters from research groups across the country and abroad. “Here, as in our biennial congress in Seville in 2007, the strong collaborative relationship between SEM with ASM was highly evident. In Seville, former ASM President Diane Griffin gave one of the Congress’ keynote lectures and SEM paid homage to three other presidents of the ASM, Moselio Schaechter, Frederick C. Neidhardt, and John L. Ingraham. This year, we presented a silver plate to the current President of the ASM, our old friend Roberto Kolter,” said SEM President and former member of the 570 Y Microbe / Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 ASM International Board, Ricardo Guerrero. Kolter delivered the keynote lecture, entitled “Biofilms Inside and Outside the Laboratory: the Journey of a Molecular Geneticist to Microbial Ecology.” to a packed auditorium. As further demonstration of the strong ties between SEM and ASM, both societies shared a booth that displayed programs and services relevant to the attendees. Several new members joined ASM on site and many collected materials describing ASM’s meetings, publications, and programs. ASM Director of International Affairs Lily Schuermann and ASM Manager of International Affairs Todd ASM Peterson hosted the booth, where they had an opportunity to interact with meeting attendees during the three-day congress. A formal collaboration between ASM and SEM was signed into action by Kolter and Guerrero. The agreement formalized a joint initiative to translate and produce a Spanish version of the ASM MicrobeWorld podcasts. Thirty-four episodes of “Mundo de los Microbios” have already been translated through the ASM Volunteer Translator Network led by Ivonne Rankin, Long Island College Hospital. SEM generously offered to assume responsibility of the Englishto-Spanish translations with Emilia Quesada Arroquia, University of Granada, managing the program on behalf of SEM. ASM was also afforded an opportunity to present its programs and services during the informational lecture “ASM: Promoting Scientific Exchange and Collaborations Worldwide.” Kolter opened the presentation and introduced Schuermann, Peterson, and the ASM Ambassador to Western Europe, Josep Casadesus of the University of Seville, Spain. Following the presentation, Casadesus raffled off an iPod Shuffle with the existing 22 Spanish Podcasts already downloaded to the device. ASM then hosted a social gathering with the intent of providing a venue for networking with colleagues and an opportunity to speak with ASM representatives. The meeting also provided an opportunity for ASM to meet with current and prospective partners such as Jordi Lalucat Jo, Vice Rector, University of the Balearic Islands, with whom ASM maintains a Memorandum of Understanding to develop joint initatives. Founded in 1946, SEM seeks to promote the advancement and dissemination of microbiol- Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 ogy both in research and education and is one of the most active of the microbiological societies in Europe. ASM was greatly impressed with the quality of the organization and science at the XXII SEM Congress and recognizes Moreno Casco for his leadership and significant efforts to involve ASM. Morrison Rogosa Award The ASM Morrison Rogosa Award recognizes the research accomplishments and potential of women scientists from the countries of the Former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. The award honors the contributions to bacteriology and to ASM of Morrison Rogosa and gives an opportunity for applicants from 28 countries to compete for two awards each year. The award includes a two-year membership in ASM and a two-year subscription to the ASM journal of their choice. Narine S. Vardanyan, a native of Armenia, has been the head of Laboratory of Geomicrobiology of the Center of Microbiology and Microbial Depository of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia since 1992. A graduate of Yerevan State University, she defended her Ph.D and later D.Sc. dissertations at the Institute of Microbiology Vardanyan of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. In 1993, Vardanyan received an award from the Soros Foundation for her study of new species of chemolithotropic bacteria. In 1995 she received an award from the American University in Armenia. She is the author of four monographs and over 300 scientific papers and patents. Among her scientific interests are entomopathogenous bacteria and microbial pest control, microbial transformation and degradation of synthetic polymers for special use, and bacterial enzymes. She has more than 25 years of research devoted to the fundamental and applicable aspects of chemolithotropic bacteria related to microbial recovery of metals. She was named the only specialist in Armenia in the field of chemolithotropic bacteria by her peers. Angelika Krūmiņa, a native of Latvia, received her Ph.D. from Riga Stradins University in 2006. She has presented the results of her research in bacteriology in international conferences and congresses in the United States and China. This young scientist is a coauthor in more than 90 publications. In 2008 she coauthored a book, Clinical Anesthesiology and Intensive Care. The same year she was also named a winner of the grant provided by the Irish Association of Dermatologists (IAD) in collaboration with the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. She is currently focusing her research efforts on Corynebacterium. She is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases at Riga Stradins University where she is involved in the research project “Investigation of etiopathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome, post-infection, and unspecified origin encephalopathy and elaboration of diagnosis criteria.” ASM is pleased to present the 2010 Morrison Rogosa Awards to two promising female scientists from Armenia and Latvia. For more information on the Morrison Rogosa Award, please visit www.asm.org /international/morrisonrogosa. Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 Krūmiņa Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 / Microbe Y 571 Journals Journal of Bacteriology Editors’ Award On behalf of the Editors of the Journal of Bacteriology and the ASM Publications Board, I am very pleased to announce that Peter Setlow (University of Connecticut Health Center) has been selected as the first recipient of the Setlow Journal of Bacteriology Editors’ Award for outstanding service on the Editorial Board. Setlow has served on the Editorial Board for the past three years and is a former Editor of the Journal of Bacteriology. Over the past several years, he has reviewed an average of 20 papers per year, with an average review time of three days. His numerous and timely reviews have set the standard for quality, fairness and promptness. The Editors of the Journal of Bacteriology and I are proud of our reviewers and especially proud of reviewers like Peter Setlow who help us provide our authors with the best possible peer review. Philip Matsumura Editor-in-Chief The Journal of Bacteriology Education Board Now Available—Microscopic World Poster New from the Education Board, the poster “Look at our Microscopic World” features the dissecting, light, fluorescence, and electron microscopes. A peek into each microscope shows the diversity of the unseen world from human cells to bacterial spores. Visually appealing and fun, the poster is directed to middle school students. Don’t miss the chance to hang the poster in your local school. Help reach out to future scientists! Email [email protected] now for your free poster (with “microscopy poster request” in the subject line). 572 Y Microbe / Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 Be sure to include your full name, address, and the quantity needed. Quantities are limited to 10 posters per individual request. However, larger requests for ASM Branch meetings and public outreach events will be considered if justified. It takes the ASM community to raise a microbiologist! 2010 MURF Fellowship – Applications Being Accepted The ASM Committee on Minority Education (CME) invites applications to its 2010 ASM Microbiology Research Fellowship (MURF), a program that supports undergraduates with opportunities to conduct summer microbiology research at host institutions. From its 1986 inception, the MURF program has been tailored to the unique needs of students who have been traditionally underrepresented in microbiology and are considering doctoral-level careers in the field. The program has a new outlook for 2010 (Microbe, January 2009, p. 39). “The MURF Fellowship will give students with a passion and interest in microbiology an opportunity for a challenging and productive research experience,” says Mary Sanchez Lanier, CME Chair. “Perhaps the most exciting feature of this new program is that after the summer research experience, the students may be supported to present their research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and the ASM General Meeting.” (Presentation opportunities are dependent on abstract submission and acceptance.) “In addition,” says Lanier, “the students will receive one-year ASM memberships, thus extending the summer experience to one where they become part of a national research community.” The revised MURF program supports experiences for students to work alongside research microbiologists, conducting highquality studies at leading institutions in the microbiological sciences. MURF fellows live at these institutions for 10 to 12 weeks during the summer to conduct research projects and participate in other activities. Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 These activities include but are not limited to seminars, journal clubs, research symposia, and lab tours. The MURF program doesn’t take a onesize-fits-all approach to the selection of research opportunities. All MURF opportunities are vetted, and each fellow selects three possible mentors/host institutions, a research area, and his or her preferred level of activity for the summer. Based on the fellow’s ability, interests, independence, and host institution choice, MURF program advisors coordinate placement at U.S.-based host institutions. Patricia Baynham, leader of the MURF ad hoc committee, notes that choosing only three possible mentors may be a challenge for students. “With the variety of outstanding MURF mentors,” says Baynham, “it will be easy for students to picture themselves in a world-class research lab, but challenging for them to choose just three possible mentors.” Mentors are chosen based on (i) the quality of the research experience offered, (ii) the feasibility of the research for a summer undergraduate experience, (iii) the experience of the mentor in advising undergraduates, and (iv) the student support services offered. This year, the MURF selection committee chose 49 active researcher mentors, all of whom are eager to contribute to the professional development and academic growth of young scientists. Institutions Participating in the ASM-MURF Program With faculty members participating in the ASM-MURF program, a commitment to student learning, young research investigators, and diversity has been made by the following schools: Albert Einstein College of Medicine Baylor College of Medicine Brown University Cornell University Indiana University School of Medicine Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute Marine Biological Laboratory Michigan State University New York University Lagone Medical Center Oklahoma State University Oregon Health & Science University Rutgers University Seattle Biomedical Research Institute Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington University of Arkansas at Little Rock University of Massachusetts – Amherst University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center The University of Southern Mississippi University of Texas at El Paso University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston Washington State University Yale University The MURF application deadline is 1 February 2010, and awards will be announced in May. ASM encourages individuals from groups who have been historically underrepresented (e.g., AfricanAmericans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islanders) and who remain underrepresented in the microbiological sciences today to apply. Visit the MURF link at www.asm.org/ students for a list of requirements and other details about the program. 2010 Biology Scholars Program A good educator knows that the best teachers are the most passionate learners. Now in its third year, the NSF-sponsored Biology Scholars Program offers two rigorous virtual residencies in 2010 to guide dedicated biology and microbiology faculty in taking their classroom teaching and educational research to the next level. Each residency combines intensive, faceto-face, multiday training institutes with ongoing e-learning communities to help educators demonstrate improved student learning with the ultimate goal of publishing results. Transitions Residency. Are You Ready to Publish? Undergraduate life science faculty interested in transitioning their science education research into scholarly manuscripts are encouraged to apply for the 2010 Biology Scholars Program Transitions Residency. This residency will help participants evaluate the results of their classroom learning research, share their preliminary results, and determine if their results are ready for publication. The residency kicks off in Washington, D.C., with the Science Education Research to Publication Institute in June. Apply by 1 February. Research Residency—Are Your Students Learning? The 2010 Research Residency seeks biology educators who have been trained in effective teaching strategies and are asking questions about how and why students learn in their classrooms. Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 Participants will learn how to understand and place their evidence-based research in the context of biology education and develop the skills to create, design, and implement experiments that assess student learning. The residency begins in Washington, D.C., with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Institute in July. Apply by 1 March. Travel grants for Biology Scholars Program participation are available for faculty members from community colleges and institutions with significant numbers of underrepresented and/or underserved students. For more information about the grants or other aspects of the program, visit www.biologyscholars.org. New Resources Available in the MicrobeLibrary The MicrobeLibrary (www.microbelibrary .org) is pleased to announce the publication of new resources in the Focus on Microbiology Education (FOME) newsmagazine. Book Reviews Animalcules: The Activities, Impacts and Investigators of Microbes Amy Jessen-Marshall, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio Clinical Virology Manual, 4th ed. Barbara May, College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn. Foundations in Microbiology, 7th ed. Heidi R. Smith, Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, Colo. Laboratory Applications in Microbiology: A Case Study Approach Karen E. Russo, Bayer HealthCare, Myerstown, Pa. Microbiology: a Human Perspective, 6th ed. Barbara May, College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn. Principles of Virology, 3rd ed. vol. I: Molecular Biology, vol. II: Pathogenesis and Control Barry Chess, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, Calif. The Cell: A Molecular Approach, 5th ed. Jill Loukides, Anne Arundel Community Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 / Microbe Y 573 College, Arnold, Md. The Elusive Malaria Vaccine: Miracle or Mirage? Milind Deshpande, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa MEETINGS Sneak Peak: ASMCUE 2010 Leslie Robinson, American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C. From the Editor This issue of Focus on Microbiology Education marks the sixth educational materials review issue, on the one hand, and the final FOME on the other. Textbooks reviewed include Nester’s 6th edition of Microbiology: A Human Perspective, Talaro’s 7th edition of Foundations in Microbiology, Cooper’s 5th edition of The Cell: A Molecular Approach, and Flint’s 3rd edition of Principles of Virology. For lab work, check out Laboratory Applications in Microbiology, A Case Study Approach, by Barry Chess, and the 4th edition of the Clinical Virology Manual, by Steven Specter et al. Rounding out the issue are Dixon’s collection of reviews with the inviting title, Animalcules, the Activities, Impacts, and Investigators of Microbes, and Irwin Sherman’s The Elusive Malaria Vaccine: Miracle or Mirage? Once again, many thanks to Ruth Gyure for editing this issue. With this issue, FOME will cease to exist in its current format, but the content will not disappear entirely. Feature articles will continue to be found as Perspectives in the new Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (JMBE). Look for tips for the nuts and bolts of teaching in the Departments section. Journal and web reviews will continue to be offered in the new journal. The best news is that access will be easily available without subscription. FOME started in 1995, with I. Edward Alcamo as editor-in-chief, and Marianne Crocker, Sean Ervin, Sue Katz, John Lennox, Dorothy May, and Jeff Sich on the editorial board. Robert Benoit and Marianne Crocker were coeditors (1997– 1998). Linda Sherwood became managing editor (1998 –2002), during which time FOME went online. Editor-in-chief Kelly 574 Y Microbe / Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 Cowan (2002–2005) introduced the first educational materials reviews issue. Others who have served on the editorial committee include Samuel Fan, Pat Johnson, Joanna Mott, Judy Kandel, Leigh Callan, Kim Finer, Gregory Hampikian, Margaret Heimbrook, Jackie Laxon, Mary Lux, Indiren Pillay, Christopher Woolverton, Kathleen Jagger, Brad Goodner, Ruth Gyure, Jennifer Herzog, Gary Kaiser, Marie Panec, and Michelle Parent. Without their able assistance, FOME would not have been possible. ASM staff deserves special thanks. Through the years, Dana Boyd, Betty Eidemiller, Denise Steene, Kristen Catlin-LeBaron, Jean Gondwe Kayira, Meredith Brooks, and Kelly Gull have provided invaluable assistance and prodded us to make deadlines. Amy Chang has provided vision and ideas through all the years. Her ideas have shaped many issues. Enjoy the reviews. Come back to ASM for “JMBE 2.0” in spring 2010. Lucy W. Kluckhohn Jones Editor—Focus on Microbiology Education International Affairs Kenya Laboratory PEPFAR Partners Meeting The ASM LabCap Program was invited to attend the Kenya Laboratory President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Implementing Partners Meeting, held 3– 4 September 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya. International Affairs Program Manager Lynée Galley participated on behalf of ASM. The meeting, entitled “Strengthening Laboratory Partnerships,” aimed to improve partner accountability and efficiency through sharing experiences, synergizing activities, and committing to building capacity and sustainability within the Kenyan laboratory community. Objectives included identifying each partner’s strengths and roles in supporting both PEPFAR goals and the Kenyan National Laboratory Strategic Plan; identifying cross-cutting areas; exploring opportunities for collaboration; reviewing best practices from previous years; and defining essential steps for future success. Galley provided an overview of ASM’s Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 capacity-building activities. Since early 2009, ASM Consultant Josephine San Pedro has been working with Kenya’s National Public Health Laboratory Services by mentoring the Central Microbiology Reference Laboratory (CMRL) staff in routine microbiology procedures and improving quality system gaps. Recently a Laboratory Technical Working Group (TWG) was organized by the technologists at CMRL to coordinate activities related to training and education, standard operating procedure development, safety, and supplies management and inventory at the central microbiology laboratory. ASM will be supporting Kenya in 2010 and beyond to enhance lab access for quality service delivery, improve lab networks, establish a steady reagent supply and equipment maintenance programs, and establish quality through step-wise accreditation of labs. Development of this publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number U62/CCU3 25119 – 04 from the Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), Global AIDS Program (GAP). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. Branches: ASM Activities at the Local Level Diversity, Key to a Successful Branch Event Fall is an active time for Branch meetings, which often coincide with the annual Branch membership drive. You can elect to join or renew Branch membership at meetings or go to the ASM eStore and renew online when you renew your ASM membership. The majority of Branches offer a join/renew option at the ASM eStore, so don’t forget your Branch when you renew your ASM membership. To provide you with a compelling reason to become part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Branch, we are pleased to offer an account of the 18th Annual Philadelphia Infection and Immunity Forum, sponsored by the Eastern Pennsylvania Branch of ASM (EPAASM) and its Student Chapter at the University of Pennsylvania in May 2009. Diversity was the theme of the 18th annual forum. By design of the student organizers, the forum’s perennial theme— host-pathogen interaction—was represented by presenters from a multiplicity of perspectives. Speakers addressed manipulation of the gut immune response by nontyphoidal Salmonella serotypes (Andreas J. Bäumler, University of California, Davis), development of memory T cells in response to malarial sporozite immunization (Fidel Zavala, Johns Hopkins University), and improved DNA vaccines for mucosal immunity to HIV (Michele Kutzler, Drexel University College of Medicine.) Graduate students spoke on dendritic cell entrapment at the maternal-fetal immune barrier (Mary K. Collins, New York University School of Medicine), characterization of a novel innate immunomodulatory lipopeptide (Mitali Purohit, Drexel University College of Medicine), and the role of parasite-encoded macrophage migration inhibitory factor on pathogenesis in the Plasmodium yoelli mouse model of blood-stage malaria (Swati Thorat, Drexel University College of Medicine). Postdoctoral speaker Meera Nairof the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine focused on how resistin-like molecule ␣, expressed by alternately activated macrophages, functions to limit pulmonary inflammation in a mouse model of schistosomiasis. Diversity was also apparent from the backgrounds of student-selected speakers. The speakers hailed from further afield than California and Maryland, as Bäumler earned his Ph.D. in Germany and Zavala was educated in Chile before emigrating to the United States. Both shared interesting perspectives on American biology research, commenting on how unique opportunities afforded by the American institutional structure brought them to this country. Posters spanned everything from basic science to clinical microbiology and immunology, and included industrial applications. Areas receiving special focus included the malarial immune response, sequence analysis of HIV and AIDS disease determinants, and innate mucosal immunity. Forty-two posters were presented by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and industry scientists. Eighty-eight participants represented nine academic institutions and three companies. Eight vendors offered exhibits, with the afternoon session concluding with presentation of monetary awards for best graduate and postdoctoral posters. Student organizers Bryan Utter, Mitali Purohit, Saifur Rahman, and Viraj Sanghvi were thanked, as was the faculty chair Simon Knight and the institutional sponsors: Drexel University College of Medicine, Department of Microbiology & Immunology; University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology; University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology; and Temple University School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology & Immunology. The EPAASM has more than 400 members throughout the Delaware Valley and encourages membership from all area students, faculty, and scientists interested in microbiology. Student membership is free; others pay $25 in annual dues. For more information, see the EPAASM branch website at http://www.asm.org/branch/ brEPenn/index.html. Not a Branch member, and still on the fence as to whether you should join? Use the events tab and other resources within the Community and ASM web sites to find your Branch home. Whether you want frequent networking opportunities with peers or you seek interesting and inclusive scientific programming on a smaller scale, the 35 Branches of the ASM offer exceptional membership and professional value. From all of us involved in Branches, we hope to see you at a Branch event very soon. To learn of your next Branch participation opportunity go to http://www .asm.org/Membership/index.asp?bid⫽23253 or to the ASM website at http://www.asm.org; toggle the dropdown menu “Membership/ Branches/Branch Meetings” to discover upcoming Branch opportunities. Michael G. Schmidt Chair, Branch Organization Committee Erika Szymanski Student Chapter, Eastern Pennsylvania Branch Membership The Institute of Medicine recently announced the names of 65 new elected members, including four members of ASM. Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute has be- Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 come recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on issues related to human health. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. The ASM members elected are Michael L. Cleary of Stanford University, Thomas Curran of the University of Pennsylvania, Michael B. Kastan of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Douglas Wallace of the University of California, Irvine. Deceased Member James Bennett Clark passed away peacefully at his home in Garland, Texas, on 22 August 2009. Throughout the more than 40 years of his professional career he will always be remembered as an outstanding teacher, researcher, inventor, and mentor. He was very much respected by his peers and his students alike for his candor, integrity, good sense of judgment, dedica- Clark tion, and wit. Clark received his B.A. (1947), M.A. (1948), and Ph.D. (1950) degrees from the University of Texas in Austin. During his tenure at the University of Texas he studied in the Department of Bacteriology under the direction of Orville Wyss and Wilson Stone, examining the effects of chemical mutagens on mutation rates in bacteria and the effects of these mutations on recombination phenomena between mutant strains of Escherichia coli K-12. Clark began his professional career as an Assistant Professor in Bacteriology at the University of Houston in 1950 but left in 1951 for a similar position within the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. During his 31 years at the University of Oklahoma he was a popular teacher in both undergraduate and graduate courses. He taught courses in Agricultural Microbiology, Soil Microbiology, Industrial Microbiology, Microbial Physiology, Public Health Bacteriology, and Microbial Ecology. He had Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 / Microbe Y 575 wide research interests in many aspects of bacterial physiology and scientific instrumentation. Much of his early career at Oklahoma University concentrated on the physiology of actinomycetes and later focused on factors controlling bacterial morphogenesis in Arthrobacter species. He also became interested in understanding mechanisms by which microorganisms could be used to increase the recovery of oil from subterranean reservoirs. Before he retired from Oklahoma University in 1981 he had published more than 100 articles in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. Besides his research and teaching, he guided the research of many graduate students, who went on to receive 9 Ph.D. and 23 M.S. 576 Y Microbe / Volume 4, Number 12, 2009 degrees. A fellow of both the American Academy of Microbiology and the Oklahoma Academy of Science, he was also a member of Phi Sigma, Lambda Tau, Phi Lambda Epsilon, Sigma XI, and a 50-year member of ASM. In 1981 he accepted a principal scientist position within the R&D group at Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Okla. During the next 13 years he continued to cultivate his interests in microbiological oil recovery and developed an appreciation for anaerobic microbiology and the role of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the souring of petroleum reservoirs and bacterial corrosion. His work at Phillips resulted in numerous reports, publica- Downloaded from www.asmscience.org by IP: 54.163.42.124 On: Fri, 22 May 2020 19:24:44 tions, and at least five U.S. patents covering microbial oil recovery and the control of SRB in oilfield operations. J. Bennett Clark took a genuine interest in his students and the people with whom he worked. His opinions were sought and valued by his friends and colleagues. He was a patient mentor, always finding time to discuss either technical or personal issues. He will be greatly missed by the scientific community and all who knew him. Gary E. Jenneman ConocoPhillips Bartlesville, Okla.