Michigan Chapter for the Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
Council Meeting
Michigan State University
February 28th, 2005
Members Present: Lisa Baker (President, WMU), Peter Cobbett (President Elect, MSU), Tom Fischer (Councilor, WSU), Verne Hulce (Councilor, CMU), Greg Kapatos (Awards Committee Chair, WSU), Daniel Kueh (Student Councilor, WMU), Cindy Linn (Councilor, WMU), Roy Schwarz (Councilor, Pfizer), Deborah Shear (Student Councilor, CMU), John Spitsbergen (Secretary, WMU), Scott Turner (Councilor, UM) and Art Weber (Treasurer, MSU), Julia Zehr (Councilor at large, MSU).
Meeting was called to order at 11:30 AM.
Item 1: Review and approval of minutes from 10/24/04 council meeting (Lisa Baker, President).
The minutes were approved as written.
Item 2: Treasurer’s Report (Art Weber, Treasurer).
Art reported that a $1,000.00 deposit has been paid to Eagle Crest Conference Center for the upcoming annual meeting. Art also pointed out that the new treasurer (to be voted in at the next meeting) may want to consider changing the account information (i.e. we are still using checks with Keith Lookingland’s name on them). A financial statement was circulated indicating that our chapter currently has $9,628.21 in an IMMA savings account (with $1,000.00 more coming from Pfizer), $7.61 in regular savings and $20.56 in checking.
Item 3: Update on 2005 Brain Awareness Week Plans (Deb Shear).
This year’s combined BAW event will be held Saturday, March 19th, at the Detroit Public Library. The event will include a visit by Ronald McDonald, a variety of neuroscience exhibits, a Buckle Your Brain presentation sponsored by the Field Neuroscience Institute and other fun and interesting activities. Other BAW events include activities sponsored by the Field Neuroscience Institute, to be held at the Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw, on March 13th, presentations at K-12 schools and activities at the Kalamazoo Children’s museum on March 19th.
There was some discussion about holding a Brain Bee competition next year, with the possibility of each university sponsoring a local event, followed by a state event to be held in East Lansing in early spring, with the top competitor being sent to the national Brain Bee event in Washington D.C.
Item 4: 2005 Annual Meeting Plans (Roy Schwarz, Pfizer).
The annual meeting is scheduled for May 20th, at the Ypsilanti Marriott/Eagle Crest Conference Center (I-94 in Ypsilanti).
The theme is Memory and Learning/Cognition.
The host organization is Pfizer.
The abstract deadline will be April 28th.
The organizing committee is as follows:
Roy Schwarz, Mei Cui, Zhang Li, Fu-zon Chung and Julie Piechan.
39 letters were sent out to vendors, with 4 acceptances having been received by 2/25/05.
Speakers: There will be 2 to 3 keynote speakers, with one each concentrating on clinical studies, preclinical research and molecular and cellular mechanisms of learning and memory.
Martin Sarter (University of Michigan) has already agreed to give a talk.
Web Site: the web site should be up and running in the near future.
Poster boards: provided by Pfizer.
Awards: should receive support from Pfizer (may receive long-term funding from Pfizer to help support the student awards). Lisa Baker contacted several publishers at the National Neuroscience Conference about providing books as part of a student award.
Tentative Schedule:
8:00-8:30 On-site registration, put up posters, refreshments available through morning.
8:30-11:00 Poster Session and Judging.
8:30-1:30 Vendors available.
11:00-12:00 Student Presentations.
12:00-1:30 Lunch and Business Meeting (Take down posters by end of lunch).
1:30-3:30 Keynote Lectures: 2-3 speakers (30 to 60 minutes each).
3:40-4:30 Reception.
Item 5: New Business (Lisa Baker).
Please start thinking about individuals to nominate for the following positions.
Treasurer, Secretary, Awards Chair, U of M Councilor, MSU Councilor.
Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted by John Spitsbergen (john.spitsbergen@wmich.edu), Secretary.