Minutes of the Meeting of Councilors
Michigan Chapter, Society for Neuroscience
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Friday, February 5, 1999

Present: Mike Bannon (WSU), Audrey Seasholtz (UM), Keith Lookingland (MSU), Lisa Baker (WMU), Kjell Svensson (PNU), Gary Dunbar (CMU), Matt Galloway (WSU), Kristi Haik-Creguer (student rep), Susanne Koch (student rep)

1. Welcome. Lisa Baker welcomed the councilors to the meeting. Councilors introduced themselves.

2. Committee Reports:

Treasurer report. Keith Lookingland presented the Treasurer’s report. He indicated that the Chapter has a balance of $3,254.60. He also warned that expenses have continued to surpass revenues for the last three meetings in a row. Discussion ensued concerning ways to increase revenues and decrease expenses. Keith Lookingland moved (and Audry Seasholtz seconded) to raise the faculty dues by $10.00 to help offset the growing imbalance between expenses and revenues. Motion carried.

Secretary report. Gary Dunbar distributed the Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting of May 22, 1998. Audrey Seasholtz moved (Mike Bannon seconded) to approve the Minutes. Motion carried.

Awards report. Kjell Svensson presented the proposed deadlines for the Poster and Student awards at the next meeting. It was agreed that the Chapter Awards deadline would be April 9 and the Poster awards deadline would be May 7. It was also agreed that the procedures used to judge the awards worked well last year and should be continued for the next meeting. Kjell indicated that he would approach Pharmacia Upjohn about sponsoring an award.

3. 1999 Meeting. The chairs of the 1999 meeting, Lisa Baker and Kjell Svensson presented their plans for the upcoming meeting. The chosen venue would be the Fetzer Center at Western Michigan University. The projected budget for the meeting was approximately $9100. Suggestions for reducing the cost included reducing the refreshment service from a full-day service to a continental breakfast and a luncheon. Lisa Baker indicated that she would approach the administration at WMU for contributions to help offset some of the expenses. Kjell Svensson was charged with contacting potential speakers for the meeting. It was also agreed that the starting time of the meeting should be moved from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM. Matt Galloway encouraged the councilors to seek potential nominees for the upcoming elections, which will include: secretary, awards chair, councilors from UM, MSU, PD-WLA, a student councilor, a councilor-at-large, and a meeting chair (from PD-WLA).

4. Brain Awareness Week. Matt Galloway reported on the BAW presentation at the Society’s Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. He indicated that Michigan had one of the most comprehensive series of events represented at the Meeting. A visual synopsis of Matt’s presentation is available on the Michigan Chapter’s website. Matt encouraged the councilors to continue to promote BAW, and underscored the importance of making the public aware of the importance of the contributions made by neuroscientists.

5. New Buisness. Gary Dunbar moved (and Audrey Seashotz seconded) that changes in the Chapter’s By Laws be made to include Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University as member institutions of the Michigan Chapter, and that this would be put to a vote for the membership at the upcoming Annual Meeting. Gary Dunbar volunteered to craft the wording to be presented.

6. Meeting Adjourned.