ABLE News and Notes

Marielle Hoefnagels, Labstracts Editor
University of Oklahoma
hoefnagels@ou.edu

New Labstracts editor named

At the 2005 annual meeting, Barbara Stegenga of the University of North Carolina volunteered to be the new Labstracts editor. Her term will begin in July 2006, which means that the Winter 2006 issue will be my last. I am confident that Barbara will bring new insights and ideas to Labstracts, and I am very happy that such a capable volunteer stepped forward. Thanks, Barbara!

Join ABLE members and friends in the Galápagos and Ecuador this summer

Have you ever wanted to follow Darwin’s footsteps and visit the Galápagos? If so, this summer is your chance. Join Alec Motten on a trip he is organizing for ABLE members and friends to the Galápagos islands and the highlands of Ecuador June 11-22, 2006. That’s right after the ABLE 2006 conference at Purdue. As recounted in his article in the Winter 2005 edition of Labstracts, Ecuador is a spectacular biological destination, and the itinerary planned for this summer’s trip is specifically designed to appeal to the interests of biologists and naturalists. It includes an 8-day/7-night cruise of the Galápagos on a 16-passenger, eco-friendly motor catamaran (already chartered just for our group!) and two daylong excursions to nature preserves near an eco-lodge in the Ecuadorian highlands next to the capital, Quito. The basic cost is $3,166.00 per person, excluding airfare between Quito and your home. For more information, contact Alec Motten (afmotten@duke.edu). Space on the boat is limited, and ABLE members who learned details of the trip this summer at Virginia Tech are already signing up. Click here to check out a few of Alec's photos from the 2004 trip!

Wanted: Contributions to Labstracts

Labstracts is a forum for you, the members of ABLE, to share what you know about biology laboratory education. Labstracts relies on you for ideas and contributions. If you look at this issue, you will see that we have all sorts of items -- from short news clips to longer articles. Any and all submissions are warmly welcomed.

What are your favorite ideas about teaching? What are your problems? What would you like to know about how your colleagues teach? Do you have ideas for articles, even if you don't have time to write one yourself?

If you want to submit an article, or just an idea for an article, please contact me at hoefnagels@ou.edu. If you are submitting an article, please include information about yourself and a digital photograph (if possible) to include with the article. Photos of students or equipment "in action" are, of course, also always welcome. The deadline for the Winter 2006 issue will be around early February.

Upcoming Meetings

Here is a short list of upcoming meetings that might interest ABLE members. If you know of others that should be included, please email me.

ABLE (Association for Biology Laboratory Education): The 2006 annual meeting will be from June 6-10, 2006, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.

ACUBE (Association of College and University Biology Educators): The 49th Annual Meeting, Interdisciplinary Explorations, will be held October 13-15, 2005 at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

AIBS (American Institute of Biological Sciences): The 2006 AIBS annual meeting has been scheduled for 23-24 May 2006 in Washington, D.C. The working title is "Biodiversity: The Interplay of Science, Valuation and Policy."

CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research): The 11th National Conference will be at DePauw University, June 24-27, 2006.

NABT (National Association of Biology Teachers): The 2005 annual meeting will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 5-8, 2005, and the 2006 meeting will be in Albuquerque, NM from October 11-14, 2006.

NCUR (National Conferences on Undergraduate Research): The 2006 annual meeting will be April 6-9, 2006 at the University of North Carolina - Asheville.

NSTA (National Science Teachers Association): The 2006 annual convention will be in Anaheim, CA from April 6-9, 2006.

Project Kaleidoscope is devoted to undergraduate education in mathematics, engineering, and science. The website lists a variety of meetings and workshops.