AALAS in Action - February 2003
Volume 1., Number 1
President's Message: Welcome to AALAS
in Action
AALAS Learning Library Coming
Soon
Order Recordings of
Education Sessions
Executive Director’s Message: Resolve
to Laugh More in 2003
AAALAC Offers Guide in Spanish
Are Your Colleagues Receiving
Tech Talk?
Nominate Your Outstanding TBR!
SCAW Offers IACUC-Advanced
New AALAS Staff Member
Making a Positive Impact
CTAD—The
Who, What, How, and Why
2003 Price
Changes for Membership, Resource Kits
AALAS Needs YOU!
Revision Plan for Manuals in
the Works
How to Nominate
Someone for an AALAS Award
The AALAS
Foundation: It Ain’t AALAS, But...
Submit Your Topic Ideas
President’s Message
Hello! It’s a new year, and AALAS is happy to introduce our new eight-page newsletter, AALAS in Action. The newsletter will replace the Hotsheet and will be included as an insert in our Tech Talk publication, which reaches all 11,000+ national AALAS members. AALAS in Action will keep you up to date on association news, upcoming events, and items of interest to our members. Got something to include? Let us hear from you! Just send an e-mail to john.farrar@aalas.org. Happy New Year!
A new face in online learning will arrive in the spring of 2003 as the AALAS Campus is transformed into the AALAS Lab Animal Science Learning Library (ALL).
ALL was built on software developed for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under the direction of Dr. Michael Fallon. It has also been referred to as the Working with Laboratory Animals Project. The web site that distributes the online content for this project is called ResearchTraining.Org.
In October of 2002, AALAS and the VA finalized an agreement that permits a sharing of this software and collaboration in its future development.
ALL will offer members new features, new courses, and more affordability. Some of the new features on the horizon include:
In addition to these benefits, AALAS will also be expanding course offerings. New selections include:
Courses will be organized into libraries, according to topic area or material source. The first library to be developed, the AALAS Library, will offer many of the courses mentioned above. A second library will house courses on human resource topics and occupational health and safety topics on a pay-per-view basis. Other libraries will be developed in the future.
This new platform gives AALAS the opportunity to generate new courses and update existing ones much more efficiently and economically. The end result? Savings and new material for you.
Current AALAS Campus users will automatically be transitioned into ALL, with transcript information from completed courses intact. Those with time remaining on their Campus registrations will receive free time in ALL to test the new features and courses.
For further information and updates as the launch approaches, check the AALAS web site www.aalas.org and click on the AALAS Learning Library logo. And remember, the AALAS Learning Library is all you will need for online learning in laboratory animal science.
Did you take good notes at last year’s National Meeting? Well if you missed something, you’re in luck. You can order recordings of all the platform sessions, seminars, and special topic lectures.
All were recorded live and are available on cassette and CD. Cassettes are $9, and CDs are $10. Order online at www.nrstaping.com/aalas/aalas2002.htm or by calling 1-888-522-5023, ext. 114. Be sure to check the web site for special deals.
Executive Director’s Message
By Ann Tourigny Turner, PhD, CAE
It’s already the middle of February, and I am just getting around to making my New Year’s resolutions. We work in a stressful business that can take an emotional toll—a line of work that sometimes requires us to balance the scales with positive energy.
So I have resolved simply to laugh more, and I encourage my colleagues in laboratory animal science to do the same.
I plan to seek out people at M&T in February to share a funny story. I will attend “skit night” at ILAM in May to get in on the fun. I will attend the Opening General Session at the National Meeting in Seattle to laugh with Baxter Black. I will share a joke or fun time with many of you at branch, district, and affiliate meetings.
In partnership with Cindy Pekow, we will make sure the Board of Trustees has at least one good laugh at each meeting. As I write this column, I hear laughter nearby. I think I’ll take a break from my busy day and join the staff in a quick laugh now!
I wish you a Happy 2003!
AAALAC International, in partnership with Mexico’s National Academy of Medicine, has translated into Spanish the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC 1996).
To receive one free copy, send an e-mail to accredit@aaalac.org or call 301-231-5353. Multiple copies are $4 each, including shipping. Those who order 10 or more receive a 15 percent discount.
People that meet or exceed applicable standards are awarded accreditation a symbol of quality assurance recognized around the world. More than 650 institutions in 18 countries have earned AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating their commitment to high-quality animal care and good science. More information is available on AAALAC’s web site at www.aaalac.org.
AALAS wants to be sure that you and other AALAS members at your organization are receiving Tech Talk.
Tech Talk is mailed out at the third-class rate. We have learned through the years that occasionally the mailhouses of large institutions and companies do not always deliver mail sent at the third-class rate for various reasons.
Once mail enters an organization’s or company’s mailroom it is out of AALAS’ and the United States Postal Service’s jurisdiction.
AALAS wants to do everything we can to ensure that this publication is reaching you. If you know of someone who has not been receiving Tech Talk, but is a current member of AALAS, please have that person contact Linda Hills at the national office. Linda can be reached by e-mail at linda.hills@aalas.org and she will be glad to verify your address in AALAS’ membership database.
One solution to ensure your delivery of AALAS publications is to instruct AALAS to mail publications to an alternate address rather than your place of employment.
Technician Branch Representatives (TBRs) are a vital and important part of the Committee on Technician Awareness & Development (CTAD).
TBRs share technicians’ activities, ideas, and suggestions; help them promote biomedical research on a local basis; provide them with professional opportunities and strategies; encourage them to participate in AALAS at a local and national level; and request technicians’ articles for AALAS publications. In short, they provide a valuable connection between national AALAS and technicians in the field.
Each year the CTAD budgets to reward up to three of its hardest working TBRs who demonstrate outstanding performance. The TBR Recognition Award consists of a free AALAS National Meeting registration plus an additional $150 in travel funds for each selected TBR. To qualify, TBRs must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Nominations are accepted from any AALAS branch member, a member of the AALAS branch’s board of directors, or the district’s CTAD representative.
If you have a TBR in your branch that you feel has shown exemplary job performance, please nominate him/her by using the TBR Recognition Award nomination form located in the “Downloads” section on the AALAS web site (www.aalas.org).
The deadline for the TBR Recognition Award nomination submission is July 1, 2003. The final vote will be determined by an Award Subcommittee of the CTAD comprised of the CTAD chair and vice-chair and the AALAS Board of Trustees liaison.
The Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW) has developed a new program to train members of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC): IACUC-Advanced.
This workshop is for experienced IACUC members and others who work with laboratory animals. The format will let small groups discuss specific, complex topics that are relevant to IACUC functions.
Dates for 2003 IACUC-Advanced Workshops are: March 7, Clearwater, FL; June 2, Minneapolis, MN; and October 28, Bethesda, MD. For registration and program information please visit www.scaw.com or call 301-345-3500.
John Farrar has joined the AALAS staff as manager of communications and marketing. He will be working with AALAS’ director of communications and marketing, Chris Lyons, on the various AALAS publications. John will also be serving as the staff liaison to the Contemporary Topics Editorial Committee and will be the point person for receiving association news submissions to Contemporary Topics and AALAS in Action.
John comes to AALAS with a background in journalism. He previously worked as managing editor for Towery Publishing in Memphis, TN. You can reach him by e-mail at john.farrar@aalas.org.
Public outreach is an integral component of our industry. Many lab animal science professionals visit classrooms or career day events and have some excellent pointers to share with those who want to get involved in outreach themselves. Here are a few of these tips to help you prepare for an outreach presentation.
By Vicki Koch, BS, RLATG, CTAD, District 1
Who We Are
The Committee for Technician Awareness and Development (CTAD) is comprised
of a chair, vice chair, and representatives from each of the eight AALAS
districts.
All members are volunteers, and the chair is approved by the current AALAS Board of Trustees (BOT). The chair and vice chair serve a one-year term each, while the district representatives serve three-year terms. The CTAD representatives must be AALAS national members and are typically members of their local AALAS branches as well.
These representatives filter information to their respective branches via the Technician Branch Representative (TBR) network. The TBRs and their assistants (ATBRs) disseminate information from the AALAS national office to their branch technicians, as well as retrieve valuable feedback from the technicians about the information they want and need to enhance their job performance. The CTAD also functions with the assistance of an AALAS BOT liaison and two AALAS staff liaisons to help facilitate the various tasks.
What We Do
As the committee name implies, CTAD strives to promote the importance of
technicians in the field of biomedical research to both the research community
and the public. Offering avenues for continuing education and increasing
technician recognition also rank as an important goals for CTAD.
How We Do It
The CTAD, along with other committees, carries out AALAS’ Standing Charges
and the Presidential Charges (derived from the current goals and objectives of
the AALAS Strategic Plan) set by the AALAS BOT. In addition to these, our
committee members brainstorm ideas and develop projects targeting technicians.
Some of the projects and services that have been developed by the CTAD include:
Why We Do It
Humans need enrichment, too. The CTAD is a great opportunity to enhance a
technician’s abilities and education. As a result, the quality of the lab animal
care, and the end product—the research—improves.
This is just one of many ways that we can give something back to the animals
that ultimately help us.
The CTAD strives to promote the importance of technicians in the field of biomedical research to both the research community and the public.
The new year has brought about some price changes to the resource kits. Before ordering the LAT Training Manual or Resource Kit, call Sheryl at the national office at 901-754-8620.
When the new LAT Companion CD is ready, you may purchase the LAT Training Manual plus CD for $50, and the LAT Resource Kit with manual and CD for $100.
And don’t forget to always check the expiration date at the bottom of the order form to make sure it’s the most current. Get the current order form off our web site (www.aalas.org) or have one faxed to you by calling 901-754-8620.
In other news, the AALAS Board of Trustees at its summer session in June 2002 approved an increase in AALAS membership dues for the first time in four years. Effective January 1, 2003, incremental increases for Domestic, Canada/Mexico, and International Individual Members will be $5 for Bronze, $20 for Silver, and $30 for Gold, respectively. See the box below for AALAS’ new membership pricing plans.
| Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| United States | $180 | $85 | $35 |
| Canada/Mexico | $195 | $95 | $40 |
| International | $220 | $115 | $45 |
Commercial Member: $600
Institutional Member: $450
Affiliate Member: $250
There is still plenty of time to become involved in leadership roles with AALAS. Volunteerism at all levels is rewarding and exciting, and participation enables one to meet many members of the laboratory animal science community from across the USA and the world.
The Nominations Committee invites AALAS members to submit nominations for the opened positions to be filled during the summer 2003 election for terms 2004-2006. Responsibilities commence at the close of the National Meeting in Seattle.
Signature petitions (from AALAS Members) for all 2003 leadership positions are due in the national AALAS office on or before April 15, 2003. If you (or someone you know) are an AALAS national member and meet the eligibility requirements, you can also be a candidate (in addition to the two candidates selected by the Nominations Committee) for Vice President-Elect or Secretary/Treasurer with a signature petition.
Simply solicit and submit to the AALAS
national office as soon as possible, but not later than April 15, 2003,
signatures from 200 current national members, and your name will be included on
the Official Ballot for the 2003 summer election.
Not ready to commit for a top AALAS position yet? Then consider being a Trustee or Alternate Trustee for your district. Just obtain and submit to the AALAS national office before April 15, 2003, signatures from 25 current AALAS national members within your district.
Signature petitions for Vice PresidentElect, Secretary/Treasurer, Trustee, and Alternate Trustee must bear a postmark of April 15.
Candidates must commit to attend the 2004, 2005, and 2006 National Meetings, including the Board of Trustees Annual Session on Friday preceding the Sunday opening, and up to two additional BOT Sessions during the year.
If you have any questions, contact Kathy Laber at (843) 876-5212 or e-mail her at laberlk@musc.edu. You may also contact Ann Turner at the national office.
By Bruce Kennedy, PDCC Chair
At the 2002 AALAS National Meeting, a specific assignment for the Professional Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) was handed down by the Board of Trustees. Former CRB and ERC members were asked to gather as an ad hoc sub-committee and develop a revision schedule for the three technician training manuals. The task involves more than assigning an arbitrary interval of years.
The most appropriate time for revision of each manual must be determined, taking into consideration the costs, changes that occur in laboratory animal science, the workload of the AALAS staff and the volunteers involved, and the impact that these revisions have on other educational materials such as workbooks and companion CDs, as well as the certification exams. It is envisioned that a checklist with an incorporated timeline will be developed to assist all parties concerned with the revision schedule.
Know a colleague that deserves recognition for his or her achievements in laboratory animal science? Nominate him or her for one of the 2003 AALAS National Awards! Nominations are due May 1, 2003.
All AALAS Award recipients, except for the Poster Session Award winners, will receive a plaque and an honorarium presented during the AALAS Opening General Session. The Poster Session Award recipients will receive a ribbon and an honorarium presented during the AALAS General Membership Meeting.
Seven of the eight AALAS National Awards require the following information as a complete nomination packet:
Nominees for all awards, other than the Nathan R. Brewer Scientific Achievement Award, must be national members of AALAS. For a list of awards, go to www.aalas.org. Please do not submit audiovisual materials or include lengthy lists of abstracts, seminars attended, grants or contract awards. Awards cannot be given posthumously. Inaccurate information may result in immediate disqualification of the nominee.
Please help the ASC evaluate your nominee properly by providing the following information in one packet by May 1. Late packets will not be reviewed. Recommended points to include in the nomination packet are the candidate’s:
Nominations should be sent to the AALAS national office. Copies are sent to all members of the Award Selection Committee after May 1. Committee members review each nomination packet and score it against the awards’ established criteria. ASC members submit their ranks and scores for all nominees to the AALAS staff liaison for a tally of the ranks for each nominee. A list of rankings for all awards will be sent back to the ASC members for a final review.
Candidates are ranked for each individual award. If there is no apparent winner based on rank, numerical scores are compared. During the conference call in June, the committee will agree on which nominees will be recommended for the awards. The ASC chair notifies the executive director, who submits names to the Board of Trustees for final approval. The ASC will retain the packets ranked second and third for each award for three years, excluding the AALAS Technician Publication Award. Branch nominations are encouraged.
Look at the AALAS posters and educational materials available to you and other branch members as you explain your job to others. Look at the AALAS Web-based training opportunities for you and kids to learn more about why laboratory animals are such an important part of research, testing, and education. Look closely, and you will see that your AALAS Foundation has sponsored many of these items.
The AALAS Foundation wants to do more to help our AALAS branch members get out the word about the importance of their work—be it to family, children, teachers, or any other member of the public. Several local branches or organizations have received funding for great ideas to help get out the word to their community.
In Pennsylvania, through a Foundation grant, busloads of schoolchildren are carried to research facilities where AALAS certified technicians care for animals in excellent research programs. In New Jersey, with our support, a poster explaining to classroom children the importance of good animal care is being developed. In Washington State, public awareness information partially funded through the Foundation is reaching senior citizen centers, libraries, and hospital waiting rooms. In Ohio, Foundation copyrighted issues of BIOSTARS are getting to local schools. In North Carolina State, teachers are to get updated curriculum manuals, which describe our work with animals in a positive light. The AALAS Foundation wants to do more to help our AALAS branch members get out the word about the importance of their work.
What is the Foundation doing at your branch? This depends on you. We are looking for grant proposals with innovative and untried ideas that your branch will implement and the Foundation will fund. Check out the grant information at http://foundation.aalas.org.
By developing useful outreach or educational programs you too can support the Foundation. Your help in gaining donations necessary to develop grant funding is also a way of showing your individual and branch support for the Foundation. Your support at either the giving or the receiving end of the process is valued by all the AALAS members who ensure the appropriate care and use of laboratory animals.
Although the National Meeting in Seattle is months away, it’s already time to start preparing program content. AALAS members are vital to this preparation and we need your assistance in making the event a success. The Program Committee relies heavily on members’ topic submissions, and the committee works throughout the year to incorporate your ideas into a variety of formats, including platform presentations, round-tables, and workshops.
Receiving feedback from the various disciplines of laboratory animal science is necessary to ensure a program that represents our entire membership. AALAS has already mailed the “Call for Abstracts & Topic Suggestions” packet, but there is still time to submit ideas through the packet or electronically.
The deadline for topic submissions is March 1, 2003; the deadline for submitting abstracts is April 1, 2003; and the deadline for volunteering as a facilitator is August 1.
Abstract submission information and the abstract must be submitted as a single e-mail attachment to abstract@aalas.org.
Topic submissions can be mailed, faxed, or submitted online through the AALAS web site, www.aalas.org. And, of course, we welcome any other suggestions you may have that can help make the 2003 National Meeting the best yet.
Below is a list of ideas and suggestions that was compiled by the 2004 National Meeting Program Committee Chair, Dr. Scott Perkins. Please review the list and possibly develop one or more topics into a submission.
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