Draft Minutes of October Board Meeting

October 3, 2006

CIIT

by Gloria Jahnke, Secretary

1. The meeting was called to order at 3:00 PM by Greg Stuart (Les Recio was unable to attend). The following board members were present: Greg Stuart, Susan Ross, Gloria Jahnke, Cindy Innes, Jayne Boyer, Rose Anne McGee, Janice Allen, and Jeff Ross. Alan Townsend participated by speaker phone. An assortment of cookies and soft drinks were made available to the participants by the host, Susan Ross and CIIT. Corrected minutes from the August 26, 2006 board meeting were approved.
   
   
2. Treasurer’s Report The balance in the checking account and the money market account were reported. The income in the checking account has increased from the previous report due to income from dues, registration, corporate sponsors and a grant from NIEHS.
   
   
3. GEMS Election The GEMS election will be conducted through email as it was last year. Frank Stack will setup the electronic ballots. GEMS has 254 active members to poll. The ballots will be accepted over a 10 day period from October 10-20. The cost of the on-line election will be under $200. Greg has been finalizing the nominations and collecting biosketches. Proposed candidates are: President-Elect: Rose Ann McGee(NIEHS); Councilors (3 positions): Dan Shaughnessy (NIEHS), Kristine Witt (NIEHS), Minnie Holmes-McNary (NC A&T), Stephen Little (US EPA), and Mac Law (NCSU).
   
   
4. Fall Meeting – The GEMS Fall meeting will be at the Friday Center, October 26, 2006.
   
   GEMS has received the grant from NIEHS as discretionary funds towards the fall meeting. Greg has also submitted a grant application to Operon Biotechnologies for meeting funding, and will follow-up on the status of this application.
   
   Registration Susan has received 86 meeting registrations with 10 more coming giving a total of 96 attendees. The number of attendees at the Fall meeting is estimated at 120 with 30 at the reception. There are 12 confirmed sponsors: 9 exhibitors and 3 non-exhibitors (RJR, ILS, alpha-gamma Technologies). Roche Applied Science will have an advertisement in the Fall Program. Since there are 9 exhibitors, the number of tables requested from the Friday Center will be 12. Rose Ann (if Julie hasn’t already done so) will purchase a thank you gift basket for the winner of the corporate sponsor drawing at the meeting.
   
   Abstract Submissions Nine students and eight post-docs have submitted abstracts. Alan proposed that two travel awards be presented. After further discussion by the board, it was decided that two travel awards would be given – one to the best presentation by a student and the other to the best presentation by a post-doc. The board voted for their top three candidates to give a presentation. Student presenters are Dana Dolinoy (DUMC), Stephanie Dance (WFUBMC), and Wade Lehmann (NCSU). Post doctoral presenters are Brooke Heidenfelder (US EPA), Beverley Fermor (DUMC), and Dario Ramirez (NIEHS). The talks will be for approximately ten minutes with five minutes for questions. The winner of the student competition will be the student representative on the board for next year. Greg will send notifications to those who have submitted an abstract as to whether they are giving a poster or an oral presentation.
   
   
5. Other Business – EPA will be conducting a two-day meeting on Oxidative Stress just prior to the GEMS Fall Meeting. This may generate more interest in the GEMS Fall meeting.
   
   –Errol and Les met with Dr. Levy (FDA-CFSAN) of GETA/GTA at the EMS meeting and Errol will report on this meeting at a later time.
   
   
6. The next board meeting will be on November 15, 2006 at CIIT.