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Links to Other ASM Pages:
- Recognition as Corporate Sponsors in ASM meetings programs and abstracts; on the ASM Web site with links to the company's home page; and in ads and employment notices placed in ASM publications
- Complimentary subscription to ASM News
- Complimentary copies of ASM meetings programs and abstracts
- Opportunities to meet student beneficiaries, their sponsors and ASM officers
- Liaison to ASM headquarters
- A 10% discount on ASM membership mailing list rentals and job placement services
- Potentially far-reaching recognition through participation with ASM in education and communication initiatives that increase public awareness of the microbiological sciences and of the Corporate Partner and ASM
- The added credibility that comes through having a venerable scientific society as a partner
- A special section of ASM News to which Corporate Partners can provide news items about their activities
- A newsletter highlighting key events in advance of ASM meetings
- Input in the selection of experts for the Foundation Lectures Program
- A 20% discount on ASM membership mailing list rentals and job placement services
- The ``virtual journal''--a customized selection of research articles related to signal transduction algorithmically selected from participating journals. The virtual journal displays an article's title and provides users with access to its full text. ASM is participating in the STKE by providing ST content from Molecular and Cellular Biology and the Journal of Virology. During STKE's free trial period (until March 2000), abstracts and full-text ST content from participating journals can be accessed for free.
- ``This Week in Signal Transduction''(TWIST)--each week scientific editors will highlight the best ST content published and provide short overviews of an article's findings.
- Personalization--users can define and be alerted by e-mail when the material in which they are interested is posted on STKE. They also have the option of setting up an alert to notify them when a particular paper is cited in STKE or in the virtual journal.
- The Connections Map--a network map of known ST pathways. The map is linked to a database of information on the components and relations that make up the various pathways. This information includes key references that define the properties of a component and its relations.
- Threaded Discussion Forum--editors will invite one or more key players in a controversial or particularly exciting area to moderate an online discussion.
ASM News
What Makes Good Governance?
In the October 1999 issue of ASM News, it was reported that a task force has been established to review the governance structure of Society. Before they could do this for the Society, the task force members first needed to answer one basic question: What constitutes good governance structure for an association?
Governance structures are created by stakeholders (in ASM's case, its members) to streamline the decision-making process. In theory, every member has an equal say in every decision made by the organization. However, as the organization grows in size, getting every member's input on every decision can become unwieldy. To allow the organization to function efficiently and effectively, members delegate their decision-making powers to a smaller group.
``The purpose of a governance structure is to keep in mind the largest and most strategic issues facing an organization. It is composed of individuals who know the institution,'' says William Weary, a consultant hired by the task force to help them work out the appropriate governance structure. ``The members entrust the governance of the society to a small group who intimately understand the membership, know the society, and have the wisdom and expertise to act in its name with appropriate speed on major and strategic issues.''
Based on reviews of other nonprofit organizations and discussions with Weary, the task force has identified a set of general principles for good governance. These include democratic procedures; inclusiveness of members, so there are high levels of involvement and volunteerism; responsiveness to members and scientific developments; and competitiveness, speed, and vision.
First and foremost, says Weary, any association governance structure must be based on sound democratic procedures. ``Membership counts and plays a determining role in the life and direction of the Society,'' he says. ``The governance structure should reflect the membership. No association will last long if it is not understanding of and responsive to the needs and wishes of its membership,''
Just as important, though, is a governance structure that is inclusive and responsive, says Weary. Organizations must be careful to balance these needs for inclusiveness and democratic procedure with the ever-increasing needs in the modern world to remain competitive and be able to act fast. One way to increase the speed and effectiveness of decision-making is to keep the size from getting too large. The most important element in making a decision is information.
The Task Force, with Weary's help, further identified key elements, relevant to ASM, of a sound governance structure that are necessary to make it work effectively: a single governing body dedicated to the organization's long-term and strategic interests; a member tenure long enough to acquire knowledge of the organization and short enough to retain energy, freshness, and commitment of time; election by the membership; carefully structured, sound communications with all constituencies; and (based on input from members) adoption, communication, and implementation of a strategic plan.
In addition to developing these principles and elements of good governing, the Task Force also looked at other organizations' governance structures. Certain scientific societies appear to have mechanisms that solve the problems of complexity without sacrificing democratic representation.
For example, the American Chemical Society (ACS) has a membership of nearly 160,000, approximately four times the size of ASM. The ACS bylaws make the 16-member Board of Directors the actual management group of the Society. Of the 16 members, 6 are elected by geographic regions, 6 are elected by the council, 3 are officers--past president, president, and president-elect--and one is the executive director. In addition, the organization also has a council which serves as a democratic vehicle to provide guidance to the board of directors. The president of ACS is elected to be the focal point for the professional and public affairs of the Society.
Another organization that the Task Force looked to is the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The AAAS is organized so that input, such as policy guidance, is given by one group (Council) and decisions affecting the programs are made by another group (Board of Directors). The president of AAAS acts as the external spokesperson of the organization, and the Chair of the Board works with the volunteer program chairs and the staff. The AAAS Council is composed of the retiring chair of each geographic and scientific section and the Board of Directors. The Board is composed of elected members and the officers. The Past President acts as the chair of the Board.
After reviewing the basic tenets of good governance and analyzing appropriate examples, the next step of the task force is to get input from those who are most directly involved in the governance process of the ASM. The task force has recently surveyed members of the Council and past officers and board chairs to get their feelings about the current governance and will be presenting those results to the Council Policy Committee at its next meeting in March.
New Corporate Activities Program
On the recommendation of a special task force, the ASM Council Policy Committee has retired the Society's 75-plus-year-old Sustaining Member Program. In its place, ASM has initiated a new Corporate Activities Program that will better distinguish between the needs of corporate partners as exhibitors and their willingness to support educational and public outreach initiatives with ASM.
In its recommendations, the President's Task Force chaired by Jerry Birnbaum, senior vice president in the Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Bristol Myers Squibb Co., noted that the Sustaining Members Program originally was begun to help exhibitors establish additional priority for space on the exhibit floor at ASM meetings. Over time, the program evolved a philanthropic component with funds being used to support student travel grants and undergraduate research fellowships. Meanwhile, ASM has developed an increasing emphasis on public outreach and education.
``ASM basically outgrew the Sustaining Members Program as it was initially conceived,'' says ASM President Julian Davies. ``The new Corporate Activities Program is a better opportunity for the Society's corporate colleagues to establish mutually beneficial and stimulating relationships with ASM.''
The Corporate Activities Program offers two levels of participation: Corporate Sponsors and Corporate Partners. For a $2,000 contribution, Corporate Sponsors help advance education and research in the microbiological sciences by supporting student travel grants and undergraduate fellowships. Benefits to the sponsors include:
For a minimum $10,000 contribution, Corporate Partners also support student travel and research as well as have special opportunities to participate with ASM in public outreach and education projects. Corporate Partners receive the benefits listed above plus:
ASM welcomes comments and suggestions on how the Society and its corporate colleagues can work together in even more mutually beneficial ways. Comments and questions can be directed to Brenda Powell at bpowell@asmusa.org .
PubSCIENCE Recognizes ASM
ASM and over 15 other publishers were recognized recently as charter members of PubSCIENCE, a new World Wide Web database developed by the Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). Launched 1 October 1999, PubSCIENCE allows users to search across abstracts and citations of hundreds of scientific journals at no cost. PubSCIENCE was created to make searching and accessing peer-reviewed journal literature in the physical sciences and other energy-related disciplines easier for the scientific community. OSTI sees it as a unique partnership between the Federal government and the public/private publishers to meet the goal of ``Bringing Science to the Desktop'' through Web-based technology.
Abstracts from Applied and Environmental Microbiology will be provided to PubSCIENCE along with links to full-text articles. However, access to current full-text articles will still be limited to subscribers only. Other charter members of PubSCIENCE include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Cambridge University Press, and The American Physical Society.
Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment
ASM has agreed to participate in a new Internet-based experiment called the Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment (STKE), sponsored by the Knowledge Environment Collaborative. The Collaborative is formed by Stanford University Libraries, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and The Center for Resource Economics/Island Press. This project also is partially funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Charles A. Dana Foundation.
The term ``knowledge environment'' (KE) describes a Web site dedicated to a particular field of study. The KE provides for rapid identification of relevant information and an environment for the interested community to interact and exchange ideas. Using a mixture of technical tools and publishing expertise, producers of the KE will select, filter, edit, and organize relevant materials into a user-friendly Web site plus add value to existing material through editorial enhancements and personalized filtering techniques. The goal of the KE project is to provide swift access to quality information from a wide variety of sources. The area of biological signal transduction (ST) was chosen to be the prototype knowledge environment.
The features of STKE include:
The STKE project is a working prototype, and ASM's participation is on an experimental basis. ASM is not sure exactly how its participation will work from a business perspective, and even the founders of the KE concept are uncertain about the business model for the Web site after the free trial period. As Sam Kaplan, chair of ASM's Publications Board, says, ``by getting involved early, ASM will learn more about the pluses and minuses of how the KE concept meets the needs of the scientific community and the needs of participating societies and publishers. ASM's decision to continue to participate in STKE after the free trial period will be based on a workable business model. However, I am supportive of participating in this venture to pursue the use of Web-based technology to help scientists find the information that they need faster and to help with broader dissemination of scientific knowledge.''
ASM/PBS-ALS Launches Telecourse in Microbiology
ASM has forged a partnership with three publishers and the
Annenberg/Corporation for Public Broadcasting Project to develop a combination of
resources that, used together, form a complete and integrated microbiology course or
telecourse (see ASM News, March 1999, page 155-156, and January 1998, pages
45-47.). These resources include 12 30-minute videotapes called Unseen Life on Earth:
Introduction to Microbiology and guidebooks for faculty and students that are
correlated with the video series and a textbook. ASM's publisher partners and their
respective textbooks are Microbiology, 4th edition, by Prescott, Harley, and Klein
from McGraw Hill Higher Education; Microbiology: An Introduction, 6th edition by
Tortora, Funke, and Case from Benjamin Cummings; and Introduction to Microbiology,
2nd edition, by Ingraham and Ingraham from Brooks/Cole Publishing. Each text and guidebook
offer unique features, but all include learning objectives, a synopsis of the video
programs, key terms with learning concepts, questions about the video program, written
exercises, and references for further study.
Jean Sims Fornango, developmental editor at McGraw-Hill Higher Education, describes their guides: ``The McGraw-Hill Student Guide to Unseen Life on Earth comes packaged with a complimentary copy of Microbes in Motion, II (CD-ROM). The Student Guide includes in addition to general features related material on the CD-ROM and Web site. The McGraw-Hill Faculty Guide to Unseen Life on Earth includes guidelines for managing a distance-learning course and correlations between the topics and all the available support material.''
Acquisitions editor for microbiology at Benjamin/Cummings in
California, Amy Folsom, states, ``Each unit in the Telecourse Study Guide includes
appropriate exercises and activities from the text and companion Web site, Student
Tutorial CD-ROM, and Bacteria ID CD-ROM. The Telecourse Faculty Guide includes all
of the material in the student study guide, along with answers to the video questions,
tips for teaching a distance learning course, and suggested lab exercises from Johnson
and Case Laboratory Experiments in Microbiology, 5th Edition.''
Traditional introductory microbiology courses and these telecourse
materials work towards the same goal, to introduce students to the exciting world of
microbiology and demonstrate the many and varied ways that microbes impact our lives. The
primary differences between traditional and telecourse ``classrooms'' are time and place
of instruction. Telecourse students work independently under the guidance of a faculty
member. The videos, textbook reading assignments, CD-ROMs, and recommended Web sites can
be accessed at home or in a campus resource center with student-faculty ``meetings''
occurring via e-mail, telephone, and less frequently, postal mail. Traditional
face-to-face meetings are also appropriate, especially in cases where laboratory and/or
field experiences are required. A pioneer in microbiology education for distance learning,
Kristine Snow, explains that ``Laboratory work remains important and presents the biggest
challenge for all distance learning courses. Many options can be explored, depending on
student needs and campus resources. Telecourse students frequently participate in on-site
laboratories with traditional classroom students. Other options include longer (6- to
8-hour) lab sessions a few times during the semester, virtual labs, or a combination of
alternative and traditional approaches. ASM encourages and supports a laboratory component
in all microbiology courses.'' Snow is chair of the Science Department at Fox Valley
Technical Institute in Appleton, Wis., and a member of the ASM Telecourse Steering
Committee.
Undergraduate Microbiology Curriculum Recommendations
Several unique features set the microbiology telecourse apart from previous science telecourse projects. ASM science advisers, not textbook authors and publishers, played a key role in the development of the scientific content of the video series and study guides linking to several leading microbiology textbooks. A second unique feature is that several textbooks link to the series. Finally, all telecourse materials incorporate the ASM core curriculum for introductory microbiology courses. A CD-ROM and accompanying manual from the Bioquest Curriculum Library containing real-world problems about the microbial world and linking these problem-solving activities and computer simulations to the video series will be available in the future. These key features make the Unseen Life on Earth: An Introduction to Microbiology resources appropriate for traditional classrooms as well as distance learners.
PBS Adult Learning Service
Learner Online
The PBS Adult Learning Service provides multiple courses to college classrooms via satellite, cable, and other means. Since 1981, they have formed numerous partnerships with higher education organizations and public television. For additional information about licensing the full telecourse, call 1-800-257-2578 or visit the Adult Learning Service Online. To order the videocassettes for use in the classroom or multimedia center, call 1-800-LEARNER or visit the Web site. For international orders, send an inquiry by facsimile transmission to 802-864-9846. The full telecourse is available for license agreements in January 2000.
International Professorship Awardees Announced
International Professorship for Latin America
The International Microbiology Education Committee (IMEC) is pleased to announce the first two recipients of the ASM International Professorship Award. The charge of IMEC, one of five standing committees of the Board of Education and Training (BET), is to enhance the professional development of international students and faculty in the microbiological sciences. In recent years, the Committee has been aware of the need for increased collaboration between institutions in the United States and the rest of the world. Comments received from many of ASM's international members suggested that establishing a visiting professor program would be an appropriate way to further encourage international research and training collaborations in microbiological sciences. As a result, the ASM International Professorship Program was established in 1999. In the first phase of the program, ASM is focusing on Latin American Partnerships as a pilot project for a larger initiative to establish and sustain international collaborations.
The International Professorship Program provides an institution of higher learning the resources to bring an ASM member who is scientifically recognized for his/her area to teach a hands-on, highly interactive short course on a single topic in the microbiological sciences. The program facilitates international collaborations between an institution of higher learning in another country and a member of ASM who resides in the U.S.
International Professorship Program awards will be made twice a year: in October for a course in the January-March semester, and in April for a course in the July-September semester. From the first round of applications received for courses in the year 2000, the Review Committee selected two outstanding applications.
Cristina Kennedy is adjunct professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Arizona. In cooperation with the Universidade Federal do Parana in Brazil, Kennedy will present a four-week course on molecular microbial genetics that will focus on the genetics of two endophytic diazotrophs, Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Acetobacter diasotrophicus.
Wayne Nicholson is associate professor in Veterinary Sciences and Microbiology Department of the University of Arizona. He will continue a long-term collaboration with the University of Guanajuato in Mexico, and present a short course on molecular methods for quantitating and mapping bacterial gene transcription.
Award
Barry R. Bloom, Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, was awarded the Robert Koch Gold Medal in October 1999. This is one of Germany's most prestigious scientific awards, honoring the lifetime work of a scientist who contributes essential understanding of infectious and other widespread diseases.
In the citation for the award, presented by the German health ministry and the Robert Koch Foundation, Bloom was honored for research that included the first description of a cytokine involved in the tuberculin reaction and the unraveling of the cellular basis of delayed hypersensitivity immunologic reactions. Other work cited was the characterization of antigens of the tuberculosis and leprosy bacteria and the revealing of defense mechanisms against these infectious agents. Bloom also developed novel strategies for improved vaccination against tuberculosis. The German government praised him, as well, for his efforts to improve cooperation between basic scientists and health policy decision-makers.
The Koch Medal is named for the German scientist who, in 1882, isolated the tuberculosis and cholera bacteria and established the germ theory of disease. The Koch Foundation, established in 1907 to help fight tuberculosis, has awarded the Gold Medal annually since 1960. The Foundation operates under the auspices of the German president Johannes Rau. The first American winners of the Koch Medal were Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin and John Franklin Enders in 1962 for their work on polio. Last year's winner was George Klein of Sweden for his work on the immunology of cancer.
Deceased Members
Morton M. Weber, Emeritus Professor and former longtime chairman (1964 to 1987) of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo., died on 4 September 1999 following a long illness. He was 77. Born and raised in New York City, Weber served in the Army Air Force during World War II. Subsequently he attended undergraduate school at City College of New York, where he developed an early interest in microbial physiology working with Seymour H. Hutner, an early productive researcher in microbial nutrition, who was also noted for encouraging promising young people. Weber's interests in infectious disease were nurtured while working for a doctorate under Thomas B. Turner at the Johns Hopkins University, doing then fundamental research on the growth of the Treponema spirochete. During postdoctoral research under Nathan Kaplan at the McCullom-Pratt Institute, also at Johns Hopkins, Weber published in 1956 the first evidence for the existence of superoxide dismutase. The outstanding research atmosphere at the Institute in the 1950s engendered in Mort a great enthusiasm for microbial biochemistry. Later, this was reinforced during a sabbatical leave with Joel Mandelstam at Oxford University. Subsequently, he made many visits to Oxford, where he became a Fellow of Linacre College. After a short time as instructor of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School, he moved to St. Louis University, where he spent the next 40 years. His major research interests included studies on the function of isoniazid in Mycobacterium phlei and on mitochondrial function and oxidative phosphorylation in Crythidia fasciculata. He built one of the earlier medical school microbiology departments centered around molecular biology and biochemistry. The faculty in the department used these central themes to interact intellectually in a positive manner in research, journal clubs, and graduate student teaching. As chair, his enthusiasm and exceptional camaraderie helped nurture meaningful interactions among the varied subjects of such a department in ways no longer usually seen today.
Mort's jovial nature plus his direct manner of inquiry were well known at ASM and ICAAC annual meetings and resulted in the development of many long-lasting personal relationships and cooperative scientific projects among microbiologists. As a fellow member of a Microbial Physiology Study Section commented, ``he was part of the generation of openness among scientists which will be sorely missed.'' Mort is survived by his wife Phyllis, who is a federal judge in St. Louis, two sons, and two grandchildren.
Burton Pogell
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Simon Silver
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago
Howard Gest
Indiana University, Bloomington
Boyd Francis, age 54, died suddenly at home while exercising on 7 June, 1999, two months after having accepted a position to become Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program Director at Emory University. Dr. Francis was a mentor and friend, and his death creates a void in our medical community that cannot be filled.
Boyd Francis was born in Harlan Kentucky on 3 June 1945. He was among the first class of early admissions students at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine, where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha in 1971. Following internship at Grady Memorial Hospital of Emory University in Atlanta, he served in the U.S. Air Force in Korea and North Dakota. He completed residency, fellowship, and served as Chief Resident at Emory University School of Medicine. In 1980, he came to Roanoke to serve as chief, Infectious Diseases at Roanoke Memorial Hospital and was instrumental in the development of the University of Virginia Roanoke-Salem Fellowship Program in Infectious Diseases. He was promoted to Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1991. Francis was recognized for his excellence in teaching--receiving faculty teaching awards multiple times--his excellence as a clinician, and for his contribution to the community, receiving the James G. Snead Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Community Health in 1997. He was a longstanding member of the American College of Physicians, ASM, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, in which he participated in the Emerging Infections Network, and he served as past president of the Virginia Infectious Diseases Society. Francis was interested in the link between science and the practice of medicine and wrote a chapter on this topic for the textbook Medicine for the Practicing Physician. He was among the first to describe the occurrence of staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome as a complication of influenza virus infection.
Francis had a tremendous capacity for memorizing facts. His medical knowledge was encyclopedic, and colleagues and trainees, past and present, relied on him as a consultant for difficult cases. Those of us who worked closely with him recall vividly his humorous recollections while working in the field of infectious diseases. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Angie S. Francis, son Adam Boyd Francis, daughter Claire Elizabeth Francis, brother Paul Bailey Francis, and mother Caroline LaSuer, who deeply love and miss him.
It is difficult to find words to describe his depth of compassion, loyalty to service, insightful sense of humor, and dedication to teaching. His influence continues on in the practices of internal medicine, family practice, and infectious diseases physicians around the country, the medical staff who worked with him, and in the lives of the patients treated by him. It was our privilege to know and work with him. While we greatly miss him and acknowledge the tremendous loss of those infectious diseases fellows who had yet to learn from him, we also celebrate the life he lived. We will strive to carry on in his absence in the manner in which he has taught us. Memorials may be made to the J. Boyd Francis Memorial Lectureship, Carilion Health System Foundation, Attn: Mike Bunker, PO Box 40032, Roanoke, VA, 24002-0032.
ASM Branches on the Web
The following ASM Branches have established sites on the World Wide Web:
ASM Divisions on the Web
The following ASM Divisions have established sites on the World Wide Web:
Division A, Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Division B, Microbial Pathogenesis
Division C, Clinical Microbiology
Division D, General Medical Microbiology
Division I, General Microbiology
Division K, Microbial Physiology and Metabolism
Division O, Fermentation and Biotechnology
Division Q, Environmental and General Applied Microbiology
Division R, Systematic & Evolutionary Microbiology
Division W, Microbiology Education
Members are encouraged to visit these Web pages, which are also accessible through the Membership section of the ASM Web site.
Email: webmaster@asmusa.org