Division of Fungi Business Meeting
Monday, August 4th, 2008
Warwick, UK
Present:
Rosalind James (Chair elect), Helen Roy (Secretary-Treasurer)
Emma Ormond, Vitalis Wafula Wekesa, Sopher Ondiaka, Nicolai V. Meyling, Jeong Jun Kim, Mark Goettel, Helen Hesketh, Jason baverstock, Paresh Shah, Reza Talaei-Hassanloni, Surendra Dara, Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Almudena Orliz-Urquiza, Marcos Rodrigues de Faria, Stephen Wraight, Nick Jessop, Jørgen Eilenberg, Chad Keyser, Donald W. Roberts, Richard Meadow, Gilberto Braga, Éverton Katkamp Fernandes, Stefan Jaronski, Jarrod Leland, Tariq Butt, Ursula Kölher, Steven Arthurs, Denny Bruck, Ćeline Bland, Medea Burganadze, Jürg Enkerli, Jim Harper, Michael Samish
Apologies:
Fernando E. Vega (Chair)
Approval of minutes from last meeting
Minutes approved (Motion: Mark Goettel; Second: Steve Wraight)
Division of Fungi Annual Report
Helen Roy delivered the following Annual Report on behalf of Fernando Vega:
Current Officers
Chairperson: Fernando E. Vega 2006-2008
Chairperson-Elect: Rosalind James 2006-2008
Secretary-Treasurer: Helen Roy 2006-2008
Member-at-Large: Kerstin Jung 2006-2008
Member-at-Large: Todd Ugine 2007-2009
Student Representative: Vitalis W. Wekesa 2007-2009
Election of Officers in Québec City 2007
Elected officials were as follows: Todd Ugine, Member-at-Large, and Vitalis W. Wekesa, Student Representative.
Forthcoming Election of Officers in Warwick 2008
Elections will be held for Chairperson-Elect to replace Rosalind James who will become Chair after the meeting; Secretary/Treasurer to replace Helen Roy; and one Member-at-Large to replace Kerstin Jung.
Membership
We have had a significant increase in the number of students:
|
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
Regular |
108 |
107 |
101 |
114 |
Students |
12 |
11 |
4 |
12 |
Total |
120 |
118 |
105 |
126 |
Symposia, Workshops, Other Events
Québec City, 2007
There were 27 oral papers and 29 posters contributed by Division of Fungi members. In addition, the Division of Fungi is sponsoring two symposia, and one cross-divisional symposium:
Symposium I: Are Entomopathogenic Fungi only Entomopathogens? Conveners: Mark Goettel and Jacques Brodeur. Invited speakers: Rich Humber, Fernando E. Vega, Bonnie H. Ownley, Mark Goettel, and Raymond J. St. Leger.
Symposium II: Fungal Secondary Metabolites: Knowns and Unknowns. Conveners: John Vandenberg, Alice Churchill & Donna Gibson. Invited speakers: Dirk Hoffmeister, Frances Trail, Alice Churchill, Stuart B. Krasnoff, and Hermann Strasser.
Cross-Divisional Symposium (with Microsporidia): Battling Alien Invaders: Development and use of Entomopathogens to Control Invasive Insect Pests. Convener: Louela Castrillo. Invited speakers: James Slavicek, Leellen Solter, Ann Hajek, Leah Bauer, David Oi, and Raymond Akhurst.
Warwick 2008
There will be 17 oral presentations and 28 posters contributed by Division of Fungi members. In addition, the Division of Fungi is sponsoring one symposium, one cross-divisional symposium, and a workshop:
Symposium I: Virulence factors in fungal pathogens: a comparative approach. Convener: Enrique Quesada-Moraga.
Invited speakers: Raymond J. St. Leger, Tariq M. Butt, Michael J. Bidochka, Martin J. Egan, and Alice C. L. Churchill.
Cross-Divisional Symposium (with Virus Division): Role of disease in the regulation of non-pest populations. Conveners: Helen E. Roy, Judith Pell and John Burand. Invited speakers: Nicolai V. Meyling, Rosie S. Hails, Leellen F. Solter, Helen Hesketh, and Alison M. Dunn.
Post-Business Meeting workshop: Web-based molecular phylogenetic identification resources for Beauveria and Metarhizium. Conveners: Stephen A. Rehner, Joseph F. Bischoff, and Richard A. Humber.
Division Awards
Student Travel
Ms. Sopher Ondiaka is the winner of the 2008 Division of Fungi Student Travel Award. Ms. Ondiaka received her B.Sc. in Zoology and Botany from the University of Nairobi, and her M.Sc. in Agricultural Entomology also from the University of Nairobi. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Medical Entomology at Wageningen University, in the laboratory of Dr. Bart G.J. Knols. Ms. Ondiaka has received several awards, including a Wageningen University Sandwich PhD Fellowship; a MASHAV Fellowship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel; a Rockefeller Foundation M.Sc Coursework and Research Scholarship; an Earth Watch Fellowship; and a Tropical Biology Association Scholarship. She will be presenting a paper entitled “Effects of fungal infection on the host-seeking behaviour and fecundity of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.” Her co-authors are Tullu Bukhari, Marit Farenhorst, Willem Takken, and Bart G.J. Knols.
Finances: Fiscal Year 2008 (May 1, 2007 – April 30, 2008)
REVENUE |
|
Membership Dues |
$ 610.00 |
Total Revenue |
$ 610.00 |
|
|
EXPENSE |
|
Speaker Awards |
$ 1,800.00 |
Student Travel Award |
$ 525.00 |
Total Expense |
$ 2,325.00 |
|
|
Net Revenue Before Fund Transfers |
$ (1715.00) |
|
|
FUND TRANSFERS FROM GENERAL FUND |
|
Fund Transfer for Speaker Awards |
$ 1,800.00 |
Fund Transfer for Student Awards |
$ 525.00 |
Fund Refund for unused awards |
$ 0 |
Total Fund Transfer |
$ 2325.00 |
Net Revenue After Fund Transfers |
$ 535.00 |
|
|
FUND BALANCE |
|
4/30/2007 |
4/30/2008 |
$ 1,935.00 |
$ 2,470.00 |
End of Annual Report
Continuation of Business Meeting
Election of New Officers
Nominations for Chair-elect:
Helen Roy
Successful candidate:
Helen Roy
Nominations for Secretary / Treasurer:
Helen Hesketh
Successful candidate:
Helen Hesketh
Nominations for Member at Large:
Tariq Butt
Denny Bruck
Successful Candidate
Tariq butt
Future SIP Meetings
2009: North America (Park City, Utah, August 16-20)
2010: Turkey
Chris J. Lomer Memorial Award
The winner of the Chris J. Lomer Memorial Award is a Division of Fungi member: Nicolas Pedrini
Forum on Entomopathogenic Fungi – Utah
Fernando E. Vega suggested exploring the possibility of organizing a fungal forum in conjunction with the 2009 SIP meeting, similar to the “1st International Forum on Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Symbiotic Bacteria” held with the 2007 SIP meeting.
There was considerable debate over the exact structure and benefit of such a forum. There was concern that such a forum would also cause problems in terms of putting together a programme (the meeting programme is already very full with long days). There was support that the forum would be an opportunity to showcase current developments in the field of entomopathogenic fungi.
Motion (HR): To allow a small subcommittee, led by Fernando Vega, to develop a detailed proposal for the Fungal Forum that would be circulated for comments within the fungus division (by the end of September) and then forwarded to Mark Goettel for approval from Council.
Second: Jorgen Eilenberg
The committee would be Rosalind James, Don Roberts, Helen Roy, Stefan Jaronski, Tariq Butt.
Symposia suggestions for Utah 2009 Meeting to Rosalind James
Stefan Jaronski suggests “Fungi in soil habitats” (Distribution in time and space, Abiotic factors: influence on persistence, Interaction with soil micro-organisms, Efficacy: successes / failures and reasons)
Jenny Cory will be putting together a cross-divisional symposium on multi-trophic interactions.
Other business
The Fungal division workshop is postponed to Wednesday 6th August.
Helen Roy provided an overview of relevant points from the council meeting:
- There has been a decline in the general fund and so as an interim measure there will be no speakers funds provided to divisions from the wider society funds except for the $750 for students. In addition membership fees will increase.
- Division treasurers need to check their division accounts and also provide information to Ann Hajek (SIP Treasurer) in relation to awards and outgoings.
- Council seeks requests for suggestions for endowees (particularly in light of the increase in fees).
- Council seeks feedback on whether all divisions should standardize travel award amounts.
- Founders committee seeks suggestions for honorees and lecturers.
- Web updates should be sent to the new SIP secretary (Cecila Schmitt).
Meeting adjourned
