UMBC June 6-8 2003

The 11th East Coast Protozoology Conference was held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Catonsville Maryland on June 6-8, 2003. This regional meeting, sponsored by the East Coast Section of the Society of Protozoologists, was attended by 43 members, with researchers, educators, and students coming from as far away as South Carolina and Rhode Island. The two and a half day, Friday to Sunday meeting included an all day workshop, "From the Field to the Lab," at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. The workshop, organized by John Kloetzel, featured a variety of sample collection and examination procedures, along with expert guidance on specimen identification. Roger Anderson, Bruce Hill, and Gene Small provided taxonomic expertise and demonstrated "state-of-the-art" sampling gear constructed from plastic petri dishes, Styrofoam blocks, wooden meter sticks, and duct tape.

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2003 East Coast Protozoology Conference
(click for larger image)

From Left. Back Row: Bruce Hill, John Clamp, Yvan Bettarel, Eric Schott, Mike Dolan, Tammy Ferguson, Tom Nerad, John Miller, Glen Gebler, Roger Anderson, Sean Cooney, Tom Gorrell, Tim Cadigan, Kate Kleydman; Middle Row: Jim Sniezek, Wolf Pecher, Mike Levandowsky, Glen McGugan, Rebecca MacLean, Matt Johnson, Laura Utz, Jeff Cole, Kyoung-Ho An, Gene Small, Myongsuk Yoo, Sona Dolan, Gaytha Langlois, Louis Diamond; Front Row: Francine Marciano-Cabral, John Kloetzel, Wayne Coats, Sarah Jardeleza, Tamieka-Nicole Armstrong, Lea Bleyman, Dave Minn.

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Sessions at UMBC included 21 presentations (15 platform; 6 poster) covering protozoological research in cell and molecular biology, parasitology, systematics, and ecology. A highlight of the meeting was the plenary lecture by Diana Lipscomb (right) entitled "Phylogenetic Relationships among the Protists: Progress, Pitfalls, and a Guide to NSF Funding Opportunities." Her talk was not only scientifically stimulating, but offered the unique insights of an NSF Program Manager into funding opportunities in protistology.

Also noteworthy was a full afternoon session for student presentations.
As in the past, a primary objective of the conference was to provide a venue for undergraduate and graduate students to present their research findings, interact with other students, and exchange ideas with established protozoologists. Students attending the meeting contributed 11 of the 21 presentation. Six cash awards were given to students for outstanding performances. Recipients included Tammy Ferguson and Rebecca MacLean, Ph.D. students at Virginia Commonwealth University, Glen McGugan a Ph.D. candidate at Clemson University, Wolf Pecher, a Ph.D. student at the Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Samala Lewis, a M.S. student at Morgan State University, and Laura Utz, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Maryland College Park.

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Outstanding Student Presentations

From Left: Tammy Ferguson, Rebecca MacLean, Glen McGugan, Wolf Pecher, Laura Utz, and Samala Lewis (not shown).

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A business meeting was convened following presentations Sunday morning, with attending members unanimously recognizing Mike Dolan and Tom Nerad as new members of the Section's Steering Committee. Mike and Tom replace outgoing members Linda Hufnagel and Wayne Coats. Jeff Cole also received unanimous support as the East Coast Section's representative to the Executive Committee of the Society of Protozoologists. He will replace John Clamp, who holds the position through the 2003 annual meeting of SOP. The group also considered future venues for meetings, with Bryant College and Virginia Commonwealth University being prime candidates for 2004 and 2005. Extended discussion of meeting venues promted concern over the lack of an annual meeting of SOP in the eastern US over the past several years. The group made a commitment to discuss this situation with the SOP Executive Committee at the 2003 meeting and will request that the East Coast Section be given the opportunity to host an annual meeting in the near future. At the close of the meeting Sunday afternoon, Louis Diamond (above) and Mike Levandowsky provided their thoughts and reflections in remembrance of Seymour Hutner who died June 1, 2003 at the age of 91.