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BIOTECHNOLOGY SECRETARIAT STEERING COMMITTEE

Pacific Suite D

San Francisco Marriott

Sunday,  September 10, 2006

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM 

Note:  The corrected agenda is attached to the end of these minutes. 

The meeting was opened by Secretary-General, John Finley at 8:05 AM with self-introductions by those present.  The minutes were approved with no discussion. 

Item #4 on the agenda (an update on the future role of BTEC).  Should it try to become a division?  The suggestion was discussed and dismissed. 

The question was asked “who will choose the ACS meeting themes?”  Probably the Committee on Science will recommend and maybe put in some money.  Findley said this seems the reqson the secretariats were formed in the beginning.  The themes would be carried through by the Secretariats.  It still helps that the divisions get the allocation.  The theme allows cross disciplinary areas.  Finley asked if the hits are monitored on the websites.  Webmaster Berks said hits are checked to see if anyone does look at the site.  Bill Suits suggested that we be more proactive.  We should include a paragraph about the benefits of coming to the BTEC sessions. 

A national program chair position has been suggested, or a committee.  Then anyone can suggest a theme.  The Committee on Science may be gathering ideas.  We hope that BTEC can program at every national meeting.  We also need to put the BTEC program on the website. 

The Treasurer’s Report was approved.  There was a question about the 3/30/05 item for John Kozarch (program chair) in the amount of $1745 for meeting costs in Philadelphia, Fall 2004.  Anna Wilson, treasurer, will check on the details. (These were travel expenses for speakers that he had paid out of his pocket.) 

Kevin Edgar from Divisional Activities Committee reported on the thematic programming for Chicago.  The main theme is “Sustainabililty”. Sub topics are water, energy, food.  These will all be integrated with the presidential theme starting on Sunday. 

The main theme for Boston, Fall 2007, is Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship.  BTEC will lead in with a mini symposium around that topic.  Sub topics will be successful and failed, venture capital, second or third stage entrepreneurship. 

Findley said Genomics is to narrow for a topic.  It needs to be expanded but not overlap with the theme.  Suggested ideas:  aminal health, tissue engineering 

Edgar said where will the theme ideas come from?  DAC wants to be moving toward a national programming group with members and ideas drawn from the divisions.  Currently, ACS is using the P2C2 conferences to coordinate the divisions.  There may be a get to gether in Boston to start the process. 

Sharon Shoemaker stated the the ideas of themes from the P2C2 started with divisions at a summit meeting.  That the “orerarcing” themes should not overlapl with the division’s programming; that a national program committee would facilitate this effort. 

There was discussion of the BTEC topics for the next meetings.  And that these should be coordinated with the DAC themes.  Bill Suits said a link to MEDI to organize one theme for Boston.  DAC will wait for out topic (theme).  “Chemistry in Life Science” was suggested and that Lester McQuire might be program chair.   

The final theme for Boston, Fall 2007, is decided to be “Chemistry Enabling Systems for Biology”  The program chair is looking for symposia leaders for Boston. 

The webmaster says the web is in good shape.  We will start putting the theme information on the site.  He will add a counter and also put links to all divisions that are programming around this theme and link to their homepage. 

The Program chair for San Francisco, Anthony Guiseppi-Elie, was not present. 

Current problems with BTEC programming is co-locating sessions versus divisions keeping sessions in one place.  We need to find incentitives to co-locate. 

Themes for Washington, DC, Fall 2009, suggested as Chemistry and Global Health and Regulatory Issues, Food and Drug Suppliments with John Weldon Finley as the program chair. 

We decided to request dues for 2006, with a list of advantages and a paragraph about theme programming be done by Nov. 1.  (This was not done.) 

The last item of business was the election of officers.  Lisa Nash was nominated and elected unamimously for the position of Secretary/Treasurer starting January 1, 2007. 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:53 AM. 

Attending:

Bill Suits (MARM),

Dwight Chasar (DAC),

Anna Wilson (CHED),

John Finley (AGFD),

Fred Heineken (BIOT),

Lisa Nash (PETR)

Sara Risch (AGFD)

Gillian Eggleston (CARB)

Buddy Ratner (POLY)

Sharon Shoemaker (BIOT)

Andy Berks (CINF) 
 

BIOTECHNOLOGY SECRETARIAT STEERING COMMITTEE 
 

Pacific Suite D

San Francisco Marriott  

Sunday,  September 10, 2006

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

(Continental breakfast will be served) 
 

AGENDA: 

1. Welcome        John Finley

 

2. Approval of the Minutes from the Atlanta Meeting      Anna Wilson

 

3. Treasurer's Report       Anna Wilson

 

4. Future Role of BTEC (Update)      John Finley

 

5. Report from the Webmaster      Andy Berks

 

6. Programming for the Fall 2006 Meeting, San Francisco     Anthony Guiseppi-Elie

   Topic: Biosensing Technology 

7. Programming for the Fall 2007 Meeting in Boston

   “Chemistry Enabling Systems Biology”     John Finley 

8) Spring 2008 in New Orleans with the topic,

   “Energy and the Environment.”    Gianne Arnold, Gillian Eggleson 

   8a) Fall 2008 Philadelphia

         “Chemical Enhancing Health”, or Pharmacology, chemistry on the desktop  

9)   Fall 2009 in Washington DC .      Program Chair?

      “Systems Biotechnology” was selected as topic 

10)  Elections 

11  Other business