0 - Mycological Society of America

FOITNDED DECEMBER. 1931
Office of the President
Department of Microbiology 8s Cell Science
1059 McCarty Hall, University of Florida
(;ainesville. FL 32611
Phone (904) 392-1096 N:jvember 5. 1984
Dear Fellow Mycologists:
First. let mc: thank you fur elect.ing me to this office. 1 already see that
there is more work than honor involved, but it is interesting and stimulating
ncvert.heless. : am in t11ct uniqut: posit.ion of being President. during a year when AIBS
meets on my own campus. Potentially this could mean additional problems for me.
Ilowever. Greg Erclos, with the help uf Gerald Benny and Saeed Khan, is functioning
well as local arrangements chairman and my participation has been minimal.
Plans arc well along for the Gainesville meetings. The schedule includes two
days of forays. family trips to Disney World and Epcot Center, an EM cryotechnology
workshop, a seafood dinner at Cedar Key on the Gulf C:oast, the breakfast and business
meeting, and a reception - awards event in the Florida State Museum. A local
craftqman is donating some mushroom stone replicas for door prizes for the reception,
and additional copies will be available for purchase. Expect details on these events
as the year progresses.
The Iowa meeting wit.11 the Phytopnt.hology Society was quite successful. As a
result, we are exploring the possibility of occasional separate future meetings while
retaining ollr traditional AIRS association in most years. Co~~ncil had to commit the
society to the 1986 Amherst meeting at its sessions in Fort Collins, so 198'7 is the
next available time for a separate meeting. AIRS will meet t.hat year at Ohio State
University at Columbus. As an alternative, Don Barr has invited the MSA to Ottawa for
a meeting on the campus of Carleton University. Carleton has sent an attractive
packet of convention materials. We will develop a formal proposal for Council at its
meeting in Gainesville next summer, for consideration as an alt,ernat.ive to meeting at
Ohio State with AIBS. Don has suggested that we invite one or more Canadian societies
in plant pathology and microbiology to join us for il joint meeting in Ottawa. Let. me
or individual council members know your sentiments on this matter.
We are also in contact with officers of the Phytopathology Society about
possible future meetings with them as well. 1987 is not really attractive because
their schedule calls for (:incinnat.i in November. However, 1990 may work out for a
joint meeting, and we will continue to explore this possibility.
For those of us from the flatlands, both the terrain and the scientific aspects
of the Fort Collins meetings were welcome, and we thank Brent Reeves for his part in
arranging this meeting. ,211 of us in Gainesville look forward to seeing many of you
here next summer. Don't let the heat keep you away. Everything is air conditioned!
Finally, many of us are concerned about the long-term health of Mycology as a
profession. The symposium arranged by Amy Rossman at Fort. Collins addressed some of
the issues involved. For those who missed this. 1 have asked Mike Allen to summarize
his talk there for inclusion in this Kewsletter. What he says about mycorrhizology
could just as well be said aborit cell biology, microbiology, genetics, or several
other fields. Please give this your thoughtful consideration.
Best wishes.