News and Announcements of General Interest

Upcoming Meetings
Updated August 15, 2008

• The 4th International Workshop on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level (WAFL-2008), September 10–13, 2008, in Ghent, Belgium. This combination of congress and workshops will be of great interest to scientists, practitioners and other stakeholders involved in the assessment of welfare of farmed, laboratory, and other animals housed and managed in groups. More information about WAFL-2008 can be found at www.wafl2008.com.
• On September 16–18, 2008, Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) will host two highly acclaimed educational programs: IBC Basics and Essentials of IACUC Administration. These courses are tailored specifically to the educational needs of Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members, administrators, and staff, and will provide an opportunity for attendees to network with others in the field.
  IBC Basics will help promote the professional development of those associated with IBCs by helping them to learn about the NIH OBA, the history of IBCs, and the range of responsibilities IBCs have under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules.
  Through Essentials of IACUC Administration, IACUC administrators and support staff, as well as training and compliance personnel will learn how to effectively manage an animal care and use program, as well as best practices in the field. It is strongly recommended that you either attend an IACUC 101 program, or possess a good working knowledge of the rules and regulations pertaining to animal subjects research, prior to taking Essentials of IACUC Administration.
  This two and a half day program will be held at The Hilton at the Ballpark Hotel in St. Louis, MO. Tentative course agendas, as well as information regarding the event venue and registration can be obtained online at www.primr.org. Registrants have the option of selecting one or both of the educational courses being offered. If you have questions, please contact Mariellen Diemand via e-mail at mdiemand@primr.org, or by phone at 617.423.4112, Ext. 210.
• IDF World Dairy Summit 2008, November 8–14, 2008, in Mexico City, Mexico. "Facing the supply challenge: The industry in a new environment." The dairy sector is currently facing important challenges such as climate change, economic policies of developed and developing countries, agriculture competition, globalization, technological innovation, etc. The IDF 2008 Weorld Dairy Summit will be a unique opportunity to discuss these challenges as well as to discover the Mexican culture. Visit the event site regularly for updates: http://www.wds2008mexico.com/.
• 6th International Congress on Farm Animal Endocrinology, November 14–16, 2008, at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The meeting will feature an international list of acclaimed speakers covering topics on energy intake and utilization, growth, and reproduction. In addition, a poster session will be available for all participants. Abstract deadline is September 2, 2008; registration deadline is November 7, 2008. Rooms are held in a block until October 10, 2008. For more information and to register for the meetings, please visit: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/icfae/abstract.html.
• Fifteenth ADSA Discover Conference, Biology of the Calf: Birth to 4 Months, November 16–19, 2008, Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, Virginia. For the latest information, visit http://www.adsa.org/discover/.
• World Conference on Animal Production (WCAP 2008), November 23–28, 2008, Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa. For more information, visit http://www.wcap2008.co.za or e-mail wcap@up.ac.za.
• International Biogeography Society Fourth Biennial Meeting, January 8-12, 2009, Merida, Mexico. For more information, visit http://biogeography.org.
• Animal Science Image Gallery: If you could use more images for your teaching or outreach, test the Animal Science Image Gallery (http://anscigallery.nal.usda.gov/).