ACHIEVEMENTS National Newsletter of ARCS® Foundation
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Winter 201 3 ACHIEVEMENTS National Newsletter of ARCS® Foundation Achievement Rewards for College Scientists President’s Message Dear ARCS® Foundation Members Contents and Friends, Idon’t think I am alone in being I Iconstantly torn between the de- mands of the immediate/urgent vs. the long term/ important. I find, all too often, and to my great dismay, News from P4 that the important issues get set National aside while I respond to an email re- quest or draft an agenda that MUST get out today. It is very easy to get caught up in the immediate 8,300 scientists and engineers over task. It is also easy to focus on the the years? Have we made a differ- immediate result. It’s the old story ence? Chapter of the man who explained that he P5 was “chipping at a rock,” while the In my holiday greetings to the Na- News second man was “laying a corner tional Board this year, I spoke of the stone,” while the third defined his countless men, women and children, work as “building a cathedral.” unknown to us, whose lives are better for our commitment to ARCS It strikes me that the work of ARCS Foundation and to advancing science Foundation may also be viewed in America. In order to project some Scholar P9 from both immediate and long term reality onto the possibility of affecting Spotlights perspectives. Certainly what we “countless men, women and chil- do on a daily or annual basis, Chap- dren,” I would like to share, with her ter by Chapter, is laudable and we permission, the following eloquent rightly congratulate ourselves on words of Elisa Primavera-Bailey, our significant accomplishments interim Vice President of University of so many dollars in support of Relations for ARCS Foundation, Sponsor P10 so many scholars during any given Chicago: Profiles year. These statistics are meaning- less, however, if they aren’t ac- “Did you know that 1.1 million Ameri- companied by the question, “So cans are legally blind, 3 million have what?” The true value of what low vision, and 200,000 have severe ARCS Foundation does is not the visual impairment, according to the amount we contribute or the num- U.S. Department of Health and Hu- 11 ber of scholars we fund this year, or man Services? And with type 2 dia- arcs P last year, or even cumulatively since betes on the rise, more folks -- young foundation.org our founding. As valuable as it is to and old -- are at risk of developing track our outputs, finding a way to eye disease. Imagine if our scholar measure or project or even focus Jackie’s research on the efficacy of on our long term impact is much bone marrow mesenchymal stem more important. What has it meant cells contributes to solving this chal- to the advancement of science in lenge. Members P12 America that we have contributed in the news over $82,000,000 to more than 2 An ARCS® Foundation National News Publication Did you know that colony collapse to dream. And I know that through and 11 year-old grandsons in Wash- disorder has significant economic the relatively insignificant act of ington, DC. We have recently and ecological implications on donating to this foundation, I have completed the Little house on the crop production and our ability to the ability to influence the lives of Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wild- produce the food needed for the those with the ability, vision and er. I leave you with two pieces world’s population? Imagine if our persistence to solve for the com- of home-spun wisdom from Mrs. scholars Nick and Michelle were to plex problems we face as human Wilder that we would all do well to identify the causes of this alarm- beings, and thereby impact the adopt as we try to focus more on ing trend and its links to pesticides future of the world we live in.” the building of our “cathedrals.” and other ecological factors, and From By the Shores of Silver Lake: mitigate for these influences. As we all go about our work this winter, hoping for an early spring Did you know that over two mil- (at least those of us in Northern “That’s what it takes to build lion of our elderly live in nursing climes!), think about the legacy a country”, said Pa. “Building homes? Imagine the impact our that we are creating and the lives over your head and under your scholar Daniel will have in explor- that we are potentially touching. I feet, but building. We’d never ing tissue reengineering and the encourage us all to be aggressive get anything fixed to suit us if in our pursuit of a dream to do we waited for things to suit us implications for wound healing and more and do it better, reach more before we started.” transplants. scholars, touch more lives. I hope that we will never sacrifice our From The Long Winter: ARCS Scholars have solved and aspirations and vision of potential are solving for these and hundreds impact to our own comfort levels, “I never heard of such a thing, of other critical areas of research self-imposed operational restric- Ma.” “Neither did I,” said Ma. that will affect my life and yours in tions or fear of the unknown or the “But we wouldn’t do much if years to come. untried. We need to communicate we didn’t do things that nobody and celebrate the fact that we are ever heard of before.” When I was young I dreamed I building “cathedrals.” It is this would change the world. It is focus that will inspire others to join Warm regards, unlikely that I will launch the next us. biotech startup, contribute to the Jeanne B. Berdik solution for Alzheimer’s, or help Early most mornings, I have been National President end world hunger. But I still love reading over the phone to my 7 National Board Meeting Highlights * Thirty-two leaders from 14 Chap- bringing the total number of ap- connections with other national ters attended successful National proved departments and programs STEM-focused organizations via Board meeting in Tampa, FL, Feb- to 566 across 54 universities. the national External Relations ruary 6-9. Committee and the national Sci- ence and Engineering Advisory * Open Forum workshop on the * PATS (Presidents Advanced Council (SEAC). national Long Range Plan -- how Training Sessions) conducted work- can the National Board most effec- shop on membership issues for * Major priority on evaluating tively enable the fulfillment of the Chapter Presidents. ARCS Foundation’s impact and ARCS Foundation mission through operations. 2020? * National Membership Commit- - Survey of all past and present tee building a national network of ARCS Scholars (April) * Fourteen new university depart- Chapter Membership Chairs. - Survey of National Board ments/programs approved as Members to assess satisfaction eligible ARCS Foundation partners, * Major emphasis on expanding ARCS Foundation visibility and with national operations (March). An ARCS® Foundation National News Publication 3 News from National ARCS Foundation 2013 National Annual Meeting Science in Paradise: From the Depths of the Ocean to the Edge of the Universe WHO: ALL ARCS Foundation Members WHAT: 2013 ARCS Foundation National Annual Meeting WHEN: Wednesday, May 29- Saturday, June 1, 2013. WHERE: Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, Honolulu, HI, WHY: To network with fellow ARCS members from across the country and hone your skills with training designed to help your chapter prosper and to renew your inspiration and volunteer commitment to advancing science in America. HOW: Go to www.arcsfoundation.org, login as a Chapter member and click on the link in the March 23 mem- ber news article entitled “National Annual Meeting in Honolulu – Register Now!” It is located under “Wel- come …” If you have any problems, email: [email protected]. Event Fee: $525 WORKSHOPS OFFERED: *Grant Writing *Integrating Planned Giving into Your Fund Development Plan *Using the National Website to Increase Chapter Effectiveness. SCIENCE PROGRAM: * Ancient Science of Polynesian Voyaging * Astronomy: The Defense Against Asteroids, The Search for Our Neighbors, The Fate of the Universe * Data from the Dive to the Mariana Trench * Volcanoes: Beneath, On and Beyond the Earth * Optional Tours to Oahu Volcanic Sites, Lyon Arboretum, UH Space Lab and Central Pacific Hurricane Center, and the Waikiki Aquarium PRE AND POST NATIONAL ANNUAL MEETING OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS Private Garden Tour – Tuesday, May 28, 1–4 pm; Cost estimate is $40 per person. Visit three of Honolulu’s loveliest private homes and their gardens with members of the Garden Club of Honolulu. Call Susan Lampe (808-228-7856) to register. Kaena Point Hike – Saturday, June 1, 1 pm departure from Hilton Hawaiian Village for 5- to 6-hour excur- sion (5-mile round-trip hike); Minimal cost for transportation. Tour the westernmost tip of O‘ahu, which has one of the last intact dune ecosystems in the main Hawaiian Islands. Call Susan Lampe (808-228-7856) to register. Big Island Volcanoes – June 1–3; Cost estimate is $425-$500, not including meals. expert insight about the youngest and still growing Hawaiian island. Limited to 20 participants. Call Patty Lee (808-230-0133) to register. Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens on Kauai – A special docent tour of Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens in Kilauea on the north shore. Call Cheryl Ernst (808-261-1361) for information and to register. 4 An ARCS® Foundation National News Publication and 25 organizations: sponsored by Draper Laboratory; presented by Dr. Shankar Sundaram, Draper Bioengineering Center at USF, Chapter Tampa and Dr. John Burns, Draper Director, Multichip Module Facil- news ity, St.