Vol. 27 No. 1 • January - March 2010 BIOMETRIC BULLETINInternational Biometric Society Internationale Biometrische Gesellschaft Société International de Biométrie President’s Corner “Biometry, the active pursuit of biological knowledge by quantitative methods.” - R.A. Fisher, 1948 Greetings Federer at Cornell University. In 1988, I sub- It is with pleasure (and sequently joined academia at the University IN THIS ISSUE some trepidation) that I of Queensland, where my research has President’s Corner ................... 1 write my first President’s focused on developing appropriate multi- From the Editor ..................... 2 Corner for the Biometric variate methodology for the analysis and Region/National Group Key ........... 2 Bulletin. Being elected to interpretation of genotypic adaptation in Biometrics ........................ 3 serve as President of IBS large-scale plant breeding experiments. This Region & National Group News ........ .4 is a great honour and has resulted in two books, McLachlan and Australasian Region .......... 4 privilege: we have over Basford (1988) on the mixture method of Brazilaian Region ............ 4 5,300 members from 80 countries. I have big clustering and Basford and Tukey (1999) British and Irish Region ....... 4 shoes to fill following Andrew Mead, as he on graphical approaches to analysing multi- more than exceeded his aim of “living up to response data, the 1998 Australian Medal Central American- Caribbean Region ............ 5 the expectations” and “matching some of the for Agriculture from the Australian Institute Eastern Mediterranean Region . 5 achievements” of those who preceded him in of Agricultural Science and Technology, and this prestigious role. I shall aim equally as high. a Fellowship from the Australian Academy Eastern Norh American Region .. 6 of Technological Sciences and Engineering Indian Region ............... 6 My vision is that the IBS be a vibrant society in 2006. Overall, my career has been at the Japanese Region ........... ..7 in which there is much discussion and debate interface between statistics and agricultural The Netherlands Region ....... 8 about “the active pursuit of biological knowl- science, working with colleagues to deter- Western North edge by quantitative methods” and topical mine the best way to extract knowledge American Region ............. 8 issues facing our profession. I intend to pro- and gain insight from plant improvement Announcements and News . .9 mote the IBS as a supportive environment in programs. On the personal side, Alan (my which interaction, collaboration, and learning husband) and I have two adult children (Lee opportunities are facilitated and enhanced, so and Jay) and we all have enjoyed IBCs in vari- that members (particularly young people and ing more names from Regional/National ous parts of the world. those from special circumstance countries) Group officers. Even though we are working can broaden their collegiate network for Request for Your Input on a change to the IBS governance struc- personal and professional development. At the end of last year, I asked for volunteers ture (particularly under Andrew’s guidance), for the various IBS committees, as the organi- these committees will continue to function. My Background zation, development, and success of IBS relies Involvement with them is of key importance Most of you will not know me, so I’ll give you on such input from members. There was a in helping to take the society forward. a brief resume. My initial employment was good response from individuals, with a cou- as a consulting biometrician, an experience I look forward to your input in IBS and hope ple of Regional Presidents putting forward that identified true collaboration as an excel- to meet with many of you at the IBC in recommendations. I give my sincere thanks lent platform for innovative and productive Florianópolis in Brazil in December. to those who responded. However, because outcomes. After completing my postgraduate it is important to balance on these com- Kaye Basford training part-time, I was awarded a Fulbright mittees geographically, we shall be request- Postdoctoral Fellowship to work with Walt 1 Biometric Bulletin BIOMETRIC BULLETIN From the Editor ISSN 8750-0434 Copyright © 2010 International Biometric Society Dear Readers, SAVE THE DATES Biometric Bulletin is published four times a year in February, May, August and November for I look forward to working with Kaye XXVth International US$40 per year by the: Basford, the new President of the IBS. In Biometric Conference International Biometric Society her first President’s Corner article for the 1444 I Street NW, Suite 700 • Washington, DC 20005-6542 USA Telephone: +1(202) 712-9049 • Fax: +1 (202) 216-9646 Biometric Bulletin, she stated that “My vision Email: <[email protected]> • Website: http://www.tibs.org is that the IBS be a vibrant society in which 5-10 December 2010 The Biometric Bulletin is available to members of the Society as part of their annual dues. The views of contributions to this publica- there is much discussion and debate about Florianópolis, Brazil tion should not be ascribed to the International Biometric Society. “the active pursuit of biological knowledge Reproduction for commercial purposes is allowed if the source is acknowledged. by quantitative methods” and topical issues Editor facing our profession.” She also articulated Roslyn A. Stone, Department of Biostatistics, University of her intention to promote the IBS “as a Pittsburgh, 304 Parran Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA, Tel: +1-412- 624-3025, Fax: +1-412-624-2183, Email: <[email protected]> supportive environment in which interac- Region, Group and Network Correspondents tion, collaboration, and learning opportuni- Region/National Group Key Luzia Aparecida (RBras), Julia Barabás (GHu), Andrea Berghold ties are facilitated and enhanced.” I think (ROeS), Liesbeth de Wreede (ANed), Mamadou Diedhiou (GEth), Sada Nand Dwivedi (IR), Cornelia Enachesu (GRo), Robert Faivre that the Bulletin can play an important Regions RArg - Argentinean Region (RF), Ji-Qian Fang (GCh), Krista Fischer (GBA), Zofia Hanusz (GPol), role in facilitating communication across Duncan Hedderley (AR), Antje Hoering (WNAR), Johannes Hüsing AR - Australasian Region (DR), Maria Gloria Icaza Noguera (GCl), Seung-Ho Kang (RKo), the groups and regions, particularly with ROeS - Austro-Swiss Region Dimitris Karlis (EMR), Ruth King (BIR), Esa Läärä (NR), Bruce respect to interaction, learning opportuni- Lauckner (RCAC), Andrew Mead (Channel Network), Kazue Yamaoka RBe - Belgian Region (JR), Wellington Mushayi (GZim), Henry G. Mwambi (SUSAN), Peter ties, and discussion of topical issues facing M. Njuho (GSAf), Olayemi Oluwasoga (GNi), Nuria Porta (REsp), RBras - Brazilian Region Stefano Salvadori (RItl), Lillian Lin (ENAR), Sophie Vanbelle (RBe), our profession. I remain hopeful that we BIR - British and Irish Region Humberto Vaquera Huerta (GMex), Marta Zanelli (RArg) can identify ways to better utilize the Bulletin RCAC - Central American-Caribbean International Biometric Society Officers for these purposes, and welcome your sug- Region President: Kaye E. Basford, School of Land and Food Sciences, gestions. University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072 Australia, Tel: 61 7 EMR - Eastern Mediterranean Region 33652810, Fax: 61 7 33651177, Email: <[email protected]> ENAR - Eastern North American Region In the year of each International Biometric Vice President: Andrew Mead, Warwick HRI, University of Warwick, RF - French Region Wellesbourne, Warwick, England CV35 9EF, United Kingdom, Conference (IBC), Regional Presidents, DR - German Region Tel: ++44-2476 575020, Fax: ++44-2476 574500, National Secretaries, and IBS Council mem- Email:<[email protected]> IR - Indian Region General Secretary: Ashwini K. Mathur, Novartis, Biostatistics and bers are invited to submit nominations for RItl - Italian Region Statistical Reporting, Novartis Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., NICCI-B&SR, Honorary Life Members of the IBS. The iLabs Centre,No 18 Software Units Layout, Madhapur, Hyderabad, JR - Japanese Region Andhra Pradesh, 500081, India, Tel: 91-40-6657-6354, Fax: 91-40- nomination deadline is 31 July 2010, and RKo - Korean Region 6657-6252, Email: <[email protected]> the award will be presented to the newly ANed - The Netherlands Region Treasurer: Linda J. Young, University of Florida, Department of Statistics, IFAS, P.O. Box 110339, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA, elected Honorary Life Member by the IBS NR - Nordic Region Tel: ++352-392-1941, Fax: ++352-392-8555, Email: President at the 2010 IBC in Florianópolis, REsp - Spanish Region <[email protected]> Brazil. WNAR - Western North American Region Editorial Representative: Urania Dafni, Laboratory of Biostatistics, Department of Nursing, University of Athens, 123 In addition, Regional Presidents, Group National Groups Papadiamantopoulou St., 11527 Goudi, Greece, Tel: +1-30-210- GBa - Baltic 7461456, Fax: +1-30-210-7461489, Email: <[email protected]> Secretaries, and Network Coordinators are GBot - Botswana Educational Representative: Peter Njuho, University of KwaZulu- asked to submit nominations for the Rob Natal, PMB Campus, School of Statistics & Actuarial Science, GCam - Cameroon Kempton Award for outstanding contribu- Senior Lecturer, Statistics & Biometrics Discipline, Private Bag GCl - Chile X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209 South Africa, Tel: +27-33- tion to the development of biometry in 2605615, Fax: +27-33-2605648, Email:<[email protected]> GCh