2008 Annual Meeting
Dear Members:
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all each of you who attended the 41st Annual Meeting of AEIRS in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This was our first solo annual meeting in many years, and thanks to your support and attendance, the meeting was a great success. AEIRS is a strong, proud organization thanks to your support and the hard work of our volunteers.
There were 170+ attendees and conference partners at the 2008 AEIRS meeting! Dr. Jo Edwards, this year's Honors Lecturer, presented "Medical Imaging and Health Diplomacy." Her lecture focused on the global contributions of many AEIRS members to the imaging and radiologic sciences.
This year the Academy of Fellows inducted two of our members to the level of Fellow: Dr. Laverne T. Gurley and Mr. Richard Terrass. Several Fellows were in attendance at the meeting. During the business session, Dr. Jo Edwards was approved by the membership to receive Life member status. Congratulations to you all!
Ms. Jennifer Yates was awarded the Elsevier Faculty Development Scholarship and Dr. Philip Ballinger was given a check from the International Scholarship Travel Fund to help with his presentation in Costa Rica.
Several AEIRS past presidents had time to re-unite.
This year we held our first Silent Auction, with tax-deductible items donated by many AEIRS members. Carole South-Winter, our Meeting Planner, whipped up the crowds to push the bidding higher for these great items. For our first auction, we made $1287 for our Invest in the Future Scholarship which will help future imaging and radiologic educators.
Passing the Hat at the business session also proved to be a great success. This year members donated $500 which will be generously matched by Dr. and Mrs. Jordan Renner. Thank you to the members for donating so generously to the Invest in the Future Scholarship. To the Renners: your generous support of the AEIRS is greatly appreciated. If we had a hospital, we would name a wing of it after you. Thank you so much.
Pima Medical Institute sponsored a fun and educational event called "Desserts in the Desert" at the National Atomic Museum. All attendees got complementary admission to the museum, great mini-desserts catered by Carrabba's and coffee or water. This museum offers educational displays of the uses of radiation in peace/war and medicine. The displays relating to nuclear medicine and radiation's history were the biggest hits. Attendees were learning even more about the uses of radiation while taking in the history of radiation in medicine. The gift shop did a brisk business as educators snapped up videos, periodic tables and other radiation related merchandise for use in the classroom.
Elsevier sponsored a "Lunch and Learn" featuring Jeannean Rollins from Arkansas State University. Jeannean presented her first experiences working in an online environment, as well as what she has learned over the years about the technology and its use in the classroom. The Evolve Select course management system was presented with ample time for questions from the audience.
Thanks to the many presenters at this Annual Meeting for preparing interesting presentations germane to our work as educators. Thanks to Valerie Christensen our Executive Secretary, and Carole South-Winter our Meeting Planner, for working so hard to present an amazing meeting.
We hope you had fun, got reacquainted with colleagues, networked for ideas, and enjoyed the sun and food in the Land of Enchantment. Let's meet next year, June 10-11, 2009 at the Hotel Albuquerque for more educational sessions and some fun.
James Murrell, Chair of the Board