Dr. William Smith (left) presents the Distinguished Service Award to (l to r) Todd Jones, Pamela Weathers, Elizabeth Roemer and John Finer.
At the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 SIVB meeting in Bellevue, WA the SIVB Past-President, Dr. William J. Smith had the pleasure of presenting awards to those individuals who had provided extraordinary service to the Society over the preceding year. The awarding of the Distinguished Service Award is at the discretion of the president and symbolizes his recognition of contributions that were highly meaningful to his presidency. While each member is critical to the success of the Society, and the hard work of a large number of individuals has put SIVB onto a strong financial footing, Dr. Smith chose to focus on four areas that meant a great deal to him: the outstanding Scientific Program for 2012 and the strong, active support of Board Members.
 Past President presenting the Distinguished Service Award to Margaret Young for her work with the Education Committee |
 Fredy Altpeter receives the Distinguished Service Award from Dr. Smith for his support of the 2012 World Congress. |
Having completed his two-year term, Dr. Smith acknowledged the dedication of Board Members that has allowed the Society to continue to move forward grounded in the needs of its membership and committed to advancing the science of in vitro biology. Specifically cited with these awards were: Todd Jones, John Finer, Greg Phillips, Pam Weathers, Wayne Parrott, Liz Roemer, and Mark Jordan. Remembering that several very deserving individuals had received recognition last year, Dr. Smith highlighted the efforts of three individuals both in their Board activities and in their contributions to the scientific programs of 2012: Fredy Altpeter, Lucy Lee, and Guy Smagghe. Margaret Young was cited for her dedicated efforts in support of Educational and Student Programs, and John Harbell was cited as a key mentor for Dr. Smith along with being a tireless advocate for SIVB both in regards to fund raising and scientific program development.
 Guy Smagghe and Lucy Lee receive the Distinguished Service Award for their work on the 13th International Invertebrate and Fish Cell Culture Conference |
 William Smith presents a special Distinguished Service Award to John Harbell for fundraising and program development as well as his mentorship to Dr. Smith. |
The Society for In Vitro Biology has had a very good year. The Distinguished Service Award recipients have played a major role in the successes, but they are only a sampling of all the time and commitments made on behalf of SIVB. Everyone in this Society deserves the President’s congratulations on a job well done.
Submitted by William J. Smith
All photos provided courtesy of Offie Clark
