David Songstad, SIVB President
This will be the last President’s Report that I write where I wish the SIVB membership a Happy Holiday season and Blessed New Year. This is the time of year to reflect back and recount the reasons why we are thankful. As I type this, I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of my youngest daughter to join my wife, my older daughter, Nicole Songstad, and me for the Thanksgiving Holiday. My daughter, Allison Songstad, is studying for her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa in the Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research where she is developing induced pluripotent stem cells for use in studying blindness. She will be attending the 2015 SIVB meeting where she will be presenting some of her results. Yes, I am thankful for my wife and both of my daughters. And I am also thankful for the SIVB and how this society has influenced me and how I see so many members getting involved and making this society into their society. As I reflect back on 2013 from a SIVB perspective, this is what I see:
- I see a society that is gaining influence in the scientific community. Evidence of this is found in that the upcoming 2014 meeting will be a joint meeting with the SIVB and the Society for Cryobiology. Both societies have outstanding membership and track records and the boards of each society recognized the power in having a joint meeting. This will be an exciting time and an opportunity to meet new researchers also using in vitro techniques relating to cryopreservation.
- I see a membership that is vibrant and taking charge. An example is where many of the students involved with the SIVB are “taking charge” and planning new activities that promote the student involvement within our society. In particular, I am aware of students who have designed a new t-shirt highlighting the SIVB student section. When this is available, I’m buying several…I’m still sort of a student at heart and I’ll make sure that both my daughters get one of these t-shirts.
- Our members continue to support our journals by submitting manuscripts for publication and raising the impact factor. Let’s continue this trend by including In Vitro Animal and In Vitro Plant as your journals to submit manuscripts for publication.
- I continue to see a board of directors, more specifically YOUR board of directors, working together in a very positive way resulting in a stronger financial foothold, increased transparency and a true desire to bring our society to the next higher plateau.
- I also see a deep sense of caring within the SIVB. I turned 55 years young in 2013 and have seen several good friends retire this year. As many of you already know, there was a special tribute to Mike Horn at our 2013 annual meeting. It was good to see Trisha Horn again and to give her the President’s Award, in Mike’s name, for all he did for the SIVB. As a way to continue his legacy, the SIVB has established the Michael Horn Endowment Fund earlier this year and I have been touched by the number of people that have contributed to this fund.
Looking forward to 2014, and beyond, the future of our society is looking very good. We are the SIVB and we are the stewards of this society.
Finally, my very best well wishes to each of you and a prosperous 2014 in every regard,
Dave Songstad
SIVB President
