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Meeting Features
Meetings/Lectures | Educational Sessions | Learning Resources | Career Center | Bookstore | Awards | Fun Fair | Lunch & Learn | AREA Program | Orientation | Leadership Academy | District Meetings | Branch Officers' Meeting | Tech Week Items | Recordings
Each fall since 1950, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science has held its annual National Meeting. During the five days of the meeting, members and nonmembers come together to enjoy the workshops, lectures, poster sessions, and exhibits. The program is designed to have topics relevant to the entire membership. Exhibitors have an opportunity to interact with AALAS members from the academic community, research institutions, government organizations, and commercial companies.
The AALAS National Meeting is the largest gathering in the world of professionals concerned with the production, care, and use of laboratory animals. The meeting format is continuously evolving, but some standard features are listed below.
Opening General Session
This popular feature includes a keynote speaker and provides an opportunity for all meeting attendees to meet and mingle before the education and business sessions begin. The AALAS awards will also be presented.
General Membership Meeting
This year's meeting will be held on Monday night, November 5. Your association leaders will report on the many achievements of the past year, as well as plans for the future. You will also have a chance to mingle with the Board of Trustees and learn about the latest AALAS Foundation activities.
The meeting will close with the Gavel Ceremony, in which 2012 AALAS President Dr. Kathy Laber will hand the position over to Dr. Kim Saunders. A drawing will be held immediately after this ceremony, and five attendees will win a $200 cash prize; attendees must be present to win. Check your Final Program for details and an entry form.
Wallace P. Rowe Lecture
This lecture, named after the first scientist to undertake systemic studies of many viral infections of laboratory animal mice, focuses on a current, innovative concept with implications for laboratory animal diseases.
Charles C. Hunter Lecture
This lecture pays tribute to the late Dr. Hunter, a former AALAS president and an enduring leader in the field of laboratory animal science. Dr. Hunter was known for his dedication to continuing education for laboratory animal technicians.
The National Meeting educational program includes five different presentation types:
Seminars are lecture-style educational sessions, usually two hours and forty-five minutes long, which address a single subject. These sessions generally have a seminar leader and several panelists; this format allows for discussion among the panelists and the audience.
Platform sessions revolve around a unified theme, but feature 15-minute presentations by a succession of speakers, each developing a different aspect of the overall theme. They typically run for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Workshops are "hands-on" sessions, usually running for a half-day. Enrollment for workshops is limited by the size of the facility. There is an extra charge for each workshop, and separate registration is required.
Panel discussions use the leader-panel format, with (usually) a single leader acting as the coordinator for a panel of up to six participants.
Poster sessions provide an alternative opportunity for presenting scientific or technical information at the National Meeting. Authors are expected to be present to discuss their posters during a set period of time.
Technical Trade Presentations are 15-minute, informal talks given by representatives of exhibiting companies. These are not sales pitches; the goal is to share tips and information about new technology and products in the industry. Only one presentation per company will be accepted. All topics are reviewed and approved by the Exhibitor Advisory Council.
AALAS, as a service to our membership, provides multimedia training and educational resources at our annual National Meeting. For a complete list of the resources provided, as well as the sources for the videotapes, CD-ROMs, and DVDs, see the Learning Resources page.
Monday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Learning Resources is facilitated by volunteers from the Laboratory Animal Welfare Training Exchange (LAWTE). Check the Final Program for location.
If you cannot attend the National Meeting, we’ll post your ad for you. Please send your poster to Amy Sauls, AALAS, 9190 Crestwyn Hills Dr., Memphis, TN 38125-8538. The poster should be no larger than 11 × 17 inches and must be received no later than October 19, 2012.
For more information and helpful tips, please review the Career Center instructions .
Shop the Bookstore, located near Registration, for AALAS educational products—and some fun stuff, too!
Six professional and technical categories are recognized each year at the AALAS National Meeting for excellence in the field of laboratory animal science. For more information on these awards, go to www.aalas.org.
The Fun Fair takes place Tuesday and Wednesday, November 5 and 6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Exams must be turned in by 4 p.m. on Wednesday to be eligible for prizes.) Scores will be posted at the CTAD booth on Thursday, November 8; starting at 9:00 a.m., prizes will be awarded and photos will be taken.
For more information about the Tech Fair, contact Lisa Evans.
&Learn is a special event providing an opportunity for technicians to enjoy a complimentary lunch and also learn about a wide variety of educational topics relating to lab animal science. The AALAS Committee on Technician Awareness & Development (CTAD) brings this event just for technicians to the AALAS National Meeting each year. This year’s event is planned for Monday, November 5, from 12:30-2:00 p.m. Following a complimentary lunch, attendees will hear various talks on technician-focused topics. The topics will be announced closer to the meeting.
There is no charge to the technicians for attending this session. Preregistration is not required; you may preregister if you wish, but you must already be registered for the National Meeting.
The 2012 Technician Lunch and Learn is sponsored by Purina Mills, Inc. We are grateful for their wonderful generosity and their dedication to continuing education for technicians.
 Registration Form
The AREA program involves bringing high school or middle school science students and their teachers from the local area to the convention center to spend a day with AALAS members.
The first part of the day will be spent with guest speakers Dr. Hugh Harroff, Cindy Hoorn, and Kim Hildreth, talking with the students about the need for animals in medical research and the demand for bright young talented scientists to enter the laboratory animal science field.
After the discussion period, the guests will be divided into small groups and are led through the exhibit hall. Many AALAS members volunteer their time as tour guides and mentors for this adventure. On the tour, the students are asked to answer a group of questions submitted by various participating vendors. Following the exhibit hall tour, the students reconvene for a complimentary lunch and a discussion of the Exhibit Hall questions. The program will end with an engaging discussion and question and answer session about their experience.
All participants will be given parting gifts. The students will be encouraged to write a short essay about their experience and thoughts and send it to AALAS for possible publication.
Any vendor or AALAS member who would like to participate in this important and very successful outreach program should contact Michael Mathy at the AALAS office. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in the attitudes of some bright young people.
Attending your first National Meeting can be an overwhelming experience, considering the multitude of activities going on. Don’t worry—support is available to help you make the most of your experience. Join AALAS leadership and staff for the Orientation Session for New Members and First Timers on Sunday, November 4 from 2 to 3 p.m. You’ll receive tips on how to plan your week and get the chance to meet other new members and first-timers. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to get all your questions answered about AALAS programs, educational opportunities, and National Meeting event schedules. We hope to see all newbies there!
The success of an association lies with its members and volunteer leaders. Are you aware of someone in your branch who would make a great future leader? If so, then nominate him or her for the 13th annual Leadership Academy, to be held November 4 at the AALAS National Meeting.
The Leadership Academy is a training seminar geared toward preparing attendees for leadership positions at the branch and national levels. It is open to one representative from each branch at no cost to the individuals. A variety of talks will be presented by former, current, and future committee chairs, trustees, treasurers, presidents, and current members of the AALAS staff.
Talks will include information on AALAS and the Foundation, tips on how to function as a board or committee member, and guidance in dealing with the media and public relations. There will also be plenty of opportunity for students to mingle with AALAS leadership and fellow students. In one popular segment, lights and TV cameras will be set up and individuals will be interviewed. The interviews will be taped and played back for later review.
Remember, all academy candidates must be nominated by his or her branch. You may nominate one primary and one alternate name to fill vacancies created by branches that do not send candidate nominations. Please register soon, as the number of attendees is limited. For more information, please contact John McCutchen at the AALAS office at john.mccutchen@aalas.org or (901) 754-8620.
District membership meetings are conducted by your district trustees, who are members of the AALAS Board of Trustees. They will lead discussion on recent board decisions, issues, policies, and/or procedures. If you’re not sure about the district to which you belong or who your district trustee is, please use this map for guidance (e.g., individuals living in the state of Maryland would be a resident of District 3).
District membership meetings will be held Monday, November 5, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Check your Final Program for room assignment. Because international members of AALAS do not belong to any of the eight districts, they will have a designated meeting room as well and will meet at the same time as the districts.
All AALAS branch officers are invited to attend the Branch Officers’ Meeting in Minneapolis Tuesday, November 6, from 5–6 p.m. Board of Trustees members and representatives from the AALAS national office will be on hand to update you on any new developments that may affect your branch. They’ll also want to hear your ideas and suggestions on how the AALAS national office can help assist your organization. This will be a great opportunity for branch officers to stock up on branch newsletter kits and other packets of information. So, don’t miss the meeting!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity while at the AALAS National Meeting to pick up and order special items of recognition for the technicians at your facility to celebrate the 15th Annual International Laboratory Animal Technician Week (dates TBA). Complementary Tech Week materials will be available at both the Committee on Technician Awareness & Development (CTAD) and International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS) booths.
For those facilities wanting to do a little something extra for their technicians, additional International Laboratory Animal Technician Week gifts will be available for purchase in the AALAS Bookstore.
Let your technicians know you appreciate them. Be sure to visit these booths during the meeting!
Please remember that cameras and recording devices are not permitted in the exhibit hall or education rooms. Audiotapes of past National Meeting presentations are available from Multiview. Select Convention Library > Category A > AALAS > meeting (2000-2011).
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