I agree wholeheartedly with Professor Resetarits. As someone who grew up in the Philadelphia area, was a frequent visitor to the Academy in my youth, and indeed spent one summer conducting research at the Academy, this announcement really jangled my nerves. It's huge overreach, and could easily have been avoided. Of the speakers, at least Lucinda McDade was directly involved with the Academy, but several of the other speakers involve areas that simply have never been covered by the Academy.
I would have like to have seen at least one appreciation of the Academy of Natural Sciences offered by someone from the region, or by someone with regional experience and historical perspective. Thomas J. Givnish Henry Allan Gleason Professor of Botany University of Wisconsin [email protected] http://botany.wisc.edu/givnish/Givnish/Welcome.html On 09/19/12, "Resetarits, William" wrote: > I always try to keep my comments on ECOLOG positive, and that involves > biting my tongue quite a bit, but this really is quite beyond the pale. > 200 years of Research at the Academy of Natural Sciences of DREXEL > UNIVERSITY! Really? The utter hubris involve in this simple title is > staggering to anyone with a sense of history of science and any sense of > decorum. While I applaud the historic merger of the Academy with Drexel, > surely someone must have noticed how incredibly egotistical and inaccurate > the title of this symposium is. It is an impressive lineup, and I would > attend if in the area, but REALLY! There is less than 1 year of Research > at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and 199 years of > research at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. I thought > this kind of branding nonsense was limited to corporations and political > parties. Why not "A Bicentennial Symposium to Celebrate > 200 Years of Research at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia" > and then mention the historic merger of the Academy with Drexel. A > certain level of subtlety and humility often goes a lot further than > blatant and totally inaccurate self promotion. Shame on you Drexel for > trying to claim credit for 199 years of research in the Natural Sciences > that you had nothing to do with. You potentially gain a lot of > credibility by this merger, unless you continue to handle it badly. > > William J. Resetarits, Jr. > Professor > Department of Biological Sciences > Texas Tech University > Lubbock, Texas 79409-3131 > Phone: (806) 742-2710, ext.300 > Fax (806) 742-2963 > > http://www.myweb.ttu.edu/wresetar/ > > > > > > > > On 9/19/12 5:19 PM, "Don Charles" <[email protected]> wrote: > > >Please join the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in > >Philadelphia on October 11 - 12, 2012 as we explore current and future > >research on the diversity of life with a focus on evolutionary history, > >ecology, and environmental quality. > > > >Biodiversity: From Evolutionary Origins to Ecosystems Function > >A Bicentennial Symposium to Celebrate > >200 Years of Research at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel > >University > ><http://www.ansp.org/symposium> > >ansp.org/symposium<http://ansp.org/symposium> > > > >The two-day conference will open at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, with > >tours of the Academy's collections and environmental labs. We will close > >with a poster session and reception on the evening of Friday, October 12. > > > >SPEAKERS - Title and abstract of all talks are on-line: > >ansp.org/symposium/talks<http://ansp.org/symposium/talks> > ><http://www.ansp.org/explore/our-research/bicentennial-symposium/talks/> > > > >Thursday, October 11 - 5:30 - 7 p.m. > >Leidy Medal Presentation and keynote by DOUGLAS J. FUTUYMA, Stony Brook > >University > > > >Friday, October 12 > >9:00 a.m. Welcome > >9:15 a.m. LUCINDA A. McDADE, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden > >10:00 a.m. J. PATRICK KOCIOLEK, University of Colorado Museum of > >Natural History > >11:00 a.m. DANIEL OTTE, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel > >University > >11:45 a.m. DAVID TILMAN, University of Minnesota > > > >12:30 - 2:00 p.m. LUNCH BREAK > > > >2:00 p.m. SANDRA KNAPP, Natural History Museum in London, England > >2:45 p.m. WAYNE P. MADDISON, University of British Columbia and > >Director of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum > >3:30 p.m. SHAHID NAEEM, Columbia University > >4:30 p.m. Panel discussion > >5:30 p.m Poster session and reception > > > > > > > >SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE > >Thursday, October 11, 2012 > >The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA USA > >The conference opens with an opportunity to tour the Academy's historic > >collections and environmental labs. All departments will be open for > >registrants to visit. The presentation of the Academy's prestigious Leidy > >Award and an address by its distinguished recipient Douglas Futuyma, > >distinguished professor of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook > >University will be followed by a welcome reception in the museum. > > > >Friday, October 12, 2012 > >Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building (PISB), Drexel University, > >Philadelphia, PA USA > >Friday is filled with speaker sessions in PISB, Philadelphia's newest > >landmark for scientific research and the future of integrated science at > >Drexel. The day ends with a closing reception and poster session. > > > >CALL FOR POSTERS - > >ansp.org/symposium/posters<http://ansp.org/symposium/posters> > ><http://www.ansp.org/explore/our-research/bicentennial-symposium/posters/> > > > >Undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students are encouraged to > >submit an abstract in the area of ecology and evolution. > > > >FOR DETAILED SCHEDULE, REGISTRATION AND FEES > >ansp.org/symposium<http://ansp.org/symposium><http://www.ansp.org/explore/ > >our-research/bicentennial-symposium/> --
