SSR Trainee Research Award Winners

Please help us congratulate the winners of the 2013 SSR Trainee Research Awards!

SSR Trainee Research Awards: Poster
First Place: Linah Al-Alem (University of Kentucky)
Second Place: Erica Ungewitter (NIEHS)
Third Place: Elon Roti Roti (University of Wisconsin–Madison)

SSR Trainee Research Awards: Platform
First Place: Chang Liu (NIEHS)
Second Place: Genna Stodden (Southern Illinois University)
Third Place: Kalyne Bertolin (University of Montreal)

T-Shirts, Award Presentations, Business Meeting, BBQ and Dance

T-Shirts Available

People are loving this year's commemorative t-shirts! Get yours in Room 522a for just $15, with proceeds benefiting the LEMTTF.

Awards Presentations

At 5:05 p.m., please join us in Room 517d to recognize the recipients of the International Scholar Award (Kakhyun Ka, Ph.D.), Regional Abstract Awards, and the finalists and winners of the Trainee Research Poster and Platform Awards.

Business Meeting

Immediately following the Award Presentations, keep your seat to bid farewell to outgoing President Susan Suarez, preview SSR 2014 in Grand Rapids, welcome incoming President Jock Findlay, and generally be an active, informed, and responsible member of your Society.

Barbecue and Dance

Remember, you don't need a ticket to the barbecue in order to attend the dance. Feel free to drop by Room 710 anytime after 9 p.m. to enjoy the cash bar and raucous medleys of Atomic The Band.

Fun Run Results, BOR Drawing Winner, Platform Correction

Fun Run Results

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the SSR 2013 Fun Run/Walk! We've heard that the course was absolutely beautiful.

Top Male Finishers

1. Angus D. Macaulay        20:06
2. Brendan Maher              21:08
3. Marcelo F. Martinez       22:58
4. Pedro Trejo                    24:50

Top Female Finishers
1. Lacey Gibson                   20:44
2. Victoria Cabrera-Sharp    25:22
3. Caterina Clementi            25:26
4. Jane C. Fenelon               27:00
5. Nicole A. Edwards            27:31

BOR Drawing Winner

Congratulations to Malini Laloraya, who has won the final drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card at the Biology of Reproduction exhibit booth! Thank you to everyone for stopping by and remember to submit your best work to BOR.

Reminder: Platform Correction

In the Program Book, Abstract 175, "LINE-1 (L1) Retrotransposon Activity and Fetal Oocyte Attrition," by Safia Malki and Alex Bortvin, is incorrectly listed under Platform 19. Instead, it is the first presentation in Platform 20, Oocyte Biology (1:00–2:30 p.m., Room 518).

BOR Drawing Winner

Congratulations to Laura Clamon Schulz, who won yesterday's drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card from the Biology of Reproduction exhibit booth! There will be one more drawing, so please stop by the BOR booth this afternoon to complete today's survey.

Presenter Update

In Reproductive Tracts Session IV, Patricia A. Martin-DeLeon, Ph.D., replaces Amal AlDossary as presenter of Abstract 158, "Oviductal Exosomes (Oviductosomes) Are Involved in the Transfer of Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase 4a (PMCA4a) to Murine Sperm During Capacitation."

On-Site Newsletter, Volunteer Announcement, Program Updates

On-Site Newsletter

Thanks to the Local Arrangements Committee, this year's on-site Newsletter has been translated into both French and Spanish. Pick up your copy in Foyer 517.

Trainee Volunteer Announcement

Any trainees who were unable to attend the Volunteers Meeting should visit the Trainee Volunteer Room (Room 521a) to pick up their SSR t-shirt and check the volunteer schedule.

Program Correction

Abstract 175 will be presented as part of Platform 20, Oocyte Biology (Thursday, 25 July, 1:00–2:30 p.m., Room 518), and not Platform 19.

Program Change

Brian P. Hermann, Ph.D., replaces Austin J. Cooney, Ph.D., as the chair of Platform Session 14, Stem Cell Characterization and Regulation.

Trainee Forum Sign-Up

The 2013 Trainee Forum will take place on Friday, 26 July 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Palais des congrès, Room 518 (Schedule of Events).

The Forum is open to all meeting attendees; however, you must be registered to attend. If you still need to register, you may do so on a first-come, first-served basis by sending an e-mail to trainees@ssr.org before 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 July.

The Trainee Affairs Committee has assembled two panels of outstanding SSR members who have served or currently serve on search committees in academia, government, and the private sector to help attendees learn about the job options available to reproductive biologists, how to prepare a job application package and give an outstanding interview, and what to do after receiving a job offer.

The roster of extraordinary mentors includes Dr. Sarah Robertson (University of Adelaide), Dr. Bruce Murphy (University of Montréal), Dr. Fuller Bazer (Texas A&M University), Dr. Humphrey Yao (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), Dr. Tom Curry (University of Kentucky), Dr. Mary Ann Handel (The Jackson Laboratory), and Dr. Charlotte Schubert (freelance science writer).

Online Meeting Supplement, App

Online Meeting Supplement Now Available

For the first time, browse an interactive version of the SSR Annual Meeting Supplement online before, during, or after the Meeting. You may also download the PDF version to your laptop or mobile device to read offline, although you will lose some of the interactive features:

• Turn the page by clicking a corner.
• Navigate using the Table of Contents (click on the section) or the  icon in the upper right-hand corner.

• Jump to full SSR abstracts from the Schedule of Events (click on the abstract number) or the Poster Key (click on a topic category).

• Plan your route through the first and fifth floors of the Palais or the poster display area using the maps on pages 22 and 23.

• Use the icons in the upper right-hand corner to engage with social media, save the Supplement to your desktop in PDF format, print, or "access more functionality and features" (e.g., search the text, add flags or notes, or switch views).

Free Meeting App

Also for the first time, you can view meeting information through the Guidebook app, which is freely available for both Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Although the SSR 2013 app will not be available until the meeting, you can download Guidebook now:

• Go to the app store you prefer for your device (iTunes, GooglePlay, Amazon Appstore).
• Search for "Guidebook".
• Download the application.

Information on how to download the SSR 2013 Guidebook will be available on-site.

Board and Committee Meetings

Unless otherwise noted: 1) meetings are closed (i.e., only members of that board or committee may attend), and 2) room numbers apply to the Palais des congrès.

Saturday, 20 July 2013

  3:00 pm–5:00 pm: Finance Committee (InterContinental Montréal Hotel).

  7:00 pm–10:00 pm: Board of Directors (InterContinental Montréal Hotel).

Sunday, 21 July 2013

  8:00 am–5:00 pm: Board of Directors (InterContinental Montréal Hotel).

Monday, 22 July 2013

  7:30 am–12:00 pm: BOR Editorial Retreat (Room 514ab).

  12:15 pm–12:45 pm: Volunteers (Room 518).

  1:00 pm–1:45 pm: Session Chairs (Room 518).

  1:50 pm–3:00 pm: Program Committee (Room 518).

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

  11:35 am–1:00 pm: Development Committee (Room 524a).

                                   Membership Committee (Room 524b).

                                   Public Affairs Committee (Room 524c).

  6:45 pm–7:30 pm: Trainee Affairs Committee (Room 525ab).

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

  11:30 am–1:00 pm: Awards Committee (Room 524a).

                                   Publications Committee (Room 524c).

Thursday, 25 July 2013

  7:00 am–8:30 am: Future Meetings Committee (Room 525ab).

  11:35 am–1:00 pm: Minority Affairs Committee (Room 524a).

                                   Nominating Committee (Room 524b).

  1:00 pm–2:30 pm: Heritage Committee (Room 514).

  5:05 pm–6:30 pm: SSR Business Meeting—OPEN TO ALL ATTENDEES (Room 517d).

Friday, 26 July 2013

  8:00 am–9:30 am: 2013–2014 Board of Directors (Room 521bc).

Fun Run Info, Tourisme Montréal Activities, Exhibits and Support

Fun Run Information

Fun Run Flyer

Full details are now available for the SSR Fun Run on Wednesday, 24 July 2013. If you still need to register, please do so at the Meeting for $15 (t-shirt not included).

Buses will leave the Palais des congrès (200 Viger Ave. entrance) at 5:30 a.m. to take runners and walkers to Mount Royal Park for a 4.8-km circuit through the local forest. Mount Royal is the heart of Montréal, the city’s most cherished green space. The course includes a nice mix of shallow-grade uphill and downhill stretches as well as beautiful scenery and a stunning view of Montréal.

At the finish line, refreshments will be served: Montréal’s famous handmade bagels from St-Viateur Bagel and bottles of water. Buses will leave the park at 7:30 a.m.

Please read the Fun Run Flyer for complete information.

Tourisme Montréal: Airport Welcome Booth and #MTLMOMENTS

#MTLMOMENTS Photo Frame

Meeting attendees arriving at Montréal-Trudeau Airport (YUL) are encouraged to visit the SSR 2013 Welcome Booth in the International Arrivals terminal. The booth will be staffed by members of Tourisme Montréal and the SSR Local Arrangements Committee (look for their yellow SSR 2013 t-shirts) and will be open at these times:
    Sunday............11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. EDT
    Monday............9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. EDT

At the Meeting, take a picture with your colleagues behind the large picture frame that will appear in the convention center. Courtesy of Tourisme Montréal, the frame is part of a campaign to encourage visitors to post their experiences in Montréal on social media. There will also be hand-held frames for spontaneous photo ops. Use the hashtag #MTLMOMENTS to join the conversation!

Exhibits and Support

Visit the updated Exhibits page for exhibit hours and a list of the exhibitors with links to each homepage. The Support page is now complete with each supporter's logo (click the logo to visit the homepage), contribution level, and the specific events that they supported. Please help us thank our generous contributors for helping to make SSR 2013 a reality!