On the final day of the meeting, Dr. Susan Kilham presented a plenary lecture at the Annual Meeting on “Algae and Climate Change,” and she has generously agreed that PSA could post this presentation online and have it available for download. The content is acknowledged as to source. Please credit Sue in some fashion if you use her individual slides in presentations or teaching.
This evening we had the pleasure of being the premiere for the documentary "Beneath the Tide". This is a wonderful film about the farming of seaweeds and use in soap making in Zanzibar as well as the socioeconomic impact on women in the community of Paje. Following the screening, the director, Kat Zoulas, was present to discuss the film and take questions from the audience about her experiences and thoughts on this project. In addition, John Stiller (past PSA president) presented the first Honorary Tiffany Award (more details of this new award will come in the future) to Kat for her work on this film. PSA became involved in this project two years ago when Kat contacted Kirsten Müller (PSA Communications Director) regarding support for the film. This was then passed to then PSA President, John Stiller, who enthusiastically proposed support of this project to the PSA executive. As a result of this support, PSA is recognized as Executive Producer.
For those not able to attend this screening, Kat Zoulas will be taking this film to various festivals and we will hopefully have DVDs at future meetings. As more information comes available, it will be announced on our social media sites and the PSA web page. Please come back and read the Fall PSA Newsletter for an article on this film by Juliet Brodie.
The 2015 PSA auction was a great success! All funds went to support student awards and fellowships! The kelp statue by Gary Saunders was auctioned for $600 and the original artwork for the meeting resulted in a bidding war between Juan Lopez Bautista and Ken Karol - finally selling for $220 - Ken Karol and John Hall proceeded to gift the artwork to Rick McCourt, one of the local organizers of the meeting here in Philadelphia. During the auction we were also treated to a song about Ascophyllum by David Garbary and Rob Fitch (apologies for the shaking footage, it was challenging to not laugh and film at the same time :)! Fortunately we have this captured on video for perpetuity! Thank you to everyone who came out and to all of those bidders and winners of the auction! Enjoy!
This year we have five students competing for the Lewin Poster Award (winner to be announced at the banquet on Wednesday evening. We had a great turnout for the Poster Session and Linda Triemer was also there to paint your favourite algae on your arm (more pictures to follow) with proceeds going to the endowment for student awards!
The poster session is today from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Please take some time to visit the posters and also see the students that are competing for the Lewin Award. Following the poster session, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, is the PSA auction and all proceeds got help fund student awards and fellowships! This year we have an amazing selection of items included a sculpture by Gary Saunders, the original artwork from this years meeting, a quilt made from PSA t-shirts and much more. Check out the items on the tables in Behrakis Grand Hall and be ready to bid! #PhillyAlgae2015
T-shirts ($15) are available for this years meeting and select ones from past meetings ($5) just outside the entrance to Behrakis Grand Hall.
Eric Linton & Linda Treimer
Dr. John Hall led a field trip to the Pine Barrens yesterday. #PhillyAlgae2015
It is a beautiful day here in Philly today! Temperatures are going to reach a high of 84F/29C and partly sunny! Safe travels to everyone who is arriving today for our annual meeting!
Final details are shaping up for the PSA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, August 8-13, 2015. There are pre-meeting workshops, field trips, an auction and poster session, a great set of scientific sessions and plenaries, topped off by a banquet among the dinosaurs at the Academy of Natural Sciences on the Ben Franklin Parkway.
Registration will take place at the same place where the scientific sessions occur, from 3-6 pm Sunday Aug. 9. Registration is in the Creese Student Center, located on the corner of 33rd Street and Chestnut (see map attached). You can find the registration tables just outside Behrakis Grand Hall.
Registration will be followed immediately by the Opening Reception, in the Grand Hall itself.
If you are staying in the Race Street Dormitory, please try to check in between 3-6 pm on Saturday and Sunday, as this is when The Events Staff will be on hand at the reception desk to check you in. If your arrival plans require you to check in at a different time, go to the reception desk in the dorm and they will arrange for you to check in, although there might be a slight delay. Note that the reception desk is open 8 am to 11 pm, so please arrive within that time frame.
If you are driving, park in Lot D (see map) and walk the 2 blocks to the Race Street Dorm reception desk for a permit. You will have time to return it to your car in Lot D then return to check in to your room.
For more details see the meeting web site:
http://www.psaalgae.org/meetings/2015/8/8/2015-psa-annual-meeting
