Marsha Lakes Matyas

Life Science Professional Societies Expand Undergraduate Education Efforts

Support provided by scientific societies for undergraduate education and changes during the Vision and Change era were explored and documented. Society representatives described programs, awards, meetings, membership, teaching resources, publications, staffing, finances, evaluation, and collaborations that address undergraduate faculty and students.

Lurk or lead? The benefits of community participation

winston churchill said “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to have changed often” ([4][1]). For educators, change is a constant. We adapt our teaching constantly to new discoveries in education and science, new students, and new technologies. However, current reform efforts are driving

Developing a nationwide K–12 outreach model: Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week 10 years later

Since 2005, nearly 600 Physiology Understanding Week (PhUn Week) events have taken place across the U.S., involving American Physiological Society (APS) members in K-12 outreach. The program seeks to build student understanding of physiology and physiology careers, assist teachers in recognizing physiology in their standards-based curriculum, and involve more physiologists in K-12 outreach. Formative goals included program growth (sites, participants, and leaders), diversification of program models, and development of a community of practice of physiologists and trainees involved in outreach. Eleven years of member-provided data indicate that the formative goals are being met. Nearly 100,000 K-12 students have been reached during the last decade as an increasing pool of physiologists took part in a growing number of events, including a number of international events. The number and types of PhUn Week events have steadily increased as a community of practice has formed to support the program. Future program goals include targeting regional areas for PhUn Week participation, establishing research collaboratives to further explore program impacts, and providing on-demand training for physiologists.

What is the American Physiological Society's ITL and who are the members of PECOP?

The American Physiological Society Teaching Section has developed a biennial Institute on Teaching and Learning (ITL) through the APS Conference Program. The first ITL was held in June 2014, and the second ITL will be in June 2016. A Physiology Education Community of Practice was created to help connect the institute participants and other physiology educators to share evidence-based teaching in physiology at all education levels and ideas for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Discipline-Based Education Research in physiology. This editorial describes the origins and outcomes of the ITL and the advantages of joining the Physiology Education Community of Practice.

The insulation bag: learning thermoregulation through a "hands-in" activity

the extensive diversity of habitats to which animals have adapted necessitated the evolution of a number of different anatomic and behavioral mechanisms to tolerate the extremes in ambient temperatures to which these animals are exposed. Among these anatomic solutions to the seemingly compromising

APS: 125 years of progress of physiology as a scientific discipline and a profession

The Experimental Biology 2012 meeting in San Diego, CA, included events to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the American Physiological Society (APS) and reflect on the recent accomplishments of the society. Most of the APS activities in the past quarter century were guided by a series of strategic plans. Membership in the APS increased by 76% since 1987, and there are now 8,342 regular members of the society, including an expansion of international members to 26% of APSs membership. The numbers of elected officers and committee members have expanded to accommodate this larger membership. APS Publications changed dramatically during this time, having adopted online submission and review of manuscripts as well as a streamlined review and publications process that have significantly shortened the period from submission to acceptance to publication. Compared with 1987, the number of manuscripts submitted has increased by 80% and the number of printed pages increased by 52%. In addition to the refinement of the Experimental Biology meeting (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology meeting before 1993) format, APS launched a specialty conference program in the 1990s. The educational offerings of APS also dramatically expanded in the past 25 yr, often supported by external grants and contracts. APS education programs now support physiology education and science awareness at K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels as well as continuing education of its members. The founding of APS was tied to the need for effective advocacy, and APS continues to meet those goals through its Science Policy Committee and Animal Care and Experimentation Committees. At its 125th birthday, APS continues to serve the discipline and the needs of its membership.

Monitoring physiology trainee needs to focus professional society responses: the APS Trainee Needs Surveys

In 2004 and 2007, the American Physiological Society (APS) Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) conducted surveys of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and new investigators in physiology to identify topics and issues important to those trainees. Two major trends emerged from the data. First, trainees in 2007 expressed somewhat greater interest in professional development information than did those in 2004. Second, needs expressed by trainees in both years were closely related to their specific career development stage. Survey findings guided the TAC and other APS committees and groups to focus their efforts toward the issues that were of the greatest interest to trainees. It also led to improved communication with trainees and increased involvement of trainees in APS governance.