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2007 Annual SSP Meeting Report

This year, the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina-Upstate hosted the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists (SSP) annual meeting at the Belle Baruch Marine Laboratories, Georgetown, SC on April 11-13, 2007. Drs. Isaure de Buron and Vince Connors were in charge of local arrangements, and President - elect Claire Fuller was Program Officer. Dr. Jenni Spencer, President, presided over the Executive Committee and Business meetings with assistance of Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Sharon Patton. Approximately 45 people registered for the meeting that included 31 presentations, 17 by students. Dr. Michael Yabsley, Vice President, and Chair of the Byrd-Dunn Student Award Committee recruited judges and presided over the annual Byrd-Dunn Student Paper Competition. The Byrd-Dunn Award for the best student paper presented at the annual meeting was presented to Andrew McElwain, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN for his paper entitled “In the Nose of Jaws: Patterns of Infection of the Copepod, Kroeyerina elongate on Blue Sharks.”

The Presidential Symposium on April 11 (organized by Dr. Fuller) included these presentations: “Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy: Linking Invasive Aquatic Plants, A Novel Cyanobacterial Species and an Emerging Wildlife Disease” - Dr. Susan Bennett Wilde, SCDNR Department of Natural Resources and University of SC Baruch Institute, “Environmental Variation and Its Impact on Parasite and Host Life Histories” - Dr. Gregory Sandland, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Purdue University, and “ Human Intervention and Changing Patterns of Parasitic Infection” - Dr. Charles Faulkner, University of TN College of Veterinary Medicine. Everyone enjoyed the Presidential Symposium and the reception and social (including Karaoke) afterwards. After a day of exciting papers on the 12th, the group had free time to explore the station with its alligators etc. The day ended with a book signing by Dr. Larry Roberts and a shrimp boil and games.

At the business meeting on the 13th, the society welcomed 15 new full or student members. Bayer HealthCare Animal Health, the Department of Biology, College of Charleston, and the College of Arts and Sciences, University of SC-Upstate provided financial sponsorship for the annual meeting. Dr. Patton announced her intention to retire from the secretary-treasurer duties of the society after this year. She loves the society and has enjoyed the privilege of serving as Secretary Treasurer for 20 years. Officers of the society for 2007-08 are President - Claire Fuller, President-elect and Program Officer - Vina Diderrich-Faulkner, Vice President - Alexa Rosypal, Secretary-Treasurer - Sharon Patton, and ASP Council Representative - Michael Yabsley.

In 2008, SSP will meet jointly with the Association of Southeastern Biologists in South Carolina on April 16 -19. Furman University and Wofford College will host the meeting in Spartanburg, SC. Persons interested in submitting abstracts or obtaining other information about the meeting should contact Charles Faulkner c/o ctfaulkner@utk.edu.

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2006 Annual SSP Meeting Report

The Southeastern Society of Parasitologists (SSP) held its annual meeting jointly with the Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB) at The Glenstone Inn and Gatlinburg Convention Center on March 29-31, 2006. The meeting was planned and executed by Drs. Jenni Spencer and Charles Faulkner who served as program officer and chair of the Local Arrangements Committee, respectively. Dr. Malcom Powell, President, presided over the Executive Committee and Business meetings with assistance of Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Sharon Patton. Dr. Edwin Rowland, Vice President and Chair of the Byrd-Dunn Student Award Committee recruited judges and presided over the annual Byrd-Dunn Student Paper Competition. Approximately 70 people registered for the joint ASB-SSP sections of the program that included 40 presentations, 26 of which were presented by students. The Byrd-Dunn Award for the best student paper presented at the annual meeting was presented to Tiffany G. Baker, Grice Marine Laboratory and College of Charleston, for her paper entitled "Stock Identification of the Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias undulates Linnaeus, Using Macroparasites as BiologicalTags ."

The Presidential symposium conceived and organized by President-elect Dr. Jenni Spencer included a presentation by Dr. Mario Grijalva, Ohio University "Chagas Disease in Ecuador: Moving from research to control program implementation" followed by Dr. Byron Blagburn's , Auburn University, presentation entitled "Lean mean transmission machines: The biology of Ixodid ticks". Dr. Michael Yabsley, University of Georgia, concluded the symposium with his presentation on "Ehrlichiosis and the Zoogeography of other Tick-borne Diseases in the Southeastern United States." At the business meeting, 12 individuals were approved for full or student membership. Sponsorship for the annual meeting was provided by a grant Bayer HealthCare Animal Health to assist student presenters with their registration expenses Officers of the society for 2006-07 are: President, Dr. Jenni Spencer, Auburn University, President-elect and program officer, Claire Fuller, Murray State University, Vice President, Dr. Michael Yabsley, University of Georgia, and Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. Sharon Patton, University of Tennessee.

The annual meeting for 2007 will be held April 11-13 at the Belle Baruch Marine Field Laboratory in Georgetown SC and co-hosted by Drs. Isaure DeBuron (College of Charleston) and Vice Connors (Univ SC Upstate). Persons interested in submitting abstracts or obtaining other information about the meeting should contact Charles Faulkner c/o ctfaulkner@utk.edu.

SSP 2006 Program

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2005 Annual SSP Meeting Report

This year, the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists met jointly with the Helminthological Society of Washington (Helm Soc), Southern Conference on Animal Parasites (SCAP), Southern Conference of Researchers in Aquatic Diseases, and the Animal Disease Research Workers of the Southern States at The Donaldson-Brown Conference Center on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia on April 6-8. Drs. David Lindsay and Alexa Rosypal served jointly as Program Officer and co-chairs of the Local Arrangements Committee. Dr. Charles Faulkner, President, presided over the Executive Committee and Business meetings. Dr. Jenni Spencer assisted Vice President and Chair of the Byrd-Dunn Student Award Committee Dr. Isaure DeBuron when a family emergency prevented Dr. DeBuron’s attendance. Approximately 70 people registered for the joint SSP-Helm Soc-SCAP sections of the program that included 49 presentations - 33 presented by students. The Byrd-Dunn Award for the best student paper presented at the annual meeting was presented to Francisco S. Palomeque, Ohio University, Athens, OH for his paper entitled “Habitat preferences of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in palm trees (Arecaceae) in the Ecuadorian Amazon”. Alexa Rosypal received the Enrique “Rick” Ciordia-Bonner Stewart Award presented by the Southern Conference on Animal Parasites for her paper entitled “Vertical transmission of a North American isolate of Leishmania infantum in an experimentally infected dog”.

The Presidential symposium conceived and organized by President-elect Dr. Malcolm “Mac” Powell included a presentation by Dr. Ed Rowland, Ohio University “Egress Inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi: Murphy's Law or Occam's Razor? “ followed by Dr. Brian J. Ward, McGill University who spoke on “Use of SELDI-Tof to Detect Protozoan and Helminth infections.” At the business meeting, 20 individuals were approved for full or student membership. Bayer HealthCare Animal Health, IDEXX Laboratories, New Ace Research Company, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, High Pressure Laboratory and Service Center, Farnam Companies Inc., Phoenix Scientific Inc., and Hooptie Ride provided sponsorship for the annual meeting. Officers of the society for 2005-06 are: President – Dr. Malcolm Powell, President-elect and Program Officer – Dr. Jennifer Spencer, Vice President – Dr. Edwin Rowland, and Secretary-Treasurer – Dr. Sharon Patton.

In 2006, SSP will meet jointly with the Association of Southeastern Biologists in Gatlinburg TN on March 29-April 1. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville will host the meeting. Persons interested in submitting abstracts or obtaining other information about the meeting should contact Charles Faulkner c/o ctfaulkner@utk.edu.

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SSP Officer History

Secretary-Treasurer

1969-1986 Mary C. Dunn

1987- Sharon Patton

Council Representative

1970-1971 G. W. Hunter III

1972 - Henry W. Leigh

1973-1974 - A.B. Weathersby

1975 - Richard Harkema

1976 - Gerald W. Esch

1977-1980 - Robert B. Short

1981-1983 - Gerald W. Esch

1984-2000 - Sharon Patton

2001-2003 - Edwin C. Rowland

2007 - Michael Yabsley