MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING OF
THE SOCIETY OF PHI ZETA
SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2009  •  SEATTLE, LA

I.    Call to Order.  President Bob McClure called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. in the Jefferson Room of the Sheraton Seattle Hotel.  Sixteen of 29 chapters were represented with the following members present:

Name, Chapter, Institution

Dawn Boothe, Epsilon, Auburn University
Kathy Earnest-Koons, Alpha, Cornell University
Sheila Allen, Xi, University of Georgia
Claire Andreasu, Gamma, Iowa State University
Cathleen Hanlon, Sigma, Kansas State University
Michael Murphy, Kappa, University of Minnesota
Robert Wills, Omega, Mississippi State University
Robert McClure, Pi, University of Missouri
Ed Smallwood, Psi, North Carolina State University
Susan Tornquist , Alpha Gamma, Oregon State University
Pat Wakenell, Omicron, Purdue University
Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam, Omicron, Purdue University
Jim Brace, Phi, University of Tennessee
Leon Russell, Eta, Texas A&M University
Kristi Thorson, Alpha Alpha, University of Wisconsin
Rhonda Pinkney, Alpha Delta, St. George’s University
Ray Sis, Alpha Delta, St. George’s University
Diana Stone, Alpha Delta, St. George’s University
John Tegzes, Alpha Epsilon, Western U. of Health Sciences

As there was representation from at least five chapters, a quorum was constituted.

II.    Introductions and President's Report: President McClure welcomed those present, and the representatives were asked to introduce themselves.

III.  Approval of Minutes of 2008 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA:  Minutes of the July 20, 2008 Meeting had been e-mailed to each chapter by Secretary Smallwood on August 18, 2008, and again on July 14, 2009.

Moved/Seconded for approval as distributed.  There were no corrections or additions.  Motion Passed without dissent.

IV.  Secretary-Treasurer's Report:  Secretary-Treasurer Smallwood presented an Activities Report for 2008-09 (Attachment 1).  As of June 30, 2009, 742 active members and 17 honorary members had been inducted into 27 Chapters; total number of initiates = 759.  Cornell had not ordered certificates for their 2008 or 2009 initiates as of June 30; however, these certificates have now been ordered (July 1, 2009). 

Michigan State University (Zeta Chapter) has not ordered certificates for new initiates since March 22, 2007.  The secretary has sent several e-mails to Dr. Simon Petersen-Jones, the only Phi Zeta officer we have listed for Zeta Chapter.  These e-mails have not been returned, but we have yet to receive any response from Dr. Petersen-Jones.  We do not know if any students have been inducted into Zeta Chapter in 2008 or 2009.  If they have, they have paid no initiation fees, and are not considered valid members at this point. 

This matter is of urgent concern.  In an e-mail sent to Dr. Petersen-Jones on 6/30/09, we made it very clear that if we did not hear anything back from him, we would have no choice but to discuss this problem at our annual meeting, and then advise the administration at Michigan State about the situation.  Following discussion of this matter, it was decided that the President of Phi Zeta would contact the dean of the Michigan State CVM, and attempt to get this matter resolved.

A total of $6883.90 had been received in initiation and replacement certificate fees.  A total of $3200 ($200/chapter) had been disbursed to 16 chapters represented at the New Orleans meeting.  Secretary-Treasurer Smallwood presented the Treasurer's Report for 2008-09 (Attachment 2).  Total income for 2008-09 was $7203.62 and total expenses were $8055.77.  The total assets of Phi Zeta had decreased by $852.15 from $8410.47 (6/30/08) to $7558.32 (6/30/09).

Moved/Seconded for approval of the report.  Motion Passed without dissent.

V.    Phi Zeta Research Awards:  President McClure recognized the fine work of Dr. Dawn Boothe, Chair, and the other members of the 2008-09 Awards Committee.  Dr. booth was present, and presented a brief report for the 2008-09 Awards Committee.  Dr. Boothe recognized the other members of the 2009 committee:  Dr. Peggy Barr, Western University of Health Sciences; Dr. Fred Oehme, Kansas State University; Dr. Elizabeth Graham, Tuskegee University; and Dr. James Cook, University of Missouri. 

In this year’s competition, the committee received and reviewed 9 papers in the Basic Sciences category and 14 manuscripts in the Clinical Sciences category.

The 2009 winners were:

Basic Sciences:  Dr. Kristen Hobbie.  Dr. Hobbie’s manuscript, which was submitted by the Psi at North Carolina State University, is titled “Toward a molecular equivalent dose: Use of the medaka model in comparative risk assessment.”

Clinical Sciences:          Dr. Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam.  Dr. Dangoudoubiyam’s manuscript, which was submitted by the Omicron Chapter at Purdue University, is titled "PCR Assays for Detection of Bayliscaris procyonis eggs and larve."

Dr. Boothe then presented the 2009 Phi Zeta Research Award in the Clinical Sciences category to Dr. Dangouboubiyam (left) from Purdue University.

Dr. Boothe also reported on the clarification of the guidelines with regard to clinical vs. basic research categories:  The awards committee will use as a guide the NIH definition of clinical research (with the word human being replaced by animal): research which is patient-oriented and thus involves animals or tissues of animal origin, but not tissues that can not be linked to a living animal (e.g., in vitro studies).  Clinical research would include clinical trials, epidemiologic studies, and studies that focus on the mechanisms of disease, and studies (including clinical trials) that focus on a diagnostic or therapeutic intervention.

In 2010, the Awards Committee will continue to further clarify the assessment criteria for evaluating manuscripts.  Information on the 2010 competition will be sent out to the various chapters in November or December.

President McClure expressed congratulations to the winners and to the other nominees, whose manuscripts were submitted from their respective chapters.  In addition to the plaques, each winner received a check in the amount of $1000.

Dr. Dawn Boothe (Auburn University) was also recognized with the Phi Zeta Distinguished Service Award, which was presented by Dr. McClure. 

Dr. Peggy Barr (Western University of Health Sciences) will chair the 2009-10 Committee, and new President Rhonda Pinckney will appoint a replacement for Dr. Boothe.  Dr. Boothe will continue to serve on the committee as Immediate Past-Chair in an advisory, Ex-Officio position.

VI.  Old Business: 

IRS Filing Requirements: Dr. Smallwood reminded chapter representatives that effective with our fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, Phi Zeta is required to e-file form 990N, providing specific information about our Tax Exempt Organization.  With a June 30 ending to our fiscal year, Phi Zeta (and each of our chapters) must e-file our 990N by November 15.  The 990N e-forms necessary for compliance are available from the following website:       http://epostcard.form990.org/

If you have already filed for the 2008, you should be able to log in as an existing user; if not, you will have to enter your Chapter Tax ID #.  If you do not know your chapter’s Tax ID #, or need additional information, please contact Dr. Smallwood for assistance.  This is a very simple process, and can be completed in just a few minutes.

A.  Establishing Phi Zeta Chapters outside the US:  This matter has been discussed in the past, and some work has been done to extend Phi Zeta Chapters outside the US.  Presently, we have only one “international” chapter, the Alpha Delta Chapter at St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies.  Establishing chapters at Canadian schools has been explored in the past, but interest was never great enough at those schools to follow through with petitioning for a PZ Chapter to be established.

The idea of extending Phi Zeta Chapters to Canadian, European, and Australian schools reemerged at the meeting.  Following discussion regarding AVMA accredited vs. non-accredited schools, it was:

Moved/Seconded for our new President, Dr. Rhonda Pinckney, to contact AVMA accredited schools outside the US and invite them to establish chapters of PZ at those schools. 
Motion passed without dissent.

B.  Proposed Budget for 2009-2010: Secretary Smallwood presented a Proposed Budget for 2009-2010, which included an overview of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 Budgets, showing both projected and actual figures for those years (Attachment 3).  Using projections based on an initiation fee of $10.00, we could anticipate having about $2750 available for distribution to chapters without depleting our reserve funds.  This compares with $3200 distributed in 2007-08 and $3200 in 2008-09.

C.  Determination of 2008-2009 Level of Financial Support to Chapters:  As there were 16 chapters represented at the Seattle meeting, distribution of $2750 to those represented would amount to about $175.00 per chapter.

Moved/Seconded that the 16 chapters represented receive $175/chapter.  Motion Passed.

Secretary Smallwood will prepare and mail checks as directed: $175/chapter to the 16 chapters represented at the Seattle meeting; total distribution to be $2800.00.

D.  Nominations Committee Report:  Dr. Kathy Earnest-Koons submitted the following nominations:  President-Elect- Dr. Paige Carmichael, University of Georgia; Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. Ed Smallwood, NC State University.

E.  Election of Officers for 2009-2011:  No additional nominations were received from the floor.

Moved/Seconded: that Dr. Carmichael be elected President-Elect, and Dr. Smallwood continue for another term as Secretary-Treasurer.  Motion passed without dissent.

F.   Location of Phi Zeta Website:  Dr. McClure stated that he would like someone else to take over management of the Phi Zeta Website, which he established and has maintained at the University of Missouri for many years.  Following discussion, Dr. Pinckney said she would explore the possibility of moving the Phi Zeta website to St. George’s University.

G.  Passing of Gavel to President-Elect Rhonda Pinckney:  Dr. Bob McClure passed the gavel and Office of President to Dr. Rhonda Pinckney. President Pinckney noted that she looked forward to serving as our President for the next two years.

H.  Recognition of Past-President Bob McClure:

President Pinckney presented Dr. McClure with the Past-President’s Plaque, and Dr. McClure received a round of applause for his dedicated service as President for 2007-2009.

VIII.    Adjournment:  President Pinckney adjourned the meeting at 4:58 p.m.

Note: The next meeting of Phi Zeta will be held in conjunction with AVMA Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, August 1, 2010.