Doug Zook-Candidate for President of Internat. Symbiosis Society

[Jim White]

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From: Francisco Carrapico <F.Car...@fc.ul.pt>
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 17:49:52 +0000
To: <jwh...@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>
Subject: Fwd: Re: Elections ISS

Doug Zook's statement regarding his candidacy for president of the
International Symbiosis Society (excerpted from letter to Francisco
Carrapico in Portugal):

"I think that the sub-discipline of Symbiosis can emerge much further as a
recognized field in overall life science and medicine research communities.
It is time to consolidate the thousands of researchers around the world who
are working on symbiosis, albeit who are not necessarily thinking of the
overall discipline, and build bridges and linkages among that group. For
example, lichenologists often remain somewhat focused in their
lichenological society and need to be more welcomed into the full symbiosis
picture for exchanges, support, discussion. Researchers working on the
indigenous flora and fauna of human beings in the medical arena need to be
connected to the Society rather than isolated. Plant ecologists
specializing in symbiotic systems need to be supportive and more connected
to those working with the hermatypic coral symbiosis. Secondly, teachers at
the pre-college level and instructors/professors at the university and
college levels must be shown more directly, and more often how symbiosis can
be a dynanmic vehicle for life science curriculum...how in fact symbiosis
fosters interdisicplinary learning and thinking. Too often, the status quo
at all levels is one of teaching isolated subjects without connections to
other themes. Symbiosis is an ideal topic to link aspects of microbiology,
phycology, ecology, biochemistry, marine biology, and so on. I would seek
to move the ISS to be more involved in life science education, with a
particular focus on showing teachers/professors how Symbiosis can enrich
student learning and a greater appreciation of earth systems. Thirdly, I
would promote ISS to make a connective and ongoing contribution to global
issues involving biology. For example, symbiotic systems are actually a
basis of many of our ecosystems and even our biomes. One can argue that
certain symbiotic partners may even be keystone species. With this in mind,
there are potentially powerful bridges to the conservation biology
community. Specific activities I would seek to help meet these program
initiatives: 1. Ensure a regular and professional communications outreach
via a quality web site already established, a more dependable newsletter,
and continued strong collaboration with the journal Symbiosis. 2. The Web
site and possibly the newsletter would feature quarterly summary reports or
abstract summaries of selected symbiosis research work as gleaned from
indexes and direct member notification. 3. The symbiosis slide set that I
have been developing with contributions from more than a dozen members
worldwide would become a vehicle to support those teaching symbiosis now and
to promote the development and integration of more symbiosis themes,
curriculum and courses in the future. Having supportive visuals, I felt was
crucial toward building better presentations in Symbiosis. Now that Volume
One is about to be completed, made available and usued as well as a member
and funds-generating tool, the next year wwould see the development of a
volume two which would featur slides and summary accompanying narratives
from those important symbioses not covered in volume one. Projects such as
these help to unify an organizational effort, get lots of people involved,
and tend to make concrete direct contributions to education. 4. Seek
funding, including from NSF and private sources for the development of
symbiosis curriculum materials for pre-college and college use. I wrote a
proposal to support the development of the slide set project mentioned above
and received some support from the Foundation for Microbiology. In my
capacityt at Boston University, including directing the Microcosmos
education effort, I have written numerous science education grants,
including a few successes with NSF. I would seek to expand this kind of
grant initiative effort for specific symbiosis education outreach, as well
as for conferences. 5. Organize and actively promote the next International
Symbiosis Congress, with a particular attempt at making it as
"international" as possible. A goal would be to have symbiosis researchers
from as many countries as possible come together and I would seek
sponsorship from companies and foundations to "adopt" a researcher or
doctoral graduate student such that they could attend. 6. I would seek to
involve the ISS in promoting the development of a new, rich symbiosis text
or even series of books that could be sued to teach Symbiosis at the
University level. I feel there is a need for a comprehensive quality
symbiosis text. It will help to elevate the discipline and fulfill a real
need. 7. I would consider advocating for symbiosis field trips or learning
excursions which would be primarily for those in the Society or others
seriously involved and interested in Symbiosis. For example, a ten day or
two week travel excursion to New Zealand, where have I conducted many
programs, could be developed and include visits to hyperthermophile sites
relevant to the endosymbiitoic ancestry of the nucleocytoplasmic host,
temperate and alpine zone lichens, marine invertebrates symbioses such as
anemones there, and so on. Well, I will stop there, otherwise it may look
too overly ambitious!. I do not try to imply that magically the Society
can do all these things and everything happen smoothly and with great
vigour. I have courses to teach and a whole work agenda unreleated
directly to the Society, just as everyone else does. I do not seek to be
unrealistic! However, I would bring needed energy and time dedication to the
Society and seek to build an active, collegial effort about which members
can feel good."

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