Those who survived the airwars flying to and from Burlington, Vermont, found our stand-alone meeting an unqualified success and well worth airport madness. Don Ruch may well have presided over the most successful, mushroom-laden foray ever. The fact that the afternoon found most forayers (over 135 attended) flopped lazily on the grass lakeside, chatting amiably and renewing old friendships, only added to the pleasure. Faye Murrin’s well-organized program ran smoothly from Monday morning to Thursday noon, with all sessions and symposia highly informative and miraculously on time. The barbecue and Judi Ellzey’s highly successful auction, auctioneered by the rabble-rousing George Carroll (assisted by a hoarse Gary Samuels), was a perfect lead-in for a serene (above-decks) and enthusiastic (below decks) midnight cruise. A possible MSA first was the proposal of marriage on the middle deck of the Ethan Allen as it steamed through the islands of Lake Champlain. (She said yes.)

We bid an affectionate farewell to departing President Linda Kohn, Secretary Maren Klich, and Councilors Jo Taylor, David Porter, Chris Schardl, and Gary Samuels – their commendable hard work in the service of the Society is universally appreciated. In turn, we welcome incoming President Orson Miller, Vice-President John Taylor, Secretary Lorelei Norvell, and new Councilors Iris Chavrat, Rick Kerrigan, Jean Lodge, and Wendy Untereiner, who hope to continue the excellent work of their predecessors. –Lorelei Norvell

by Scott Redhead, Lorelei Norvell, Judy Roger, Elio Schaechter, and Tom Volk

At their annual meetings this year, both the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) and the Mycological Society of America (MSA) have agreed to cooperate on the establishment of and the mandate for a Commission on Common Mushroom Names for North America. The Commission will be established by both presidents, Allein Stanley (NAMA) and Orson Miller, Jr. (MSA). Outgoing MSA President Linda Kohn was instrumental in establishing a working ad hoc committee for MSA (now disbanded) that drafted the mandate and rationale. Ad hoc committee members were Scott Redhead (Chairperson), Lorelei Norvell, Judy Roger, Elio Schaechter, and Tom Volk. At present, the Commission members have not yet been appointed.
 

As interest in wild mushrooms has increased significantly in North America over the past 25 years, there has been a proliferation of field guides by reputable publishers. Standard among the field guides has been the application of common English names to the main species described and illustrated within.

Unfortunately, early authors lacked a necessary reference tool, a standardized list of common names from which to select. Because many North American species did not have "common" English names, non-Latin names were often created by the authors (or editors).

More unfortunately, current authors are not using names suggested by earlier authors, nor have they been consistent in their own usage. The 1975 An Index of the Common Fungi of North America: Synonymy and Common Names by Miller and Farr listed the common names used in North American field guides up to that time, but it has often been ignored in favor of creating more new common names and much confusion.

Three examples illustrating the instability of "common" mushroom names include:

Psathyrella candolleana is known as "Common Psathyrella," "Fringed Crumblecap," "Common Park Psathyrella," "Suburban Psathyrella," and "White Brittle-head." These contrast with "Stump Brittle-head," "Cone Brittle-head," "Dark Cone Psathyrella," and "Aspen Crumblecap," names that represent three (not four) other Psathyrella species whose identities can be determined only when a specific book is consulted for each case;

Pluteus cervinus is known as "Fawn Mushroom," "Deer Mushroom," "Fawn Pluteus," "The Deer Mushroom," and "Fawn Shield-cap." These contrast with "Small Deer Mushroom," "White Deer Mushroom," "Brownish Yellow Roof," "Yellow Pluteus," and "Flame Shield-cap," all of which represent five other Pluteus species and "Deer Mushroom" representing Ramaria aurea in other publications.

Astraeus hygrometricus is listed as "Water-measuring earth-star" in Miller & Farr, but was listed as the "Barometer Earthstar," "Water-measure Earthstar," "Barometer Earth Star," and "Hygroscopic Earthstar" in subsequent guides.

Publishers appear to be placing increasing stress on so-called common names in field guides; often, illustrations are labeled only by such common names, while in other texts, the species descriptions are headed by large font or boldface common names that precede less emphasized scientific names. In view of the inconsistencies among names and lack of available cross-referenced indices (anywhere in the world), common name usage is becoming more chaotic than scientific taxonomy+nomenclature (which itself appears to be in a state of flux). The resulting confusion leads almost inexorably to frustration – particularly in the neophyte – with a lessening of enjoyment among naturalists and a decreasing interest in mycology.

Scientific names follow formalized protocols that lead to a standardization of names. These protocols provide for cross indices (such as Index of Fungi, Petrak’s Lists, Saccardo’s Sylloge Fungorum, and Systema Mycologicum) as well as monographic treatments listing synonyms. On the vernacular front, however, there is no source to provide a cross-reference of the vernacular names coined during the last 25 years, nor is there any standard reference that a magazine author or editor can consult when that individual wishes to use an English name.

To fill this information vacuum, a Commission on Common Mushroom Names for North America has been approved. Models for this vernacular name commission are: (i) Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologist’s Union (which helped develop the American Birding Association’s "ABA Checklist"), and the Entolomological Society of America’s Committee on Common Names (which approved the ESA checklist of insect common names). By establishing an officially recommended list rather than a simple compilation of previously used names, it is hoped that the list will avoid the fate of earlier lists (such as Miller & Farr and Harper’s Mushroom Reference Guide & Check List).
 

a) To create, maintain, and update a publicly available list (database and hardcopy) of standardized, unique, recommended common (i.e., English vernacular) names. Such a list would be established for selected well-recognized or noteworthy endemic and naturalized North American macrofungi (e.g., agarics, boletes, chanterelles, coral fungi, puffballs, polypores, truffles, morels, cup fungi, stinkhorns, etc.). The purpose of the list would be to facilitate education and enjoyment by amateur mycologists and enhance precision in the popular literature.

Explanatory note: The intent of the list would be to stabilize names for conspicuous North American mushrooms, such as those now found in guides. Such a list is not intended to be comprehensive; almost all those polled thus far have indicated rather forcefully that not all fungi – or even all mushrooms – need common names. Additionally, it is not the intent to rename plant diseases or pathogens, or to name molds or fungal diseases of animals or fungal decay, etc., for which there are other interested parties and other sources of names.

b) To design a database that would – when feasible – (i) permit tracking alternative synonymous common names, (ii) accommodate flexibility for scientific taxonomic alternatives, (iii) provide for common names in other languages (particularly French and Spanish), and (iv) facilitate conversion to a WWW interface (linked to MSA/NAMA websites) and/or hardcopy periodic printouts [or otherwise stable, citable sources, e.g., CD, pamphlet, book).

Explanatory note: Although the intent is to create a stabilized unique list, it is recognized that as the transition period and time before general acceptance will be lengthy, cross-indexing will be more necessary and useful. It is additionally recognized that because alternative scientific theories (and resulting classifications) exist that are as yet unsettled, provisions need to be made for alternative/opposing scientific opinions. Also, it is recognized that the task of establishing the initial recommended list will be a daunting project. While the intent is primarily directed toward the continental USA and Canada, and therefore English-based, it is also recognized that especially in Canada and Mexico/Central America, fungal common names in both French and Spanish are used. For this reason, provisions should be made to accommodate fields for non-English names that might be used as the base for future subcommittees.

c) To coordinate the creation or approval of common names for scientifically recognized taxa, after consulting with scientific experts on specific taxonomic groups or ecological groupings.

Explanatory note: It is recognized that since commission members may lack compehensive expertise or have insufficient knowledge of some groups of fungi, and that other user groups may have already established a different set of names (either scientific or vernacular), input from these experts or groups should be sought in specific cases. As the purpose of the commission is primarily nomenclatural and not taxonomic in nature (although clearly taxonomic literature and taxonomists must be consulted), the commission ought not to impose taxonomic classifications on taxonomists in an active field of research.

d) To liaise and coordinate efforts with user groups (mycological clubs, naturalists, educational and regulatory government agencies, publishers, authors, educational institutes, etc.), and to build in feedback mechanisms for the generation of initial listings (and subsequent secondary lists) by devising mechanisms for seeking, receiving, and considering input on potential names.

Explanatory note: The intent is not to dictate name usage in a heavy-handed fashion, coin new names arbitarily nor cause dissension. Rather, the intent is to foster cooperation and consensus and to provide for correction or reconsideration of preliminary names before establishing a recommended name in cases where there are conflicts. Ultimately, the commission, which must decide upon specific cases, must be seen to be fair, above-board, and reasonable. It is envisaged that parts of the validation process will include (i) generation of interim lists for distribution to clubs and other interest groups for comment, (ii) distribution of penultimate lists for further challenge or correction, and (iii) only upon final approval by MSA and NAMA, release of a recommended list.

e) To report annually to both the MSA council and the NAMA board of trustees (providing interim reports if necessary), and to submit to both organizations the final recommendations for approval, and posting, publication, or release as MSA-NAMA officially recommended names.

Explanatory note: The intention is to obtain as broad an input as possible (given logistic and time constraints), to help build consensus, to have broad geographic and scientific appeal, and to instill confidence as well as authority. It is anticipated that the generation of the intial listing will take a minimum of two years.

f) To draft a set of recommendations (standards) on how common names should be coined (e.g., consistency between "gray" vs "grey", hyphen or no hyphen for compounds) similar to those standardized for common plant and bird names.

Establishment and maintainence of the Commission will proceed as follows:

a) Members are to be appointed by either the MSA Council following recommendations by the MSA President, or by the NAMA Board of Trustees following recommendations by the NAMA President, in the ratios outlined below. (Note: Although it is logical to assume that the MSA Council might consult its Liaison with Amateur Mycological Clubs & Societies Committee, or that the NAMA Board of Trustees might consult with its Inter-society Liaison Committee in making such appointments, these decisions are to be left to the respective executives.)

b) The Commission will consist of seven members: (i) two appointed independently by MSA, (ii) two appointed independently by NAMA, and (iii) three appointed jointly by both organizations. The quorum required for decisions (should all seven not be available) is to be five. The chairperson will be determined annually by the Commission members, subject to approval by both Presidents of MSA and NAMA. The chairship may be renewed or changed as is deemed best by the commission members.

c) Appointments will be for three years, with the exception that the first Commission members will serve for terms of three years (one each for MSA and NAMA), four years (one each for MSA and NAMA), and five years (the three jointly appointed members). Membership may be renewed following completion of terms. Additionally, members may be replaced by either appointing society for cause, or be replaced permanently, or by acting members, in exceptional cases. The exceptional nature of the start-up Commission is dictated by (i) recognition that the most difficult task of the Commission will be establishment of the first primary list (which in itself dictates the necessity for longer terms) and (ii) initiation of staggered terms for future commission appointments.

d) It is recommended that appointments be made taking into consideration geographic (i.e. regional) as well as scientific coverage. The Commission may recommend establishment of ad hoc subcommittees to address special cases or problems, with the understanding that those who serve in such capacity are to be acknowledged in any subsequent publications along with the permanent members.

from Reinhard Agerer^l, Joe Ammirati², Timothy J Baroni³, Paul Blanz⁴, Régis Courtecuisse⁵, Dennis E Desjardin⁶, Walter Gams⁷, Nils Hallenberg⁸, Roy Halling⁹, David L. Hawksworth¹⁰, Egon Horak¹¹, Richard P Korf¹², Greg M Mueller¹³, Franz Oberwinkler¹⁴, Gerhard Rambold¹⁵, Richard C Summerbell⁷, Dagmar Triebel¹⁶, Roy Watling¹⁷

To help minimize the invalid publication of newly proposed scientific names of fungi, Korf (1995) provided advice on how to guarantee valid publication and offered a few simple guidelines for authors, reviewers, and editors. He regretted that "unfortunately, many of the errors are committed by highly respected mycologists and published in thoroughly respectable journals." He also emphasized that "although the ultimate responsibility for publishing correct names lies with authors, clearly, reviewers and editors are shirking their duties to advise authors of such errors prior to publication."

In order to be validly published, names must be introduced according to requirements of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN; Greuter et al. 1994, 2000). Since 1990 it has been compulsory to deposit vouchers for new species and infraspecific taxa – the name-bearing types – in an herbarium or other collection. It is generally accepted that such voucher specimens should be deposited in publicly accessible reference collections like herbaria.

However, voucher collections are necessary not only when new fungi are described; they should be cited and deposited during any type of scientific research, whether it be conducted by taxonomist, systematist, physiologist, chemist, molecular biologist, pathologist, ecologist, clinician – in fact, by anyone studying an organism scientifically. For all research it is essential that vouchers be retained, either as dried material or as permanently preserved living cultures. When no original research material is preserved, confirmation of the investigated taxon cannot be confirmed.

Should a species concept of an organism change, it is critical to be able to reidentify that organism at a later time. There are several examples where what was originally believed to represent a single species is now recognized as a species complex, because the species concept has been (or will be) changed [eg., Pisolithus tinctorius (Burgess et al. 1995) and Paxillus involutus (Fries 1985, Hahn & Agerer 1999)]. In such cases, reexamination of voucher material is essential for determining precisely which organism was originally studied so that early work can remain relevant to future research.

In recent years, molecular biological studies have had a tremendous impact on systematics, taxonomy, and ecology. DNA sequences are frequently obtained from fungal cultures, but all too often, neither complete citation of the source fungal material (e.g., unique voucher collection or culture number), nor reference to the institution where the material has been deposited, is provided. When sequences from GenBank are cited, either strain numbers are omitted entirely or only personal/individual laboratory strain numbers are given, making it difficult to trace the origin of the fungal material. It is not yet common practice to publish complete collection or isolation data, or to deposit vouchers, except in taxonomic articles, despite the fact that only accession numbers allocated by permanent public or other institutional collections can ensure the retrieval of voucher material over the long term.

Conservation of dried fruitbodies from which cultures are made is also indispensable in order to allow investigation of anatomical and morphological features that cannot be reproduced in culture. The cultures also can be checked using molecular methods after prolonged preservation, in order to exclude the possibility of contamination. While it is rarely possible to culture fungi from dried specimens, the associated collection details are indispensable not only to clarify the geographical and ecological source, but also to facilitate the possibility of recollecting the fungus in the same site. This requires as detailed and as exact a description of the sampling locality as possible, preferably including geographic coordinates something now facilitated by handheld or wristband global positioning devices.

Voucher specimens are equally important for a wide range of other investigations. Dennis’s (1960: xxii) remark that "records that cannot be verified are mere waste paper" applies to numerous aspects of our discipline. Studies of the species composition of any habitat depend on properly determined fungi, and so will require dried vouchers deposited in publicly accessible collections. This applies, for example, not only to fruitbodies, but indeed to all fungal structures (such as sclerotia or ectomycorrhizae, cf. Agerer 1991) used in scientific work. Ecological, chemical, applied, and physiological studies quite often rely on ecotypes of species that might later be considered – depending upon the species concepts applied – as separate species. In the seventies, Hawksworth (1974), Yocum & Simons (1977), and Ammirati (1979) were among the first to point out the importance of voucher material, particularly in chemical (but also in physiological and ecological) studies. In ecological studies on ectomycorrhizae, the increasing use made of RFLP patterns or DNA sequences for the detection of the symbionts requires comparison with those of identified fruitbodies. In many studies, the identified ectomycorrhizae have been completely consumed by the extraction and amplification methods. Voucher specimens must be retained, particularly when individual tips of a larger hyphal system have been used. Even more important is citation and preservation of the fruitbody from which DNA was extracted for comparison with the ectomycorrhizal DNA.

Voucher cultures are urgently needed when clinicians investigate potentially toxic fungi with an eye to evaluating the etiologic data and their impact on humans (de Hoog & Guého 1985). Furthermore, in instances where cultural or chemical features are crucial for evaluating newly described fungi such as yeasts, nonavailability of cultures can make interpretation impossible and frustrate other researchers (Banno et al. 1993, Hawksworth 1984). It is essential for future research that authors provide enough information on clinical direct microscopy or histopathology results to determine whether an isolate was medically significant or a biomedical contaminant. When reporting on diseases caused by apparently exotic fungi, authors are strongly urged to include a brief notation of relevant patient travel history.

Additional documentation is needed for strains deposited in the major fungal culture collections, such as ATCC (American Type Culture Collection), CBS (Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures), or IMI (CABI Bioscience); fortunately, these and other culture collections generally provide forms that guide depositors through the documentation process. In these major culture collections, cultures that are safely stored using cryo-preservation methods may be revived at any time. For sporulating fungi, citation of the allocated accession number is generally sufficient to ensure reproducibility of scientific results, and thus confirm the identity of the species studied. Unfortunately, comparison with "wild" (noncultured) material is only possible when the original collection or isolation information is provided.

A completely different situation arises when cultures are sterile and cannot be identified using normal methods. Here preservation of voucher material is particularly important, as is precise citation of all collection and herbarium data; vouchers and adequate collections data enable detection of possible misidentifications and permit application of new species concepts and/or collections of new living material.

The Index Herbariorum (Holmgren, Holmgren & Barnett 1990) and the World Directory (Sugawara et al. 1993) supply addresses of recognized herbaria and microbial culture collections, respectively. These volumes also provide the accepted acronyms that are used to identify the herbaria and collections in scientific publications. The collections cited in these volumes ensure that material in their care is well-curated and properly preserved; these institutions will usually loan dried material free of charge (subject to certain requirements). While long-term maintenance of private herbaria cannot be assured, nearly all the international herbaria and other recognized institutions that house fungi will warmly accept properly dried and documented fungal material. Living cultures are normally supplied for a charge, to cover the cost of preparation and carriage, again subject to particular regulations governing a particular institution. The restrictions and regulations surrounding obtaining specimens or cultures on loan vary, but are readily available in catalogs or on websites.

It is unfortunate that recently, falsification of data (particularly in some publications dealing with human cancer research) has set tongues wagging in the scientific community. A fundamental scientific principle requires that all research must be reproducible. In our research, reproducibility requires that research of a given organism can be conducted using the same dried material or culture that is used in the original study. Consequently, papers that do not provide an unambiguous reference to the location where critical study material can be obtained by later researchers should not be accepted for publication. Such papers are of limited or no scientific value, because the studies they report on cannot be repeated. As editors and referees in all aspects of mycology are often confronted with such situations, it is necessary to include advice for the deposition of voucher material in instructions for authors (e.g., Hawksworth 2000) and to regard this as a prerequisite for publication.

All scientists are responsible for their results. This responsibility lies not only in relation to the scientific community, but also in relation to those who support their research - the taxpayer, charities, funding agencies, and ultimately, society at large. The general public expects integrity from the scientific community. It is the responsibility of individual scientists, referees, and editors to rigorously apply the highest standards and make every effort to ensure that published research will be reproducible. Reproducibility in mycology is irrevocably and inextricably connected to the unequivocal citation of voucher specimens and cultures.

This is my last "Letter from the President" message and my first as an MSA Past President. The Annual MSA Meeting is now behind us (and plans are well underway for next year’s meeting in Salt Lake City with APS  again with a full roster of exciting symposia). Several people worked hard on the meeting, and I want to thank them here in print. Faye Murrin is grace-under-pressure personified, having produced the most intelligent organization of a packed program imaginable. We have been good friends for ages and we’ve survived the 2000 MSA Annual Meeting. I also thank Don Ruch and Robert Resnik, our MSA and local foray coordinators, respectively. I took the chance to thank Robert personally at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival in Burlington on August 6; Robert does a highly esteemed show on Vermont Public Radio, is a folk musician himself, and was one of the Festival organizers. Tom Volk was our unofficial, official meeting photographer. The Conference Services staff at the University of Vermont, notably Meg Boera  and also Lora Phillips were everywhere in evidence and ready to help. Lastly, Maren Klich expertly prepared materials for the Council and Business Meetings.

Some meeting follow-up: there were well over 300 attendees, 75 student presentations, with a strong showing of students and postdocs (including all student award-winners) and the MSA auction and T-shirt-jewelry-cookbook sales raised a record $6,631.60. (Remembering the 16 student mentor travel award winners on the podium at the Breakfast and Business Meeting  give generously to our Mentor Travel Funds!) The program was ample, varied, and of high quality. I particularly enjoyed the Karling Lecture. Ira Herskowitz shared an elegant process of discovery based on critical thinking and classical genetics. The result has been deep understanding of yeast mating with resonance for mating processes in all fungi. We appreciated his participation in discussions during several symposia, and his willingness to participate so fully in our meeting. Those of us who stayed on for symposia on Thursday morning were well-rewarded – the moral is, stay to the end of the meeting!

The Annual MSA Meeting in Burlington capped an eventful and interesting year. I was able to meet with my successor, Orson Miller, for some substantial discussions. I am confident that the Society will be moving forward, and I look forward to the coming year as your Past President. Thanks to all of you who contributed to the activities of the MSA this year; continue to do so, and consider initiating new activities!
 
 
 

We have concluded a very successful meeting in Vermont, made so by the great efforts of our Past President, Linda Kohn, and the hard working Program and Endowment Committees. An outstanding Karling Lecture was delivered by Dr Ira Herskowitz. Two very deserving mycologists, Drs Ron Petersen and Jan Kohlmeyer, were the Distinguished Mycologists for 2000, and we named the very accomplished Dr Amy Rossman as our first Fellow of the Mycological Society. The recipient of the Weston Award for excellence in teaching was Dr Carlos Betancourt. Dr David Hibbett received the Alexopoulos Prize, and Dr Wendy Untereiner received the Martin-Baker award. The Society also voted to elect Dr David Read as an Honorary Member.

In addition, it was a pleasure to see the 16 recipients of student travel awards lined up, and to know that we had a hand in making it possible for them to attend the meeting. The student oral presentations were very impressive, as were the numerous posters. All this makes for a bright future for mycology. The two oral presentation winners, Leah Cowen and Cathie Aime, and two poster winners, Merlin White and Jennifer Anderson, did so despite stiff competition. The two MSA Fellowship recipients were Leah Cowan and Jutta Buschbom. Steve Trudell was the NAMA (North American Mycological Association) award winner, Paulo Ceresini was the Backus award winner, and Else Vellinga received the Smith research award. I must also compliment the chairpersons, who kept the sections on schedule. Gee, those coffee breaks are really essential!

It is also a time of transition, with the term of Editor-In-Chief by Dave Griffin ending after five years. His guidance and work in producing the high quality journal that we have, should be acknowledged by everyone. Dave, a solid vote of thanks from all of us MSA members! The issues are on time, and the flow of manuscripts are handled with skill and promptness. He has certainly turned the journal over, in great shape, to the capable hands of Dr Joan Bennett. I must also compliment Dr Maren Klich for the great job that she has done as Secretary. The coming of the e-mail age has made the flow of the written word continual and plentiful, but it was all handled so very well by Maren. Thanks, Maren, from all of us!

A very successful auction and a delightful night cruise on the lake left everyone with great memories of Vermont. I sense a very positive attitude on the part of a membership dedicated to the promotion of mycology and to the younger generation, which has so many golden opportunities in this era of major advances in all fields including mycology. The coming year will again require effort from all of us to meet the obligations of the Society and of our profession. I know I really appreciate the work of committee members, councilors, and the officers of the Society. I look forward to working with all of you and to a very successful year. Meanwhile I can daydream about the beauty of the Lake Champlain region and the lovely campus – a great setting for the year 2000 MSA meeting!
 

Welcome to our annual Post-meeting/Awards/Minutes/Annual Report "workhorse" issue! We trust that by now you’ve noticed quite a few more photos than usual (close to 100) sprinkled throughout these pages. The Society really "owes" Webmaster Tom Volk, who used his new Nikon digital camera to take hundreds of Vermont photos. (At right, we’ve sneaked in a photo of a happy couple who had the foresight to become engaged on the Ethan Allen cruise in the presence of our "unofficial official" MSA photographer…) The photos (including many shared by other generous folks) are placed liberally throughout, giving a face to our Society hard at work and play. (Reports really do become a whole lot more interesting when you see who’s written them!) We also have an Inoculum first: pictures of ALL awardees. Nonetheless, even with so many photos, many hard-working folks remain unseen – either because they skulked around the camera’s lens or were captured in less than flattering poses. All you who have participated during the last year should give yourselves a collective pat on the back.

DEADLINE: The ABSOLUTE deadline for the last issue of 2000 is October 15! As usual, written and graphic contributions are welcomed. A couple of caveats: (i) Please send graphics files separately (do not embed in the body of a text document). (ii) PLEASE do NOT forward information without removing all the ">>" marks. (iii) And the current Editor (and indubitably Future Editor Don Ruch) will consider Editorial Life a success if she never again sees a sea of forwarded unstructured print accompanied by the thoughtful message, "maybe you’d like to write a short version of this to include in Inoculum…"
 

Inadvertently omitted from Dr Roy Watling’s excellent overview of the Liverpool BMS Millennium Tropical Mycology Symposium was citation of TerraGen Ltd as a sponsor of the prestigious meeting. We apologize for the oversight and commend TerraGen for agreeing to sponsor such an important mycological event.

Steve Carpenter discovered too late an uncompleted sentence in his review of "The Hypocrea schweinitzii complex…" (Inoculum 51(4): 10-11). The last sentence in the second paragraph on page 11 should read, "Species concepts are based on microscopic, cultural and genetic characters."

MSA DISTINCTIONS

Preface to these tributes: I (Linda Kohn) have borrowed heavily from the wonderful letters supporting these nominations. Ron, Jan, Carlos, Amy, and David: you are supported by loyal students and colleagues who recognize and appreciate your talents! Those of you who contributed letters: I hope that you do not mind my rather free use of your perceptive and moving words.

2000 Distinguished Mycologist ~ Jan Justus Kohlmeyer
 

Jan Kohlmeyer’s name is synonymous with marine mycology, a field that he discovered in his early research years and has developed over his career, stimulating a field of mycological research –– really a diversity of research in marine and estuarine habitats. Following completion of his doctoral dissertation at the Free University in Berlin, Dr Kohlmeyer accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Testing of Materials in Berlin. In the course of this project, he discovered marine fungi on wood blocks that had been placed in aquaria with shipworms. From then on he has continued to reveal the diversity of fungi that exist in marine habitats, now having described 149 new species, 50 new genera, 4 new families and 3 new orders. He is curator of the Herbarium and Culture Collection of the Institute of Marine Sciences, which houses 6,000 substrate-bearing marine fungi and over 15,000 permanent microscope slides – the largest collection of marine fungi in the world. He is always generous about sharing these resources, sending these difficult-to-maintain species throughout the world.

Dr Kohlmeyer’s research output now includes 158 publications and four books. The definitive book in the area, Marine Mycology: The Higher Fungi (1979) by Jan and Erika Kohlmeyer, is apparently now out of print. Many other publications are easily available, of course – for example, a 1991 publication by Jan and Brigitte Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, Illustrated key to the filamentous higher marine fungi (Bot. Mar. 34: 1-61). This is a wonderful, easy-to-use tool for marine microbial ecologists.

Jan Kohlmeyer’s microphotographs of marine fungi are truly spectacular. His technique for making high-quality, permanent slides using a double cover glass is a mainstay for most mycologists. Jan Kohlmeyer, along with Erika Kohlmeyer and later, Dr Brigitte Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, has also produced highly detailed drawings – true works of art, yet precise scientific illustrations.

A colleague writes, "Jan has a contagious enthusiasm (to this day) that easily infects students.… Without his work on systematics and accompanying ecology, my own research would have been more difficult and less effective. Jan’s beautiful, meticulous descriptions of marine fungi, and his well-constructed keys, have greatly facilitated my work throughout my career. The availability of Jan’s publications was absolutely indispensable to me, as it was and will be to all microbial ecologists working with eukaryotic mycelial decomposers in marine environments."

He is still working hard to produce new and valuable information on the biodiversity of fungi of coastal systems. His latest project has been to describe the active mycoflora of black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus), a major primary producer of southeastern US salt marshes. He and Brigitte Volkmann-Kolmeyer have found an amazingly diverse community of ascomycetes and mitosporic fungi in a system that was virtually undescribed. He is publishing a series of papers describing them –– over 100 fungal species, most of which are host specific and new to science. He will soon embark on a similar campaign to fill in the gaps in our knowledge of the systematics of the smooth-cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora, along with black needlerush, the other of the two principal marsh grasses of the southeastern US).

Dr Kohlmeyer’s success in discovering and understanding the systematics and ecology of marine fungi has been, in part, due to his persistence in collecting throughout the world. Picture him standing, half-immersed in sea water, fighting off biting insects and swimming snakes while searching mangrove roots for microscopic ascomycetes.

For fostering a whole branch of mycological research, we honor Dr Jan Kohlmeyer as a Distinguished Mycologist.

To the members of the Mycological Society of America

It is with deep gratitude that I have received the most prestigious award the Mycological Society of America can bestow. I thank the friends and colleagues who nominated me and wrote supporting letters as well as the members of the Distinctions Committee for selecting me as a recipient of the Distinguished Mycologist Award.

In 1956, when I found my first marine fungus in saltwater aquaria in the basement of a Berlin laboratory, I could not foresee that these fascinating and beautiful organisms would become the main objects of study throughout my career. I was, actually, strongly discouraged by my boss from even looking at them, because he wanted me to work on terrestrial taxa. Had I not insisted on investigating and collecting marine species in my free time, my future would have unfolded in a very different way. My first papers on marine fungi resulted in invitations to the USA, first to the Friday Harbor Laboratories of the University of Washington (1959/60) where Daniel Stuntz was a gracious host during frequent visits to the main campus, and later to the Duke Marine Lab (1963/64) where Terry Johnson (a former Editor of Mycologia) had invited me. Further life-changing decisions were made when I gave up a position as curator for fungi at the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Museum, rejected an offer for a job at the Marine Institute in Bremerhaven, and moved permanently to the United States by accepting a position at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University of North Carolina, where I am still doing research. Outsiders often marvel at the glorious travel destinations of a marine mycologist: Bermuda, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Fiji, the Great Barrier Reef, or Thailand, to name just a few. But envy soon fades when you mention the usual working conditions, such as climbing through a labyrinth of barnacle-covered proproots in swampy mangals, being attacked by biting flies, mosquitoes, and sting rays, standing for hours in the hot sun while lifting heavy coral slabs, trying to sleep while the mutton birds under your cabin are wailing the night away, or answering "Mother Nature's call" in the ocean because the marine sanctuary does not permit bathrooms (nor toilet paper!). But finding the most exciting and beautiful marine fungi in those places has been worth all the nuisances...

and still is, considering the many itchy spots the needle-sharp Juncus leaves have left on my hands and arms in recent years. And last, but not least, I wish to acknowledge two people without whose understanding, cooperation, and renouncement I could not have fulfilled my life's dream –– my spouses and teammates, Erika and Brigitte.
 

During an academic career that is nearing 40 years, Ron has established a long and distinguished record of mycological research, including more than 250 articles on systematics, nomenclature, phylogeny, mating studies, the history of botany, and natural history. These include three monographs or regional monographs on clavarioid fungi; he has authored seven books, notably Evolution in the Higher Basidiomycetes (1971) and The New Harp of Columbia (a shaped-note tunebook) (1978). Ron is a true Renaissance man.

Ron has garnered grant support from diverse sources, including pharmaceutical companies; his PEET grant from NSF has been renewed for another five years to continue his training of doctoral students for careers in mycology.

Ron has trained a fine group of PhDs and Post Doctoral Associates. He has directed sixteen PhD and seven MSc degree students. He has the ability to draw students into mycology. As a result, the Mycological Society of America’s mycological "family tree" is beginning to show a conspicuous bulge around Ron’s "academic children." These students are one of his greatest legacies.

Ron has served the Highlands Biological Station for many years (Executive Committee, Vice President, and President of the Foundation), and has served on the editorial boards of Persoonia, Mycotaxon, and the Nordic Journal of Botany. He has played an active role in mycological forays and mushroom shows, presented lectures and workshops to amateur and professional societies, and identified fungi for poison control centers in the southeastern United States.

Ron has served the MSA in many positions, notably in the top executive jobs –– Editor-in-Chief in 1985-1990 and President in 1993-94. Who can forget Ron’s Presidential Address in Vancouver, when the projector failed and could not be replaced for 30 minutes? Pointing to a blank screen, indicating where one might have seen something, and what one might have seen, and yet still clearly, forcefully, and believably, he drew the audience along, both entertained and with great admiration. It was a shining moment (dulled only by the arrival of the projector light).

In the words of one of his supporting letters, "Ron has much more to contribute to mycology, but for now we should present him with the Distinguished Mycologist Award and see what awaits us."

How to say Thanks…

I admit I felt a tad deprived when bestowed the Distinguished Mycologist Award at Burlington but not asked to say a few words. After all, I had spent some scattered moments forming and massaging the thoughts I wanted to communicate.

First of all, it is a real privilege to love one’s profession (known to others as "job"), and to perform it in an academic institution. Relatively immune to the vicissitudes of the economy (read: "the university is always broke"), relatively secure to explore and express (read: "tenure"), and rewarded for living out what others only dream (i.e., the constantly unfolding whodunit, worldwide travel, etc.), it seems somehow unfair to be honored for a career I wouldn’t have missed for the world.

Second, this and other awards are not democratic processes. An organizer, some kind seconding letter writers, and the Awards Committee comprise a small minority of the membership. All those folks at the business meeting, to say nothing of all the non-attending members, acquiesced, and while I hope they unanimously concurred, it would have been only a small surprise had someone risen during all those pretty words, shouting "Hey – wait a minute!" In short, my image of myself and my career, for reasons buried in my childhood, does not rise to the honor bestowed.

Bottom line. Many thanks to those who wrote on my behalf, to the scores of graduate students who have enriched my life, to my wonderful life and research partner for her role as "the better half" of our research, and to the Society members (some of whom I have enjoyed for twice as long as the entire lives of Travel Award recipients) for their cheerful acquiescence and kind words surrounding this award. An enormous milestone in my life.
 

The Distinguished Mycologist, one of the highest awards to be bestowed by the MSA, is intended to mark a distinguished career. It is awarded annually to one who is considered outstanding in his or her myycological career, Previous Distinguished Mycologists.

1999 ~ Richard T Hanlin, Ian K Ross

1998 ~ George L Barron

1997 ~ Orson K Miller, Jr

1996 ~ I Brent Heath, John Rippon

1995 ~ Karl Esser, Bryce Kendrick

1994 ~ Salomon Bartnicki-Garcia, Robert L Gilbertson

1993 ~ Richard K Benjamin, Charles E Bracker

1992 ~ Margaret Barr Bigelow, Melvin S Fuller

1991 ~ Richard P Korf, Robert W Lichtwardt

1990 ~ Emory G Simmons, Harry D Thiers

1988 ~ DBO Savile

1987 ~ Horace L Barnett, John S Karling

1986 ~ Mildred K Nobles, Rolf Singer

1985 ~ Stanley J Huges, Josiah L Lowe

1984 ~ Ross W Davidson, Charles Drechsler

1983 ~ Roy F Cain, Everett S Luttrell

1982 ~ Liberto Ajello, Chester W Emmons, Clifford W Hesseltine, Alexander H Smith

1981 ~ Constantine J Alexopoulos, John N Couch, George Cummins, Lindsay Olive, Kenneth B Raper

Dr Betancourt, of the University of Puerto Rico and the Recito Universitario de Mayaguez, has been a Professor since 1987.

Dr Betancourt graduated with a BS in Biology from the Universidad Nacional, Bogota, Colombia, in 1965. He began teaching at the Universidad de Puerto Rico in 1966 while working toward an MS (awarded in 1968), and he has been teaching there with a few breaks ever since. He was awarded a PhD in Mycology from Iowa State University in 1981.

Letters from colleagues and students received in support of Dr Betancourt's nomination for the Westin Award were exceptionally warm and enthusiastic.

Two University colleagues write:

"We know how much time and effort he has put to the development of mycology here in Puerto Rico. We called him the father of most mycologists here in the island. Dr Betancourt has been a major professor for 40 graduate students... All of his former graduate students are now professors, pharmaceutical supervisors, or very highly qualified professionals working in several institutions. He has trained many undergraduate students as well those who are working in federal agencies."

Another colleague writes:

"From the very start of his master’s studies in 1966, we realized what a good teacher, researcher and exceptional scientist he is.… Dr Betancourt was back on the Mayguez Campus in 1981, involving himself in teaching and research. A small research laboratory was established, mainly due to his unceasing effort.… It is truly remarkable that from such modest beginnings a long list of students were able to do their master’s thesis research for so many years.… Never before have a few square feet rendered such prolific work as Dr Betancourt's laboratory."

A typical letter from a former student (now in the mainland US working on a PhD) says it best:

"A few years ago, I found myself seated in a classroom the first day of classes waiting to hear the first lecture of a course called ‘Medical Mycology’.… I did not know what to expect because it was the first time I would be in contact with fungi. The professor strode, suddenly, to the front of the classroom and started to talk about an amazing group of organisms that play a vital role in the ecosystem. The name of the professor was Dr Carlos Betancourt, and he was incredible, walking among the students and sharing his enthusiasm with everyone.… He complemented his lecture with visuals that you would not forget. He was the most active professor I had ever seen, calling students by their names and challenging them to participate in class and to think.… What is still vivid is his presence and the tone of his voice trying to point out how important fungi are in every aspect of our daily life. After I finished my Bachelor's degree, I talked to Dr Betancourt about my chances of becoming one of his graduate students, and he said yes even when he already had seven graduate students. By the beginning of the new school year, he had eleven graduate students, everyone working in different areas of mycology. During those years I learned new aspects of fungal biology, ecology, and genetics, and also came to know the amazing human being behind Dr Betancourt. He was not only a professor, he was a mentor, a friend, and a father to me. He was always available to help people, even graduate students from other areas, and never gave ‘no’ for an answer. His working hours started at 6:30 am, and you could find him at 7:00 pm helping someone or just cheering someone up. Several times I was the one receiving the invigorating words. After I finished my Master’s degree, Dr Betancourt encouraged me to pursue a PhD. I rather preferred to work for a while, and he helped me to find a job in the pharmaceutical industry.… After a year various positions were posted at the UPR-Mayaguez, and Dr Betancourt recommended some of his former students. I was one of them. He then became my mentor again and was the motor that helped me decide to pursue a PhD."

Another student writes:

"He has been the greatest professor I’ve ever had. His influence on me was so strong that up to that moment my plans in life were directed towards medical school, however they were drastically changed thanks to Dr Bentancourt. He made me realize that microbiology was really the field that I love. In conclusion, I can say that Dr Betancourt is a great scientist, a wonderful human being, and a professor who really cares about his students. Thanks to him, I was able to discover what I really wanted for my career. I hope to follow in his footsteps as a professor of the University of Puerto Rico.…"

Dr Betancourt writes, "I have been teaching for over 30 years, and this is the best thing that I could ever do."

For his exceptional teaching and mentorship, it is no wonder his classes are always full and he is remembered so fondly by former students. He is also a most congenial colleague. Congratulations to Dr Betancourt on receiving the William H Weston Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The William H Weston Award for Excellence in Teaching is awarded annually to an outstanding teacher of mycology. It should be noted that if none of the nominees meets the standards of excellence acceptable to the committee, an award is not made. Previous Weston Recipients:

1999 ~ Walter J Sundberg

1998 ~ Dennis Desjardin, Larry Grand

1996 ~James Kimbrough, Michael Tansey

1995 ~ George Carroll

1994 ~ John W Taylor

1993 ~ Thomas Leonard

1992 ~ Jack D Rogers

1991 ~ Martha Christensen

1990 ~ CJK Wang

1989 ~ Orson K Miller, Jr

1988 ~ Charles W Mims

1987 ~ Ian K Ross

1986 ~ Richard T Hanlin, Don E Hemmes

1984 ~Everett S Beneke

1983 ~Constantine J Alexopoulos

1982 ~Robert W Lichtwardt, Harry D Thiers

1981 ~Edward E Butler

1980 ~Lois H Tiffany

Dr Rossman is a Research Leader at the Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory and Director of the US National Fungus Collections at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland.

In the nearly 25 years since Amy obtained her PhD (at Oregon State University), she has become an International Scientist of the highest caliber. Her achievements include:

– Transformation of the United States National Fungus Collections into a modern "e-herbarium" and research institution.

– Transformation of the Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory under her leadership. This is due to Amy’s personal enthusiasm and her ability to get funding from the administration. For example, as a Research Leader and one of a small handful of female RLs in the Agricultural Research Service, Amy has pushed for new positions in the systematics of smut fungi. She pushed for and achieved a new ARS position, with a new molecular lab and a technician.

– Improved accessibility to real, useful bibliographic information for all. As Research Leader at SBML, Amy envisioned, championed, and obtained financial support for preparation of bibliographic works that are now standard. These include Literature Guide for the Identification of Plant Pathogenic Fungi, an APS Press bestseller, and the monumental work, Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States. This latter book is now in its second printing at APS Press and is used worldwide as the authoritative reference both for plant-associated fungi and for taxonomically correct names of fungi and plants. Under Amy's influence, information about plants and plant diseases can be obtained free from BPI's specimen and literature databases at http://nt.ars-grin.gov/

– Interpretation of the ecological and economic importance of fungi to high-level USDA policy makers, scientists who are not mycologists, and members of Congress. This is summed up by Prof Dan Janzen who recalled, "...it did not take me more than a couple of hours of meeting Amy Rossman way back about 1990 to decide that when we moved to do the full fungal inventory of the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, the ATBI of the ACG, THAT would be the person who I wanted to gather and plan and coordinate the effort." As another supporter of Amy's nomination wrote, "Amy is a tireless advocate for the importance of fungi in agriculture, the environment, and in the study of ecosystems."

– An outstanding record in systematics research. A supporting letter states "I know of no administrator who can point to a more distinguished set of research results produced while administering a major group of scientists. Her energy seems to have been inexhaustible." Amy's lifelong scientific passion has been the systematics of the Hypocreaceae. She has produced substantial taxonomic monographs of Calonectria, the phragmosporous Nectria species, the bitunicate Hypocreales, and Tubeufia. The 1983 work on phragmosporous Nectria species was innovative - showing a deep understanding of the organisms gleaned from collecting them in the tropics and culturing them, then observing their anamorphs in culture, and, finally, building species concepts on correlated, rather than single, characters. Her revised concept of Calonectria has been successfully tested time and time again with molecular characters - a phylogenetic genus concept achieved before DNA sequencing was dreamed of! Her most significant taxonomic publication to date is Genera of Bionectriaceae, Hypocreaceae, and Nectriaceae (Hypocreales, Ascomycetes) (Rossman et al. 1999). Co-authors were proud to be associated with this work and acknowledge Amy for her leadership in the project. Today, Amy is deeply involved in the ongoing discussion about how anamorphs should be viewed and classified. She is also a serious student of molecular phylogenetics.

The MSA has been like a home and family to Amy, where she developed as a student of the fungi into a mentor and international leader in mycology. She has assumed and worked effectively in many official and elected capacities in the Society, including Treasurer (1983-1986) and President in 1995. As well, she has served directly as an MSA representative to international organizations, and indirectly as a mycologist on American Phytopathological Society and Association of Systematics Collections committees and boards.

Congratulations to Amy Rossman on being selected the first Mycological Society of America Fellow. She is an excellent research scientist, a booster for Mycology, an outstanding communicator, an effective and visionary leader, a dynamic role model and mentor to the younger generation, and a devoted and active member of the MSA. It is difficult to think of another mycologist who has contributed so broadly to Mycology in the FIRST 25 years of a career.

The MSA Fellow Award is given to a "mid-career" mycologist on the basis of quality, originality, and quantity of published research and on the basis of service to MSA or to the field of mycology in general.

Previous MSA Fellows:

Amy is the very first one!

Dr Hibbett is currently Assistant Professor of Biology at Clark University in Worchester, Massachusetts.

Since completing his PhD in 1991 at Duke University with Rytas Vilgalys, David has had an incredibly productive career in mycology and evolutionary biology. There is little doubt that he is already one of the leading figures in the field, one whose star is rising. As one of his supporting letters puts it, "I am not exaggerating if I say that David possesses a renaissance-like understanding of many of today’s key issues in evolutionary biology."

David’s dissertation was on the evolutionary relationships of Lentinus to the Polyporaceae. David then completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in Japan at the Tottori Mycological Institute. His project allowed him to develop new skills for studying fungal development and understanding the evolution of form in fungi. The opportunity to study in Japan also provided him a valuable opportunity to develop some very interesting projects on the biogeography of fungi. Part of David’s interest in Japanese studies stems from his own Japanese roots. The Lentinoid fungi include at least two species (Shiitake and the oyster mushroom), which are both widely cultivated in Japan. The work coming out of his first post-doc experience is top rate (and exquisitely illustrated with scanning electron micrographs), perhaps even superceding his thesis work.

Since 1993, David has generated and analyzed an enormous quantity of sequence data on a wide array of basidiomycetes. This reflects his exceptional dedication to research and his organizational skills. Michael Donoghue describes him as "one of the most well-rounded systematists I have ever known. His background in basic mycology is very strong, and his knowledge of the morphology and ontogeny of basidiomycetes is deep.… He also turns out to be a great field person, which I know, because we collected together in 1997."

David is knowledgeable and concerned about the phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular evidence. His dissertation research culminated in a careful analysis of separate and combined datasets. He has continued to lead the way in the thoughtful analysis of all sorts of character evidence and the evolution of morphological and molecular attributes (see the paper on fruit body form in basidiomycetes in PNAS in 1997). David’s work on Shiitake in relation to conservation of genetic diversity, published in Conservation Biology, is an outstanding example of how phylogenies can highlight and help solve conservation problems. Currently, David is doing very exciting analysis of the evolution of wood decay strategies.

In the last seven years, David has been in steady demand as an invited speaker for just about every symposium imaginable. He is an eloquent and highly organized speaker. He has already been an outstanding mentor to students, notably Liz Pine, who carried out her senior thesis on chanterelles and their relatives at Harvard under his supervision, and Betty Gilbert, another Harvard undergraduate working on an analysis of evolution of ectomycorrhizae. He has shared his expertise through his service as an extremely effective reviewer and Associate Editor for Mycologia.

David is already a world leader, and the best is yet to come. Congratulations, David Hibbett, on being this year’s recipient of the Alexopoulos Prize.

The Alexopoulos Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding "young" mycologist based on evaluation of his or her research. Previous Alexopoulos Winners:

1999 ~ Pedro W Crous

1998 ~ Dennis Desjardin

1997 ~ Georgiana May

1996 ~ James White Jr

1995 ~ Rytas Vilgalys

1994 ~ Thomas D Bruns

1993 ~ Keith A Seifert

1992 ~ Gregory M Mueller

1991 ~ Dean A Glawe

1990 ~ Richard Howard

1989 ~ Linda M Kohn

1988 ~ Scott A Redhead

1987 ~ James B Anderson

1986 ~ John W Taylor

1984 ~ Robert Fogel

1983 ~ Meredith Blackwell

1981 ~ Martha Powell

1980 ~ Donald Wicklow

1979 ~ Charles Mims

1978 ~ Kerry O’Donnell

2000 MSA RESEARCH AWARDS

2000 Martin-Baker Endowment Award ~ Wendy Untereiner

The Committee selected Dr Wendy A Untereiner, Assistant Professor of Botany at Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba, to receive funds from the Martin-Baker Endowment fund. Dr Untereiner intends to use the award to support her studies on the Herpotrichiellaceae and the Onygenales, using both molecular and comparative morphological data. While some data is available of medically important species, Dr Untereiner plans to extend the morphological and molecular data to other species in order to gain an improved understanding of the origin of parasitism and the evolution of these taxa. (information provided by the Research Awards Committee)

The Martin-Baker Endowment Award is granted to a recently awarded PhD mycologist based on proposed research and past research record. Previous Martin-Baker Fundees:

1999 ~ David M Geiser

1998 ~ Chee-Jen Chen

1997 ~ Joseph Spatafora

1996 ~ Cathy Cripps, David Hibbett

1994 ~ Sabine Huhndorf

Else C Vellinga, a graduate student working under the direction of Dr TD Bruns in the Plant and Microbial Biology Department at the University of California at Berkeley, was the applicant for support from the Smith Research Fund. Her plans are to use the funds awarded to examine critical specimens of Lepiota and the Pluteaceae in the herbarium of the University of Michigan. She will then compare the morphological data obtained from this visit and from other sources with data from sequencing studies in order to better understand the phylogeny of these fungi. (information provided by the Research Awards Committee)

The Alexander H & Helen V Smith Research Award is granted to someone who wishes to visit the University of Michigan Fungal Herbarium to study specimens of macrofungi, fleshy Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes collected by Alexander H Smith and his associates. Previous Smith Research Fundees:

1998 ~ Victor Bandala, M. Catherine Aime

1997 ~ Lisa Grubisha, Brian Perry, Eric Peterson

1996 ~ Jacqui Johnson

1995 ~ Toby Feibelman

2000 MSA STUDENT AWARDS

2000 MSA Graduate Fellows ~ Jutta Buschbom and Leah Cowen

Jutta Buschbom (University of Chicago/Field Museum of Natural History): A molecular phylogenetic study of the lichen-forming genus Porpidia (Porpidiaceae, Ascomycota): evolutionary history of contrasting reproductive modes.

Leah Cowen (University of Toronto at Mississauga): Evolution of drug resistance in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.

Two MSA Graduate Fellowships of $2,000 each are awarded annually to promising graduate students in mycology based on scholastic merit, research ability, and promise shown as mycologists. Previous MSA Graduate Fellows:

1999 ~ Karl Henry, Brian Shaw

1998 ~ Scott Kroken,Jamie Platt

1997 ~ Ignazio Carbone, AmyTuininga

1996 ~ Elizabeth Frieders, Kathie Hodge

1995 ~ Steven Doggett, Yatika Kohli

1994 ~ David Geiser, Wendy Untereiner

1993 ~ François Lutzoni, Lorelei Norvell

1992 ~ Kirk Czymmek, David Rizzo

1991 ~ John Hopple, Karen Snetselaar

1990 ~ Shelly Brunt, Susan Kaminskiyj

1989 ~ Steven Lee, Josephine Taylor

1988 ~ Paula DePriest, Lisa Muehlstein

1987 ~ Kathleen Cason, Dennis Desjardin

1986 ~ John Horton, Richard Kerrigan

1985 ~ Georgiana May, Rodney Roberts

1984 ~ Thomas Bruns, Thomas Chase

1983 ~ John Hammer, Karl McKnight

1982 ~ Faye Murrin, BruceTucker

1981 ~ CharlesJacobs, Kenneth Whitney

1980 ~ Thomas Harrington, Steven Warner

1979 ~ Michael Allen, Robert Antibus

1978 ~ James Anderson, Larry Gauriloff

1977 ~ Kurt Dahlberg, Linda Kohn

1976 ~ Scott Redhead, John Taylor

1975 ~ Martha Sherwood

1974 ~ Robert Fogel

1973 ~ William Timberlake

1972 ~ Jeffrey Pommerville

1971 ~ Thomas Matthews

1970 ~ Jimmy Clark

1969 ~ Lauritz Olson

1968 ~ Robert Devlin

1967 ~ David McLaughlin

1966 ~ William Merz

1963 ~ Larry Littlefield

Steven Trudell (University of Washington, Seattle): d ¹⁵N in fungal sporocarps: an examination of possible sources of variation in Pacific Northwest conifer forests.

The NAMA (North American Mycological Association) Memorial Fellowship of $2,000 is awarded annually to a promising graduate student in mycology on the basis of scholastic merit, research ability, and promise shown as a mycologist. Previous NAMA Memorial Fellows:

1999 ~ Cameron Currie

1998 ~John Paul Schmitt

1997 ~Daniel Czederpiltz

1996 ~James Johnson

1995 ~Greg Saenz

Paulo Ceresini (North Carolina State University): Genetic diversity and structure of populations of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn AG-3 (teleomorph = Thanatephorous cucumeris (Frank) Donk) from potato.

The Backus Award of $1,000 is awarded annually to a promising graduate student in mycology on the basis of scholastic merit, research ability, and promise shown as a mycologist. Previous Backus Awardees:

1999 ~ Sean Abbot

1998 ~Guillermo Pimentel

1997 ~Dennis McDaniel

1996 ~John McKenny

1995 ~David Gernandt

1994 ~Paul T Gieser

Oral Presentations –

Catherine Aime (Department of Botany, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg). Co-author Orson K Miller. An examination of phenotypic variance in Crepidotus.

Leah E Cowen (Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Mississauga). Co-authors Linda M Kohn, James B Anderson. Fitness divergence associated with the evolution of drug resistance in experimental populations of Candida albicans.

Poster Presentations –

Jennifer Anderson (Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). Co-author Carol Shearer. Phylogeny of Haloarpheia.

Merlin M White (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence). Co-authors Robert W Lichtwardt, Murray H Colbo. Rediscovery of a fungal pathogen of blackflies in Canada.

MSA Graduate Research Prizes of $100 each are awarded annually to (i) the two best research papers in mycology presented orally by graduate students at the annual MSA meeting and (ii) the two best student posters in mycology presented by graduate students at the annual MSA meeting. Previous Research Prize winners:

~~ Posters ~~

1999 ~ G Fischer, M Harbin,

1997 ~JF Babcock, LJ Ma

1996 ~MW Harding, JE Johnson

1995 ~DS Lowry, AR Tuininga

1994 ~Lisa A Castlebury, Susan Huffine,

1992 ~ I Carbone, K Jacobson

1991 ~PR Leacock, RW Specker

1990 ~KJ Czymmek, SB Lee

1989 ~S Walsh, L Novak

1988 ~P DePriest

1987 ~SW Parker

1986 ~CC Bertke

1985 ~BE Tucker

~~ Oral Papers ~~

1998 ~ S Kroken, D McDaniel

1997 ~ EM Pine, RN Weinstein

1996 ~ RE Marra, SC McCleneghan

1995 ~ MS Doggett, M Freitag

1993 ~ C Bachewich, EC Swann

1992 ~ K Snetselaar, M Vargas

1991 ~ R Lopez-Franco, JW Spatafora

1990 ~ D Hibbett, J Hopple

1989 ~ KF Lobuglio, ML Smith

1988 ~ CM Bruhn, LP Lehnen

1987 ~ EWA Boehm, KMT Cason

1986 ~ JN Gemma, TC Sewall

1985 ~ SL Miller, ME Silliker

1984 ~ WE Hintz, RW Martin

1983 ~ G Bills, S Horton

1982 ~ E Badham, T Bruns, E Huizar

1981 ~ GM Mueller

1980 ~ L Davis, S Meyer

1979 ~ D Betterley

1978 ~ WP Mulleavy

1976 ~ T Hill, D McCabe

1975 ~ R Humber

1974 ~ E Farr

1973 ~ M Powell

1972 ~ R McNitt

1971 ~ TM Hammill

Awards are listed alphabetically by name of the mentor. The degree in progress, advisor, affiliation, and title of presentation(s) follow the winner’s name.

CJ Alexopoulos Award – Jennifer Fischer

MS [Karen Snetselaar, advisor]. Department of Biology, Saint Joseph’s University. A methylation event is involved in signal transduction during mating in Ustilago maydis.

A Barksdale / J Raper Award – Leah Cowen

PhD [Linda Kohn, advisor]. Botany Department, University of Toronto at Mississauga. Fitness divergence associated with the evolution of drug resistance in experimental populations of Candida albicans.

HE Bigelow Award – Rebecca Belling

PhD [Orson K Miller Jr, advisor] Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Interactions of copper and zinc with three species of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

HE Bigelow Award – Brett Couch

PhD [Linda Kohn, advisor]. Botany Department, University of Toronto at Mississauga. The origin of Magnaporthe grisea populations parasitizing rice.

HE Bigelow Award – Jason Dobranic

PhD [John Zak, advisor]. Ecology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University. Linking fungal functional and taxonomic diversity with litter decomposition.

HE Bigelow Award – Matthew Henn

PhD [Ignacio Chapela, advisor]. Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley. Stable isotope discrimination at fungal interfaces: determinants of isotopic discrimination.

EE Butler Award – Paulo Ceresini

PhD [Marc Cubeta, advisor]. Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University. (i) PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) reveals both recombination and gene flow in Rhizoctonia solani AG-3 from potato in North Carolina. (ii) Somatic incompatibility and AFLP analyses indicate differences in the population structure of Rhizoctonia solani AG-3 associated with potato and tobacco in NC.

WC Denison Award – Valérie Reeb

PhD [François Lutzoni, advisor]. Department of Botany, The Field Museum of Natural History. Phylogenetic study of Acarospora and Acarosporaceae (lichen-forming Ascomycetes) and their position within the Ascomycetes.

WC Denison Award – Emma Steenkamp

PhD [Brenda Wingfield, advisor]. Department of Genetics, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria. Polyphyletic origin of Fusarium subglutinans associated with mango malformation in South Africa.

HM Fitzpatrick Award – Gail Celio

PhD [Charles Mims, advisor]. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia. Ultrastructure of the host-pathogen interface of poinsettia powdery mildew using high pressure freezing and freeze substitution.

HM Fitzpatrick Award – Julia Kerrigan

PhD [Jack Rogers, advisor]. Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University. Ascobotryozyma americanae, a unique yeast associated with nematodes.

RP Korf Award – Holly Chamberlain

MS [Gary Samuels, advisor]. Department of Plant Pathology, Penn State. Gross morphology is not phylogenetically informative in the Hypocreaceae.

ES Luttrell Award – Andrew Miller

PhD [Sabine Huhndorf, advisor]. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago. The use of ascomatal wall morphology in determining phylogenetic relationships in the Lasiosphaeriaceae (Sordariales, Ascomycetes).

HD Thiers Award – Martin Bidartondo

PhD [Tom Bruns, advisor]. Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley. Extreme specificity is widespread among monotrope mycorrhizal parasites.

FA Uecker Award – Ning Zhang

PhD [Meredith Blackwell, advisor]. Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University. Molecular phylogeny of dogwood anthracnose fungus and the Diaporthales.

K Wells Award – Anna Levin

PhD [Tom Bruns, advisor]. Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley. Ectomycorrhizal colonization dynamics on mixed-conifer seedlings following disturbance.

MSA Honorary Member – 2000

Professor David J Read, University of Sheffield, UK, has been elected as an Honorary Member to the Mycological Society of America.

David Read’s specific research interests are the role of plant-fungus symbioses of roots - mycorrhizas - with particular reference to their importance at the plant community and ecosystem levels. His contributions to mycology have been impressive and gained him wide international recognition. He has supervised over 30 PhD projects to completion and is the author of over 170 scientific articles. His reputation for pioneering research in mycorrhizal symbiosis was recognised in 1990 by his election to a Fellowship of the Royal Society and his appointment as Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. Together with Professor SE Smith, in 1997, David Read authored the second edition of the highly successful textbook, Mycorrhizal Symbiosis.

David’s contributions to our current understanding of the biology of mycorrhizal fungi have been sustained, significant, and wide-ranging. His laboratory is one of few in the world to have made important advances in understanding a range of mycorrhizal symbiotic associations, including ectomycorrhizal, vesicular-arbuscular, and ericoid mycorrhizal symbioses. Read’s work on the biology of mycorrhiza in the Ericaceae has spanned over 25 years, through a series of studies that have greatly increased our understanding of the physiological ecology of the symbiosis. His research group has played a leading role in research concerning the role of ericoid and ectomycorrhizal fungi in the mobilisation of soil organic matter, extending and developing ideas first put forward by scientists such as Frank and Melin. Read's influence on these research fields has been extensive, as witnessed by the large number of his former research students and associates who have established their own research careers. Few scientists can claim to have had such a fundamental impact on research into the biology of mycorrhizal fungi. (J Ginns)

Letter from David Read to Orson Miller ~

The University of Sheffield

Department of Animal and Plant Sciences

Dear Orson:

I was both surprised and delighted to receive your letter informing me that I had been elected an Honorary Member of the Mycological Society of America. This is, indeed, a great honor, and although I am not sure that I am fully deserving of it, I cherish the notion that I can be considered a part of such an august company of scientists. Clearly a lot of my American friends have been very generous, and I sincerely appreciate their efforts on my behalf. It is especially gratifying to receive the accolade from a President who has, himself, done so much to identify the place of mycorrhizal fungi in the scheme of things. A personal thank-you to you!

I feel very proud and, once again, extend my heartfelt thanks to the Mycological Society for its generosity. With all good wishes,

Sincerely,

David

Minutes of the July 29, 2000 MSA Council Meeting

Room 427A Waterman, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

The annual meeting of the MSA Council was called to order at 9:05am by President Kohn. Members present included: Timothy Baroni, George Carroll, Maren Klich, Linda Kohn, Orson Miller, Mary Palm, David Porter, Gary Samuels, Karen Snetselaar, Jeffrey Stone, Josephine Taylor, Rytas Vilgalys, and James Worrall. Others present for at least part of the meeting were: Joanne Ellzey, James Ginns, Linda Hardwick (Association Manager from Allen Management and Marketing), D Jean Lodge, Lorelei Norvell, Scott Redhead, John Taylor, and Thomas Volk.

Council unanimously approved the amended minutes of the 1999 Council meeting [Inoculum 50(6)] and the minutes of the 2000 mid-year Executive Council meeting [Inoculum 51(3)].

President Kohn presented her report (see Inoculum 51(5): pp**** ).

Vice-President Baroni announced the ballot results. Those elected were: Vice-President – John W Taylor; Secretary – Lorelei L Norvell; Councilor Cell Biology/Physiology – Iris Charvat; Councilor Ecology/Pathology – D Jean Lodge; Councilor Systematics/Evolution – Wendy Untereiner; Councilor Genetics/Molecular Biology – Richard W Kerrigan. The following changes to the Constitution/Bylaws all passed: (i) ART IVG – Add a new Society Representative, Liaison with the American Mushroom Institute; (ii) ART IVA – Change the term of Mycologia Associate Editors from "two" to "three" years, allowing only one renewal instead of the current two renewals; (iii) ART IV6 – Change the name of the "Senior Research Awards Committee" to the "Research Awards Committee;" (iv) ART IV F4 – Change the size of the International Affairs Committee from "four" to "four/five" members.

Secretary Klich presented her report (see Inoculum 51(5): ***).

Treasurer Stone presented his preliminary report. The Society's financial status is good, although most of the endowment funds are underfunded. As of June 30, 2000, the MSA had 1,259 members and assets totaling $470,531 in cash and securities. One year ago our membership was 1,244, and total assets were $450,473, so the Society has continued to grow financially and in numbers of members over the past year. Between August 1, 1999, and June 30, 2000, the Society had a total income of $279,567, and expenses totaling $256,933, leaving a budget surplus of $22,634. Approximately $15,000 of this surplus is restricted endowment income. Income and expenditures for July are not expected to materially change the positive balance for the MSA fiscal year. A year-end report will be published in a later issue of Inoculum.

President-Elect and Chair of the Finance Committee, Orson Miller, presented his report on the MSA portfolio (Inoculum 51(5): ***). He is seeking an additional member with experience and, most importantly, with interest in investments to fill an additional place on the Committee. (Note: due to recent legislation, federal employees cannot serve on this Committee.)

Endowment Chair Judi Ellzey presented her report (Inoculum 51(5): ***). She acknowledged major contributors, including June Wang, Clark Rogerson, Ed Butler, and Margaret Barr Bigelow. Since most of the endowed funds are not producing enough income to cover the student travel awards they were set up to support, Council discussed ways of encouraging more members to donate to the endowment. Suggestions included acknowledging donors in Inoculum and adding a line to the annual renewal form for contributions to the endowment fund.

Council approved a motion to acquire a credit card for the Society. This will facilitate payment of meeting-related bills and expenses requiring currency exchange.

The Committee on Honorary Members presented the nomination of David J Read, Professor of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield UK to Council. After a review of the nomination papers documenting Dr. Read's long and distinguished career, especially in mycorrhizal research, Council voted to propose that the membership at the Annual Business Meeting elect David Read an Honorary Member of the MSA. The Committee requested the assistance of members of the Society in nominating candidates or simply submitting names of possible future nominees to the Committee. This award is for a distinguished mycological researcher who does not reside in the US or Canada. Nominees need not be members of the Society.

The MSA Distinctions Committee (Dennis Desjardin, Chair) reported that the Distinguished Mycologist Award will go to Jan J Kohlmeyer and Ronald H Petersen. The MSA Fellows Award winner this year is Amy Y Rossman. David S Hibbett is the Alexopoulos Prize winner. Carlos Betancourt is this year's winner of the William H. Weston Award for Teaching Excellence. The Committee requested that Council provide some further guidelines on qualifications for the Fellows Award and Distinguished Mycologist Award. Council passed motions stating that (i) the MSA Fellow be granted to a member who has obtained a PhD at least 15 years prior to January 1 of the year of the award and (ii) the Distinguished Mycologist Award be granted to members who are retired and/or 65 years of age. Acknowledging the "grey area" between these two awards, Council directed the Distinctions Committee to counsel nominators as to which award is more appropriate for their nominee.

The Research Awards Committee (Nancy Weber and Kenneth Wells, Co-Chairs) selected Else C Vellinga to receive support from the Alexander H and Helen V Smith Research Fund. Dr Wendy A Untereiner was selected to receive support from the Martin-Baker Endowment Fund.

The Student Awards Committee (Margaret Silliker, Chair) awarded MSA Graduate Fellowships to Jutta Buschbom and Leah Cowen. The Chuck Barrows NAMA Award was given to Steven Trudell, and the Backus Award was given to Paulo Ceresini.

The Mentor Awards Committee (Josephine Taylor, Chair) reported that there were 23 applicants this year, and funding was available to give 16 awards. Awardees were: Rebecca Belling, Martin Bidartondo, Gail Celio, Paulo Ceresini, Holly Chamberlain, Brett Couch, Leah Cowen, Jennifer Fischer, Jason Dobranic, Mathew Henn, Julia Kerrigan, Anna Levin, Andrew Miller, Valerie Reeb, Emma Steenkamp, and Ning Zhang.

Linda Hardwick (Association Manager at Allen Management and Marketing [Allen M&M]) reported on how membership issues are processed at Allen M&M and provided statistics on changes in our membership over the past few years. Generally, new memberships and renewals are processed within two weeks of receipt. Allen has two new email addresses for inquiries. For inquiries about membership (including address changes), contact <msa@allenpress.com>. For missing or late journal issues, contact <claimsdept@allenpress.com>. Council expressed a desire to add the year a member first joined MSA to the Allen M&M database. Linda agreed to do this. Tim Baroni is to get the old list to her, and Maren Klich will supply the list from the last three years. Although regular member numbers are slightly up at 1,262, the number of Institutional Subscribers (libraries etc) has decreased from 1,067 in 1996 to 802 this year. Mary Palm will contact the 19 Institutional Subscribers whose subscriptions lapsed this year to try to determine why the subscriptions lapsed and encourage them to re-subscribe.

Mycologia Editor-in-Chief David Griffin submitted his final report (Inoculum 51(5): ***). Council thanked Dave for the great job he has done. They also acknowledge and thank Jessica Thomas for the wonderful job she has done as editorial assistant to Dave. Joan Bennett will take over as Editor-in-Chief. Council approved a new editorial position, that of Cover Editor. The duties of the Cover Editor would be to gather prospective cover illustrations, choose an appropriate one for each issue, and work with the Press to have it in place in a timely fashion for each issue. The term will be three years, renewable once by mutual consent. Council appointed Richard Howard to be the first Cover Editor. Council also approved the appointment of Gerald Bills to the Editorial Board for the term 2000-2004.

Mycologia Managing Editor, James Ginns, presented his report (Inoculum 51(5): ***). He requested Council funding for inventory reduction for Mycologia 51, Inoculum 46-50, and MSA Membership Directories for 1995 and 1999-2000. Although recycling back issues costs money, it is a long-term cost-saving measure because it reduces storage fees. Council approved funding for recycling most copies of the old issues.

Council agreed that Mycologia should be published electronically and that a decision on how to do it will be made within the next year. There are several options available; major considerations involve (i) a one-time-only start-up cost for text coding and (ii) revenue sharing vs possible loss of institutional subscribers. Incoming President Orson Miller will appoint a committee to look at the options and develop projections on revenue and costs. The committee will supply a written report to the Executive Council in February, 2001.

The Webpage/Internet Management Committee submitted reports to Council (see Inoculum 51(5): ***). Major achievements of this Committee include development of a new bulletin board (moderated by Dick Korf), registration of a new domain name (msafungi.org), so that the MSA webpage may now be accessed through (http://msafungi.org), acquiring the services of a commercial Web hosting service (investigated by David and Ellen Farr). Council agreed to continue to pay the cost of the web hosting service. Webmaster Tom Volk requested that members send him items for inclusion on the webpage. This has been an extremely active Committee, and Council thanks them for their efforts.

Chair Richard Humber, Mycological Memoirs Committee, reported that they are processing one manuscript at this time. Council approved a draft agreement between APS Press and MSA covering publication of future Mycological Memoirs.

Inoculum Editor, Lorelei Norvell, presented her report (Inoculum 51(5): ***). Council agreed that the Inoculum Editor should have an account to cover expenses.

MSA Directory – James Ginns and Orson Miller report that items changed on the online directory database are recorded within 48 hours at Allen M&M. A new printed directory is scheduled for publication every three years. The next issue is scheduled for 2002.

A detailed report on the activities of the MSA Exploratory Committee on the Establishment of a Joint Commission (between MSA and the North American Mycological Society) on Common Names of Fungi was presented by Committee Chair Scott Redhead (see Inoculum 51(5): ***). The overall objective of the proposed Commission would be to provide leadership on common names for the more common macrofungi. Council approved the establishment of a joint "Commission on Common Mushroom Names for North America" and the list of mandates for the commission presented in the exploratory Committee's report.

Historian Donald Pfister (Inoculum 51(5): ***) reported that the Brief History of Mycology in North America by Donald Rogers is out of print. After some discussion, Council agreed that an update of this publication would be in order, ideally incorporating the Genealogy of Mycologists currently being assembled by Meredith Blackwell.

The Careers in Mycology booklet is also out of print. Council charged the Teaching Committee to look into new ways of communicating career information and asked them to report to the Executive Committee before their February meeting. There was a lively discussion on what directions this could take, and the consensus was that a brochure would provide only the base, with a web-based resource viewed as being the most effective approach. One appealing concept was a series of narratives focused on different laboratory groups that would convey the different directions mycological research can take and the sorts of careers that training in mycology might lead to.

MSA Nominations Committee Chair Amy Rossman reported that finding someone to take on the activity-laden position of MSA Secretary was challenging. The Committee suggested that the responsibilities of the Secretary be evaluated and that some activities be re-allocated to other MSA officers or staff. In response, Council passed the following two motions. (i) The Vice-President shall be responsible for the Spring Ballot Mailing, including preparing the ballot, biographies of candidates, and enclosures. The Secretary will be responsible for ensuring that the Vice-President receive any proposed constitution/bylaws changes. The Vice-President will send copy-ready materials to the Editorial Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of Mycologia for reproduction and mailing. (ii) The New Members mailing will be sent out each month by Allen M&M under the President's signature. A preliminary list is to be sent to and approved by the Secretary before the mailing is made.

Teresa Iturriaga submitted a report of the International Affairs Committee, which requested consideration of special funding for international members to attend MSA meetings and other activities. Council supported the idea in principal and requested that the International Committee submit a more specific proposal.

Council charged the President-Elect (Tim Baroni) to handle revisions and updates to the Manual of Operations.

2000 Meeting ~ Council thanked Faye Murrin and her Committee (Jim Anderson, Keith Egger, and Susan Kaminskyj) for putting together an excellent program this year. They also thanked Don Ruch, MSA Foray Coordinator, and Robert Resnik, Local Representative, for planning the foray.

Council acknowledged the improved online abstract submission procedure implemented this year and approved Jim Anderson's request for $200 for improvements to abstract processing.

Future MSA meetings ~ MSA 2001 will be held in Salt Lake City, UT with APS and SON, August 25-29, Jim Anderson, Program Chair. MSA 2002 will be held in Corvallis, OR, June 22-26, Keith Egger, Program Chair. MSA 2003 will be held in Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA (or an alternative site) with the British Mycological Society. MSA 2004 has not yet been determined, but a southeastern US site would be preferable. (Orson Miller and Rytas Vilgalys will work on this and report to the February Executive Committee meeting.) MSA 2005 or MSA 2006 – Council voted to approve a meeting in Hilo, Hawaii, to be held jointly with the Mycological Society of Japan, pending agreement with that society.

Other Meetings ~ IUMS 2002 – Paris, France, July 29-August 3; IMC 2002 – Oslo, Norway, August 12-18. Council discussed a number of possible ways to help fund MSA members' participation in these meetings, including NSF funding, financial support of individual workshops, etc. The Biodiversity Committee (Jean Lodge, Chair) requested funding for an IMC Symposium on Conservation of Fungi. Council requested a budget projection for this before making a decision.

Council approved the first choice of the Karling Annual Lecture Committee and charged the Committee to contact this individual with the invitation. Council also passed an amendment of the Karling Lecture reimbursement policy. The Karling Lecturer is to receive reimbursement for expenses as well as an honorarium. The Lecturer is also to be invited to publish a paper based on the presentation in Mycologia at the Society’s expense, with publication no longer a requirement for receipt of the honorarium.

Council approved a request by Carol Shearer, IUMS representative, for MSA participation in the International Biodiversity Observation Year 2001-2002. The Biodiversity Committee (D Jean Lodge, Chair) will work out the details of this and requested that Carol Shearer be on the project committee.

Council approved the idea of an Oral Archival History of American Mycology, proposed by Gary Samuels. Council expressed interest in this project, especially as a component of our updating the Society’s History of Mycology in North America booklet. Gary will continue to develop this idea.

President Kohn adjourned the meeting at 4:45pm.

Minutes of the 2000 Annual Business Meeting of the Mycological Society of America

August 1, 2000, University of Vermont, Burlington.

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 am by President Linda Kohn. She made some general announcements and introduced those at the head table and thanked those involved in organizing this meeting. President Kohn presented certificates of appreciation to Orson Miller – recognizing his service as Managing Editor of Mycologia during the transition period when the Society assumed full responsibilities as publisher, to Dave Griffin – outgoing Editor-in-Chief of Mycologia), to Maren Klich – outgoing Secretary, and to Lorelei Norvell – who will finish her term as Editor of Inoculum with the current volume. Past-President George Carroll presented outgoing President Linda Kohn with a certificate of appreciation.

The minutes of the 1999 MSA Business Meeting were approved

Vice-President Tim Baroni presented the ballot results. Three hundred and twenty votes were cast. All four proposed ByLaws changes passed. (See Council Meeting minutes for details.) Those elected were: John W Taylor, Vice-President; Lorelei L Norvell, Secretary; Iris Charvat, Councilor for Cell Biology/Physiology; Wendy Untereiner, Councilor for Systematics/Evolution; D Jean Lodge, Councilor for Ecology/Pathology; Richard W Kerrigan, Councilor for Genetics/Molecular Biology.

Secretary Klich presented her report.

Membership voted approval for David J Read, Professor of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, UK, as a new Honorary Member of the MSA.

Membership voted to grant Emeritus Membership status to the following members: George Barron, Michael Corlett, Guy Durrieu, Robert Embree, Sara Fultz, David Griffin, Yasuyuki Hiratsuka, Gilbert Hughes, Jan Kohlmeyer, Charles Kramer, H Peter Molitoris, Robin Morrall, Don Prusso, Harbansh P Upadhyay, and CJK Wang.

Treasurer Stone presented his report. [See summary in Council Meeting minutes]. The society is financially sound and expanding in membership

Membership approved 104 new members.

Endowment Committee Chair Judi Ellzey presented her report. Of the 13 endowed funds, 11 are worth under $5,000. This means that almost all funds are producing less than the $500 income needed each year to fund the mentor travel awards. She encouraged all members to donate to endowment funds and urged those present to bid high and bid often at the MSA Auction.

President Kohn thanked four of major Endowment donors –– Margaret Barr-Bigelow, Ed Butler, Clark Rogerson, and June Wang. She also noted that Esther McLaughlin will be launching a telephone campaign to encourage contributions to the endowment and asked members to give generously when contacted.

Mycologia Editor-in-Chief, David Griffin, was unable to attend the meeting, so President Kohn presented highlights of his report. This year a record number of manuscripts was submitted to Mycologia, and the rejection/withdrawal rate was lower than average.

Secretary Klich presented highlights from the 2000 Council Meeting.

President Kohn presented the MSA distinctions awards: Distinguished Mycologist (2 awards) – Ronald H Petersen and Jan J Kohlmeyer; MSA Fellow – Amy Y Rossman; Weston Award – Carlos Betancourt; Alexopolous Prize – David S Hibbett.

Student Awards Committee chair Margaret Silliker presented the student fellowship awards: Graduate Student Fellowship (2 awards ) – Jutta Buschbom and Leah Cowen; Chuck Barrows NAMA Award – Steven Trudell; Backus Award – Paulo Ceresini.

Mentor Travel Awards Committee chair Jo Taylor presented the Mentor Travel Awards: Alexopoulos – Jennifer Fischer; Barksdale/Raper – Leah Cowen; Bigelow (4 recipients) – Rebecca Belling, Brett Couch, Jason Dobranic, Matthew Henn; Butler – Paulo Ceresini; Denison (2 recipients) – Valerie Reeb, Emma Steenkamp; Fitzpatrick (2 recipients) – Gail Celio, Julia Kerrigan; Korf – Holly Chamberlain; Luttrell – Andrew Miller; Thiers – Martin Bidartondo; Uecker – Ning Zhang; Wells – Anna Levin.

New Business: Leif Ryvarden announced that plans for the International Mycological Congress in Oslo Norway, August 12 - 18, 2002, are well underway. Anyone wishing to propose symposia or other events should contact him as soon as possible. He encourages all MSA members to start making plans to attend what promises to be a wonderful Congress.

President Kohn turned over the presidential gavel to 2000-2001 President Orson Miller.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:25am by President Miller.

[Addendum. As the student poster and oral presentation awards were not judged until after the business meeting, the student research prizewinners were announced at the MSA Social. Poster Presentation awards were given to Jennifer Anderson and Merlin White. Oral Presentation awards were given to Leah Cowen and Catherine Aime.]

PRESIDENT

Membership Management – We (Kohn and Miller) have signed a new contract with Allen Marketing and Management (AM&M, a subsidiary of Allen Press, Inc.) for the period starting April 1, 2000, through to May 31, 2001. Under this contract, the MSA receives Business Office and Subscription Fulfillment Services plus extras such as Membership Directory ($500 basic fee) and Marketing as we see fit to contract for them. Our working relationship has been excellent this past year. AM&M has been very responsive and able to furnish information on request. I have been in close communication with Theresa Pickel, Division Director, as well as Shelly Hendricks, Marketing Manager. Linda Hardwick, Associate Manager for Allen Press, will attend our Annual Council Meeting on 29 July, 2000. Although we maintained about the same total number of Institutional Subscribers this year, we have lost domestic subscribers. With Shelly Hendricks, we have developed an advertising flyer targeted at librarians and the big library meetings that Allen Press participates in. I am proposing that we do an alternate version of this brochure for reciprocal distribution with Mycological Research. The costs for each of these initiatives are modest, i.e., under $450. Shelly costed out a telemarketing campaign to contact libraries that had not renewed, but at this point, Shelly and I do not feel that this will be cost-effective.

Mycologia – In this first year of our taking over as Publisher, we have contracted a professional indexer, established fees, and set up new procedures (e.g., for color illustrations and corrections of galley proofs). Jim Ginns has taken over as Managing Editor from Orson Miller. I commend the outgoing Editor-in-Chief, David Griffin, for the excellent job that he has done. Mycologia now comes out promptly (May-June is mailed in May-June), and the issues are full –– with well-edited papers of high scientific quality that represent the variety of our members’ mycological interests. Best wishes to incoming EIC, Joan Bennett.

Electronic Publication of Mycologia – I am strongly supporting joining the BioOne consortium as a means to publish Mycologia electronically. Because we already publish with Allen Press, we would not have to pay for the initial coding, which is quite expensive (ca. $20,000). If we can offer our members the option of a reduced membership fee for taking Mycologia electronically, and if we can determine that revenue sharing within BioOne will offset a potential loss of domestic subscribers (bearing in mind that we will increase distribution of Mycologia to more institutions), this is a golden opportunity. See <www/BioOne.org>. Electronic publication is inevitable.

Inoculum – We can be proud of our newsletter, Inoculum. It is lively and attractive; the intelligent editing by Lorelei Norvell is evident throughout. Our MSA Email questionaire indicated overwhelmingly that members enjoy reading Inoculum. Thanks to Tom Volk, the newsletter is now available online. The shift of book announcements, book reviews, and foray photos to Inoculum is fully implemented; what was once a contentious issue with Mycologia now seems to be a non-issue. Sincere thanks to Lorelei, who is completing her term as Editor to the end of 2000, even as she becomes MSA Secretary. I am pleased that Don Ruch will be taking over as Inoculum Editor.

Meetings – I have done more meeting planning than I might have expected. Our 2000 Annual Meeting has more than 300 registrants convening for what is probably a record number of 75 student presentations and eight symposia. I have been working with UVM for two years, the last year with Meg Boera, our conference coordinator (I am a UVM alumna). Over this year, Faye Murrin, Jim Anderson, and Keith Egger have been hammering out details of the program. Faye has done a terrific job as Chair of the Program Committee and it has been a pleasure working with her. Abstract submission was the smoothest ever, due to the online submission system that Jim Anderson organized. For next year, we are looking at using the same system with some improvements - which will require a bit of programming. The system could be used on into the future. To attract the greatest participation at the UVM meeting, Jim and I sent Email invitations in February to everyone on the Fungal Genetics Newsletter mailing list. I have also been working with Faye Labbatt at APS on the schedule for the 2001 meeting in Salt Lake City. I have consulted with Jeff Stone and Joey Spatafora on the schedule for 2002 in Corvallis. As a result of highly productive discussions with the Council of the British Mycological Society, a joint BMS-MSA meeting (incorporating the 2003 MSA Annual Meeting) was proposed and approved by the MSA Executive Committee in February. In March, 2000, I applied to California State Parks - Delaware North Parks Services, for three alternate dates at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove CA: In descending order of preference, dates for the 2003 meeting are August 4-8, June 30-July 4, and July 28-August 1. A decision on our request by California State Parks will not be made before 18-12 months prior to the meeting, so it is vital that the MSA make ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS just in case. We should also be looking ahead to leveraging NSF and other support for the next International Mycological Congress in Oslo (2002).

Public Responsibility – Opportunities to participate in public policy present themselves to the MSA President very unpredictably and, inevitably, require a timely response. Since we are a professional ogranization, we have expertise in some important policy areas. I have done my best to respond. As discussed in Inoculum 51(1), after vigorous discussion, Council approved our endorsement of a set of amendments to the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS Agreement) forwarded to us by Faith Campbell of the American Lands Alliance. Although our nominee for the US Dept of the Interior Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) was not selected, we had three members involved on Working Groups (Jim Worrall, Mary Palm, and Jeff Stone) assisting this committee. A draft of the ISAC report is coming out this fall, and should be evaluated by qualified mycologists. (Contact Faith Campbell at Phytodoer@aol.com.)

I have been much more active with the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) since attending the three-day Presidents’ Summit in November. At the AIBS Millennium Meeting in March, I co-moderated with Brian Boom (President, Association of Systematics Collections) the Synthesis Session on "Biodiversity Exploration: Systematics and Classification." In the summary of our session, we emphasized support for collection and database infrastructure as biocomplexity initiatives expand. In April, I, along with MSA members Anathea Brooks and David Geiser, partipated in the annual Congressional Visits Day organized by SETWG - the Science, Engineering, and Technology Working Group. We should maintain our more active role with AIBS. Also, we should become involved with the International Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY), an initiative of DIVERSITAS, the international program on biodiversity science, to be launched on December 29, 2000. Note that Carol Shearer is a contact on this. Also, there are culture collection and transport-of-fungi-for-scientific-study issues that are not being brought to the attention of our membership. There is a role here for the Culture Collections Committee in keeping us informed.

Human Resources – My biggest responsibility, human resources, has been an ongoing task. In plain language, this is filling vacancies on committees, suggesting activities and then maintaining an interest in the completion of those activities, calling members and convincing them to take major jobs, and communicating with those considering standing for office in the Society. I am delighted that we had two capable candidates for the important office of Secretary. Sincere thanks to Maren for three years of solid effort, and welcome Lorelei Norvell, who will certainly put her own stamp on the job. I am also delighted that Don Ruch has agreed to take over as Editor of Inoculum with the next volume. Don served the Society as Foray Coordinator and, as Chair of the Education Committee, has scanned our slide collection for online access. We look forward to Don's vision for Inoculum. The productivity of the Electronic Communications Committee has been heartening. David and Ellen Farr have revamped our Bulletin Board and we are now on a commercial server. Dick Korf has graciously agreed to continue for a year as Bulletin Board Manager. Tom Volk continues to do a wonderful job as webmaster of our homepage. The new Biodiversity Committee chaired by Jean Lodge has also been highly productive –– note the resources that they have posted on the MSA webpage. International Affairs, under Theresa Iturriaga, now also has a presence on our webpage. While some committees could become more active, whole new initiatives appeared. The iniative for a commission on common names in cooperation with NAMA, spearheaded by Scott Redhead and initially proposed by Moselio Schaechter, as Chair of the Liaison with Amateur Mycological Clubs & Societies, looks likely to go forward.

Our brochures, History of Mycology in North America and Careers in Mycology, both need updating. Our Manual of Operations desperately requires revision.

Planning – Strategic planning is still a work in progress. For the second year we have had an Ad Hoc Long Range Planning Committee. A subset of members met in St. Louis for a very productive session. We came up with a wish list of activities. Some of these, such as an undergraduate research award, improved online services, and an Email survey of members, have been implemented this year. I have not been satisfied with the quality of Email discussion with members since; everyone is busy and few members respond. Strategic planning is needed, but how best to proceed? Heads-up for the incoming President –– we should determine whether we wish to proceed with the undergraduate research award and if we do, put it on firmer financial footing. Corporate sponsorship of this and other sorts of scholarships or grants-in-aid will require initiative –– let's get going!
 

VICE-PRESIDENT

Election of officers and changes in bylaws for the year 2000 –– I received 320 ballots on or before the 15^th of June 2000. The following individuals have been elected to serve the society.

Vice-President John W Taylor

Secretary Lorelei L Norvell

Councilors

Cell Biology/Physiology Iris Charvat

Systematics/Evolution Wendy Untereiner

Ecology/Pathology D Jean Lodge

Genetics/Molecular Biology Richard W Kerrigan

Four bylaw changes to the Society Constitution were overwhelmingly approved. These new changes are:

Art IV G - Add a new Society Representative - Liaison with the American Mushroom Institute. (This is the mushroom growers organization.) This liaison would help form a closer alliance with this portion of our membership].

Art IV A - Change the term of the Mycologia Associate Editors from two years to three years, with only one renewal allowed instead of the current two renewals. (This retains the maximum number of consecutive years as Associate Editor at six and relieves the Editor-in-Chief from the difficult task of replacing Associate Editors every two years. With approval of Council, the Editor-in-Chief may replace Associate Editors in the event they do not carry out their duties or abuse their duties.)

Art IV E6 - Change the name of the Senior Research Awards Committee to the Research Awards Committee. (This new committee administers the Smith and Martin-Baker awards. It has been brought to our attention that the intention of the Smith Award was to support research at all levels, not just senior scientists. The new name is in keeping with this intention.)

Art IV F4 - Change the size of the International Affairs Committee from four to four/five members. (This would accommodate a foreign postdoc (representing students/postdocs), a Latin American, an African, an Asian, and a European representative. This change would also give the chair some leeway on committee size.)
 

SECRETARY

From August 1999 to July 2000 the Secretary

• Compiled minutes of the 1999 Council and Business meetings and submitted them for publication in Inoculum.
• Sent copies of the minutes and annual reports from officers, committee chairs, and representatives to the historian, Don Pfister.
• Sent a list of the 1999-2000 MSA Council membership to AIBS, AAAS, and IUMS.
• Sent welcome materials to 72 new members
• Responded to requests for information on joining MSA, mycological questions, and membership concerns throughout the year.
• Polled council via email on a number of items during the year, and submitted the results of these actions to Lorelei Norvell for publication in Inoculum.
• Sadly, I received notice of deaths of three members, Lekh Batra (May 20, 1999), Alan Jaworski (January 16, 2000), and Mike Larsen (June 9, 2000) and two long-time former members, Richard Homola (September 2, 1999), and George Knaphus (May 20, 2000).
• Received requests for emeritus status from 17 members and contacted all of these members to ensure that they met the requirements for emeritus status. (They must have been full members for at least 15 years and retired from their professional employment.) Fifteen names were submitted to council for approval as emeritus members, including: Michael Corlett, Jan Kohlmeyer, David Gr