News

The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that William “Bill” Wood (University of Colorado Boulder) has been awarded the Society’s Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education in recognition of his significant and sustained impact in genetics education. “Dr. Wood is one of the pioneers in the reform of science teaching. He…

Nancy Kleckner, PhD (Harvard University), has been awarded the Society’s Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for lifetime achievement in the field of genetics. The award recognizes Dr. Kleckner’s many significant contributions to our understanding of chromosomes and the mechanisms of inheritance. “Nancy has made major contributions both to understanding how chromosomes work and to developing transformative methodology that…

In response to concerns that have been raised about reproducibility in biomedical research, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) invited experts, delegates from its member societies (including GSA), and representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and other stakeholders to discuss general factors that may impede the ability to…

Former GSA Treasurer Trudy Mackay has been honored with the 2016 Wolf Prize in Agriculture. Bestowed by Israel’s Wolf Foundation, the prize is sometimes considered to be “the Nobel Prize in Agriculture.”   Trudy F.C. Mackay, PhD William Neal Reynolds Distinguished University Professor of Biological Sciences and Associate Member of Entomology North Carolina State University…

  A radio ad for the seafood restaurant chain Legal Sea Foods highlights the importance of zebrafish. The restaurant’s CEO, Roger Berkowitz, calls the zebrafish his favorite fish because, “unlike the lazy boring perch, you’re important in genetic research.” The ad goes on to highlight the work of zebrafish researcher Dr. Leonard Zon at Boston…

We are looking for outgoing and dynamic people to help recruit sponsors for the TAGC conference in Orlando, FL. Whether you are a student, postdoc, professor, or working outside of academia, you are eligible to participate! We will provide the training, a script, and the prospect list. You are also welcome to use contacts from your…

Brenda Andrews, Editor-in-Chief of the GSA journal G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, has been named Companion to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. Established in 1967 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, selection to the Order recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation. Companion to the Order of Canada is…

On December 16, 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released an agency-wide strategic plan. This document does not replace the strategic planning process of the individual institutes and centers (ICs), rather it serves as an overarching framework for all of the ICs to incorporate into their strategic planning for the future. Development of the…

Dear GSA Members, 2015 has been a very important and productive year for the GSA, with much progress on issues critical to our community. Here are a few of the highlights: Following the incredible success of YeastBook in GENETICS, the GSA has just launched FlyBook, with Lynn Cooley as Editor-in-Chief—and will soon launch WormBook with…

A proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor could soon mandate that postdocs making less than $50,440 per year will be eligible for overtime pay at 1.5 times their hourly rate. Research labs are generally not prepared to track overtime hours and many do not have the additional funds available to pay postdocs above…

  Early this morning, the U.S. House of Representatives released the text of the fiscal year (FY) 2016 omnibus appropriations bill, which would fund the federal government through the end of the current fiscal year on September 30, 2016. The bill includes increases for all of the science agencies of interest to the GSA community:…