The Washington DC Chapter has been very active this fall. We have had four monthly luncheon meetings with outstanding speakers.
For the September 16, 2015, meeting, our speaker was Kathleen Jones, biotechnology coordinator DAF/CVM/FDA and chair of the OECD Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds (Task Force). Jones spoke on the “History, Program of Work and Importance of OECD and the Task Force.” Click on the link to view the 26 OECD Consensus Documents on the Compositional Considerations for New Varieties (GMO) of Crops Used for Food. http://www.oecd.org/env/ehs/biotrack/consensusdocumentsfortheworkonthesafetyofnovelfoodsandfeedsbynumber.htm
For the October 14, 2015, meeting, our speaker was Cliff Ocker, director of operations and client relations, Cumberland Valley Analytical Services, Hagerstown, Maryland. Ocker spoke on the subject of “High Res Forage Testing.” Richard Erdman, professor of animal science at University of Maryland, College Park, was given one of two WDC ARPAS “Outstanding Animal Scientist” awards for 2015.
For the November 10, 2015, meeting, our speaker was Lowell Randel, Esq., founder of the Randel Group and consultant to the Animal Sciences, Alexandria, Virginia. Randel spoke on “Building Support for Animal Science: Challenges and Opportunities.”
For the December 9, 2015, meeting, our speaker was George Wiggins, head of USDA, ARS, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Wiggins was honored with one of two WDC ARPAS “Outstanding Animal Scientist” awards for 2015, receiving his award at our spring symposium. He spoke on his laboratory’s “Animal Improvement Program.”
Our chapter is planning monthly meetings for January, February, and March and a symposium titled “Antibiotics and Animal Agriculture: Science and Politics.”
Our chapter would like to call attention to the Washington DC Area Chapter of ARPAS Scholarship Fund for students pursuing degrees in animal science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Gifts are tax deductible. Checks are payable to the “University of Maryland College Park Foundation” with “ARPAS Washington DC Area Chapter” on the memo line. Mail to Office of Gift Acceptance, 4603 Calvert Road, College Park, MD 20740.
Bill Price, ARPAS Washington DC Chapter President-Elect