It is Day 2 of HAPS 2021 and our fluffy attendees were at it again. They took center stage in our morning welcome as Wendy shared some pics. We made it through two more Update Speakers, Committee meetings, some Workshops, encounters with Exhibitors, and a Poster Session today.
Our update speakers provided fascinating new insights. Chris Basler taught us about immunology by discussing interactions between RNA viruses and their hosts using Ebola as a model. We learned how bats’ unique physiology allows them to act as reservoir hosts for many viruses that are deadly to humans. We had a couple of technical issues getting Nikki Jernigan up and running, but with 200+ HAPSters pitching in we managed to troubleshoot and learn about the effects of hypoxia on blood vessels. Hypoxia leads to opposing changes in vascular reactivity. Pulmonary arteries constrict while systemic arteries dilate.
HAPSters had a plethora of interesting workshops to choose from. For example, we learned about higher order test questions from Gregory Crowther in “From Isolated Data-Analysis Tasks to General Skills: Bridging the Gap with Question Templates”. Amy Toulson, in “Gender, Sex and Sexuality Inclusion in Anatomy & Physiology Education”, discussed making courses more inclusive of various identities. They brought up important points about opening up to your students and acknowledging mistakes.
Reminder: Check out the items available at the silent auction. Bidding ends tomorrow at 6pm EDT!
After watching all of Wendy Riggs’ helpful videos, yesterday HAPSters got to try out the Gatherly platform together, and it was amazing! Being able to bump into each other in the lobby and halls makes the event feel HAPSy. Using the elevators to move between floors brought HAPSters to even more meeting places such as Exhibitor floors, Workshops, and Posters. Although we are meeting virtually, the enthusiasm is palpable. It is no mistake that many of the floors are tagged “Fun”. HAPSters often chatted about their struggles in the past year and offered support and ideas. Shannon Howard commented about how she was enjoying meeting so many interesting and fun instructors and learning about their needs. Valerie Kramer spoke to many HAPSters about methods for keeping students accountable in distance learning settings.
Day 1 was packed with three poster sessions and two update speakers. Jacob Babb taught us about EKG basics. From Green et. al. we learned about deaf patient care. The Steering Committee welcomed our First and Second Timers. Sloane et. al. led us in a discussion about diversity and inclusion. There is some serious competition going on the Silent Auction page so keep checking in. We have a ton of other fun events scheduled today! Make sure you check in for the Wheel of Names!
Some HAPSters shared their conference set-up with each other, including some unexpected guests. Graham Whiteside’s adorable tabby KitKat made his way across the screen. Melissa Quinn’s Dexter and Stan made appearances throughout the day. There were also a few baby HAPsters in attendance. All were welcome attendees.
Are you planning to hang with the HAPSters in San Antonio? Apply for a scholarship now!
If you’re looking for financial assistance in getting to San Antonio in May, HAPS has your back. There are four awards available to help you make it happen.
ALL of these applications are DUE by December 1, so get your things together and apply now!
The Sam Drogo Technology in the Classroom Award
This award is given to someone who demonstrates innovative use of technology to engage undergraduates in human anatomy and physiology. Two awards are available, both sponsored by ADInstruments. Award: Awards up to $500 to attend the HAPS annual conference.
Robert Anthony Scholarship
This award is given to new instructors in A&P with the goal of helping new faculty network with seasoned professionals during their first five (5) years of teaching anatomy and physiology by attending the HAPS annual conference. Award: Pays for registration fee at the annual conference.
Contingent Faculty Scholarship
This award is set up to encourage Contingent Faculty to network with seasoned professionals by attending the HAPS annual conference. Award: Covers registration fee at the HAPS annual conference.
HAPS Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Travel Award
This award is given to graduate students or postdoctoral students who attend and present at the HAPS annual conference. Award: $400 cash and annual conference registration fee is waived.
**ALL AWARD APPLICATIONS ARE DUE DECEMBER 1, 2014**
HAPS has been all over North America. We’ve been hosting annual conferences since the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society were formed in 1987. Each conference has created something new and magical and this coming year in Jacksonville, Florida will be no exception.
What would you think of hosting an Annual HAPS conference in your area? It’s not as hard as you might think. We have an entire Conference Committee dedicated to mentor you if you decide to host an annual or a regional conference.
Helping you have the best Conferences possible!
Ellen Lathrop-Davis is the chair of the Conference Committee and she has helped a number of HAPSters give unforgettable conferences. Her committee has created a number of guidelines to help you decide if your city and school are the right fit for 500-600 enthusiastic educators to share ideas for a week in late May. They have prep sheets, conference proposal forms, poster and workshop guidelines, and so much more.
Ellen’s not alone. We also have an Executive Director (Peter English) and ASG (our management firm) that can help with a lot of the logistics. If you propose your location to HAPS for a regional or annual conference, ASG can help determine the best deal for a local hotel, transportation and food vending, and a host of other details. Peter has been great at helping advertise our conferences to other educational societies, upgrading the website and smart-device app, and serving as a contact for the various individuals that you would need for a conference.
Some things to consider if your location is conducive include:
How accessible is your city via air traffic?
How close is your school to major hotels and attractions?
Do you have a quality baseball team in the area (this is important to a number of our members)?
Do you have colleagues that could help you form a strong committee to handle the various functions?
So, whad’ya say? Are you interested in learning if HAPS can come and visit? If an Annual Conference sounds too intimidating, you might consider a Regional Conference. Hosting a 1-day or 2-day conference for your local area is a great way to have the HAPS experience. You might decide that a full-size Annual Conference is or is not in the cards, but you can still have a great time. Ellen would love to hear from you and offer you some tips in considering the idea. Who knows, you might add a red dot to the map.
Checking phone messages. “Hi Anne, this is Caryl Tickner from HAPS. I’d like to talk with you about running for a position on the Board…” Hmmm, Really?
Anne Geller, our W.R.D.
I sort of fell into teaching as a second career around 18 years ago now (can it really be that long?). My colleague at the time introduced me to HAPS, and I attended my first annual conference in Portland, Oregon in 1996. Like many of you, I was immediately hooked. What a great way to learn how to teach from so many experts, and better yet, to make lifelong friends who were as passionate about the human body as I was (and also great fun to hang out with). I was a dedicated HAPSter, but running for Western Regional Director on the Board of Directors? Why would they even ask me? What could I possibly have to contribute?
According to our P&P, (which I learned stood for Policies and Procedures, our guideline manual), a Regional Director’s duties include:
Serving as a voting member on the Board of Directors for a two-year term, and along with other Board members, establishing and managing the policies and affairs of the Society.
Serving as the representative of a HAPS Region, acting as a liaison between his/her constituency and the Board of Directors.
Promoting increased involvement of the region’s membership in the activities of the Society.
Communicating with his/her constituency via email at least once annually.
Serving as a member of the Membership Committee and the Regional Conference Committee to promote local and regional conferences in his/her respective regions with the goal of soliciting one such conference per two-year term.
Attending Board of Director meetings held in mid-year and in conjunction with the Annual Conference, the Annual General Meeting held in conjunction with the Annual Conference and any Regional Conferences in their region for the purpose of welcoming attendees and promoting membership in HAPS.
I am now in my last year as the Western Regional Director, having been re-elected to a second (and final) term. Getting involved with the leadership of HAPS has been a wonderful experience. There’s much that goes on “behind the scenes” to keep it running smoothly that I would have never known about, had I not been on the Board. And considering that we only have two paid positions (Executive Director and Business Services), this organization of 1700 members is, and always will be, run by a dedicated, ever-changing group of volunteers. I’ve had the opportunity to meet even more talented, creative A&P instructors as a representative at conferences, and been able to promote HAPS to potential new members. Being on the Board has given me an opportunity to give something back to this fabulous organization that embraced me and mentored me as a new faculty member 18 years ago, and whose members continue to inspire me to become a better A&P instructor.
Dive in and experience the thrill!
So if you ever get “the call”, I hope that you will consider saying yes; because what I’ve learned over these past three and 1/2 years is that we all have something to contribute, and I can honestly say that I’ve gotten more from this experience than I ever thought I would.
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