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Aerospace Physiology Society News

February 2012
Call for Officer Nominations

The Aerospace Physiology Society of the Aerospace Medical Association is opening the floor for nominations for Elected Officers. All members in good standing per Article III of the Society By-Laws are eligible for elected office. Officers are elected by the general membership. The Society elects a President-elect and one Member-At-Large annually. This year (2012) the Society will also elect a Secretary.

The Officer duties are described in Article IV, Section 3 of the Society By-Laws as follows:

  1. President (-elect). Current President incumbent: Lt. Col. Lance Annicelli, USAF, BSC. The President develops the agenda for and chairs annual Society meetings. The President appoints members to the Society Nominations Committee, and appoints all standing and special committee chairmanships. The President is the senior member of the Board of Governors. Term of office is one year President-elect, one year as President.
  2. Secretary. Current incumbent: Ms. Nereyda Sevilla, Ph.D. The Secretary prepares minutes for Society meetings and makes them available to the general membership. The Secretary deals with all Society correspondence and maintains Society correspondence during the term of office. Term of office is 2 years.
  3. Member-At-Large, Board of Governors. Current Incumbent: Col. Paul Gardetto, USAF, BSC. The Member-At-Large attends and participates in annual and special meetings of the Board of Governors, as directed by the By-Laws. The term is for 4 years.

Society members may submit nominations via any means (phone, email, correspondence). Eligible AsPS members may nominate themselves. Nominations will close on Friday, 17 February 2012. Provide current contact information for each nominee. The Committee will acquire consent of the nominee to accept the nomination, and request a short biography, a statement of key contributions to the Society and AsMA, and a digital photograph.

There are no qualifications other than those stated in the Society By-Laws; however, it is recommended that nominees should be considered on overall reputation for excellence in aerospace physiology, contributions and service to the Society and AsMA such as previous office or committee leadership, and general leadership qualities and professionalism.

The Election of Officers will be conducted per the Society By-Laws, and will be by internet ballot. The ballot will be announced soon after nominations close (17 February) and will be available on the Aerospace Physiology website until Friday, 13 April 2012.

Submit nominations to the Nominations Committee Chairman, CDR Tom Wheaton, USN(Ret), email: tom.wheaton@eagle-app-sci.com (commercial), or tomandlaurawheaton@gmail.com (personal); Phone point of contact: 410-474-3602. Nominations also may be submitted to Committee members: CDR Joe Essex, USN(Ret); Col. Don White, USAF, BSC; CAPT Donna Murdoch, USN(Ret); Joe Zellers; and LCDR Brian Swan, USN(Ret).

AsPS Awards: Call for Nominations in Aerospace Physiology Operational Excellence, Training, Research and Leadership

by Mike Kavanaugh, Awards Committee Chair

The Aerospace Physiology Society (AsPS) presents three major achievement awards to recognize individuals who perform extraordinary work within the Aerospace Physiology Community. Awards will be presented at the Aerospace Medicine Association's 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Atlanta, GA, May 13-17, 2012. Society Awards will be presented at the annual luncheon, Wednesday, 16 May 2012.

These awards are presented for outstanding achievement in all areas of aerospace physiology: operational support, training, research, and leadership. The descriptions of each award are:

Paul Bert Award
The Paul Bert Award, recognizes outstanding research contributions in aerospace physiology. This award was established in 1969 and was originally given for achievement in operational physiology. It is named in honor of the famous French physiologist, Paul Bert, the “Father of Pressure Physiology.” Nominees will be considered for research covering the previous five-year period. Limit the nomination to two or three major research contributions. The Award committee considers nonwinning nominations from the past 3 years, though it is strongly recommended that those nominations be updated annually in writing. Research areas may range from basic science to research in highly applied areas of aerospace physiology. Wyle Labs currently sponsors the Paul Bert Award. The 2011 winner was LCDR Tyson Brunstetter, MSC, USNR.

Fred A. Hitchcock Award
The Fred A. Hitchcock Award recognizes career contributions of senior aerospace physiologists for excellence in either operational aerospace physiology or aerospace physiology research. The award was established in 1972, and is named in honor of Fred A. Hitchcock Ph.D., co-translator of Paul Bert’s classic work, “Barometric Pressure.” International ATMO of San Antonio, TX, sponsors the Fred A. Hitchcock Award with an honorarium, a plaque, and an edition of Paul Bert's classic work, “Barometric Pressure.” The Award committee considers non-winning nominations from the past 3 years, though it is strongly recommended that nominations be updated annually in writing. Nominees for the Fred A. Hitchcock Award must be members of AsPS. The 2011 winner was Lt. Col. Andrew Woodrow, USAF, BSC.

Wiley Post Award
The Wiley Post Award recognizes outstanding contributions in direct operational physiology and aeromedical training and education. In 1972, the Wiley Post Award replaced the Paul Bert Award for Operational Physiology. It is named in honor of the aviation pioneer Wiley Post and is presented for exceptional service and achievement in operational physiology, including education and physiological support of Dept. of Defense, FAA, NASA, or civilian aircrew. The Gentex Corp. of Carbondale, PA, sponsors the Wiley Post Award with an honorarium and a plaque. Nominees will be considered for the previous 12-month body of work in operational physiology. Non-winning nominations from past years will not be considered. The 2011 winner was LT Kim Maryman, MSC, USN.

AWARD SUBMISSION CRITERIA
DEADLINE: 01 February 2012
The standard Aerospace Medical Association Awards form shall be the format. The nomination should include:

  1. A citation of 80 words or less,
  2. A bulletized list of significant accomplishments of less than 300 words,
  3. A one page professional biography of the nominee, and
  4. A portrait photograph of the nominee.

Standard award forms may be downloaded from the AsPS website or obtained by contacting the Award Chair via email. Digital email submission of the award package is preferred. MS-Word for documents and TIF or JPEG files for graphics are the preferred file formats. Hard copy nominations will be accepted by mail. Awards not submitted on the AsMA form will not be accepted. Nominations should specify the time interval over which the nominee’s contributions were made.

Society and Association members are strongly encouraged to nominate and recognize outstanding contributions by professionals within the aviation scientific community. Nominations may be submitted by anyone, regardless of AsMA or AsPS membership. Chain of command endorsements are not required for military nominations, but may be considered by the committee.

Award nominations are due no later than February 1, 2012. Late nominations will not be considered or carried over to the next year. Send nominations to the Award Chairman at:
Mike Kavanaugh, kavy1000@hotmail.com; for further info, please visit http://aspsociety.org/awards-and-recognition/.

Board Certification in Aerospace Physiology: Deadline March 2, 2012

The Aerospace Physiology Certification Board of the Aerospace Medical Association will administer the certification examination at the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta, GA on Sunday, May 13, 2012.

Being awarded the gold pO2 pin and certificate of board certification says that a scientist has met significant academic challenges and is a true professional in a select field. In essence, board certification declares that an individual has formally earned the respect of his or her professional peers and their governing organizations. Finally, board certification serves as a goal that members can strive to attain through dedicated self-study and personal and professional contributions to the AsMA and AsPS. However, eligibility is not simply limited to individuals who possess the necessary academic backgrounds. Perhaps the most significant prerequisite is demonstrated interest, participation, and contribution to the field of aerospace physiology over a period of at least 5 years. Relevant education, experience, and professional contributions are each fundamental elements leading to board certification. Board certification in aerospace physiology says that a scientist takes the aeromedical profession seriously.

Application must be made prior to March 2, 2012, to assure consideration for the 2012 examination. Applications received after that date cannot be guaranteed consideration for the 2012 exam. Any late applications not considered for 2012, will automatically be held in abeyance for consideration for the 2013 exam.

To obtain an application form and complete information about certification requirements, submit a short biography describing your relevant background in aerospace physiology, and request for information to the Chair of the Admissions Committee:

Heath M. Clifford, LT, USN, CAsP
3419 Cedar Glen Way
Anacortes, WA 98221
heath.clifford@navy.mil or
heath.clifford@hotmail.com or
visit http://aspsociety.org/casp/board-certification-announcement-2012/.

AsPS Membership Requirements

  • The Aerospace Physiology Society (AsPS) is a constituent organization of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) and as such, active membership in AsPS requires active membership in AsMA. For more information on becoming an AsMA member, please refer to the AsMA web site.
  • Application for AsPS membership and instructions can be accessed via the AsPS website: http://aspsociety.org/membership/. Please submit your application via email to the attention of the Membership Chair at aerophyzsociety@gmail.com.
  • AsPS Membership Dues are only $15 per year.
  • For more information, please contact the Membership Committee Chair through the Society’s email at aerophyzsociety@gmail.com.

AsPS Member Benefits

  • The outstanding network potential and the chance to gain knowledge from the field’s top minds.
  • The opportunity to take part in forums for the integration and utilization of experts in many diverse professional fields. Our members have shared their expertise in multinational and multi-service working groups for altitude effects, acceleration, spatial disorientation, passenger and patient transport, mishap prevention, performance enhancement, and human factors.
  • The opportunity to recognize scientific achievement in the field of aerospace physiology. There are three Society achievement awards presented each year.
  • The chance to contribute to the success and quality of the annual AsMA conference. The Society’s Education and Training Day has been one of the most widely attended sessions during the annual conference.