Student Affairs Committee

Melissa Blundell

Pete Hosner & Nick Block

Stephanie Wright

Lynette Dornak

Origin and History

The declining student membership in ornithological societies, including the American Ornithologists' Union, has promoted the creation of the Student Affairs Committee in 2003. Students have a very important role in the AOU since we are the next cohort of ornithologists and the future of the AOU. To address this concern and to promote student involvement in the AOU, the Committee on Student Affairs was created.

Objectives

• Identify the needs of student members and develop mechanisms to address them.
• Increase student membership, student attendance at annual meetings and student involvement in the operation of the AOU.
• Foster interactions between students and established ornithologists.
• Serve as a liaison between student members and the governing bodies of the AOU.
• Increase student involvement in AOU committees and governance.
• Improve technological tools available to students (e.g. website functionality, email communication tools).
• Promote workshops at meetings on topics especially relevant to students (e.g., grant writing, publishing, paper reviewing, teaching).
• Promote student activities at annual meetings.

Activities

The Committee organizes activities at the annual meetings of the AOU.

Members

The 2009-2010 Committee consists of:

• Melissa Blundell, US Geological Survey (Chair)
• Nicholas Block, University of Chicago
• Pete Hosner, University of Kansas
• Stephanie Wright, Villanova University
• Lynnette Dornak, University of Kansas
• Wendy Lenhart, Philadelphia Zoo

For more information about the AOU Committee on Student Affair, getting involved in exciting activities, or the content/layout of the student pages, contact Melissa Blundell ().