Bob Curry Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Dear WOS Members, On 1 April 2012 the Wilson Ornithological Society (WOS) Council met and discussed whether to join the discussion and development of management documents for the proposed Society for Ornithology (SfO). We reached an agreement and recommend that the Wilson Ornithological Society remain independent and not dissolve in order to join with the SfO. The benefits to our profession of the WOS remaining independent are many. It provides an entry into ornithology that is strongly mentoring and nurturing, not only for students and non-professional ornithologists, but also for the development of leaders in our profession. Many officers and council members of other societies have served similar roles in the WOS Council early in their careers. By remaining independent, the WOS will provide a smaller, less expensive meeting venue compared to the very large SfO meetings. Both sizes of meetings play a role in the development of young scientists and it is important to maintain this diversity. It is also important to maintain a diversity in the professional publications of our field. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (WJO) will remain in its present form and available in hardcopy and online. We will soon have a new website for the journal that will improve access and reflect some of the changes that the society will be making. One of the biggest changes is that of a new Editor for the WJO. Dr. Clait Braun has served extremely well as editor for the past 6 years. During this time the number of manuscripts submitted to the journal has increased as has the number of pages published in the journal. We greatly appreciate the time, energy, and guidance Clait and his wife Nancy, who ran the editorial office, put into making the WJO such an excellent publication. Beginning with the 2013 volume (125), Dr. Mary Bomberger Brown will take over the editorial reins of the WJO. She will be the first female editor of a North American professional ornithological journal and we look forward to her continuing the tradition of producing an outstanding journal. As with any new editor, there will be changes. Please share your ideas with her or the Publications Committee (Chair: Dr. Greg Farley) for things you would like to see in the journal. For those who will be making the trip to the NAOC, I look forward to seeing you in Vancouver. Best regards, Bob Beason, President Wilson Ornithological Society Postscript: Several people have pointed out that Dr. Cheryl Dykstra has capably served as Editor for many years of the Journal of Raptor Research. We join other ornithologists in celebrating Dr. Dykstra's role as the female editor of this major publication of the Raptor Research Foundation, an organization of international scope that extends beyond North America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJRalph Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I applaud the Society for this action in insuring that there will be a diversity of journals, each independent from the other, as well as multiple places for students to give talks and get feedback, that a smaller, friendlier venue provides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Curry Posted October 11, 2012 Author Share Posted October 11, 2012 Dear WOS members, At the NAOC in Vancouver, the AOU and COS jointly created three Task Force committees to discuss and suggest solutions to some of the problems with which they and the other ornithological societies are dealing. Those committees are charged with investigating how “Publications,” “Meetings,” and “Efficiencies” can be improved. The WOS and AFO have been invited to provide an observer to each of the committees. Although the observers will not have decision-making authority, they can contribute to the discussion and return to their respective societies with ideas to better all of the ornithological societies. The following individuals have agreed to serve as WOS observers to the respective committees: Publications: Greg Farley Meetings: Meg Hatch Efficiencies: Tim O’Connell If you have ideas you would like to contribute, please send them to the appropriate individual. I hope many of you are making plans to attend our next meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia 7-9 March 2013. The announcement of the deadlines will be forthcoming shortly. Best regards, Bob Beason, President Wilson Ornithological Society Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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