Conference on Goal-Directed Neural Systems

The following notice is from Dr. Dan Levine of U.T. Arlington:

The Conference on Goal-Directed Neural Systems, jointly sponsored by MIND and the Texas SIG of the International Neural Network Society, is slowly taking shape. The date is set for Friday and Saturday November 3 and 4 (all day both days). Tentative location is Nedderman Hall at UTA. A block of rooms will be reserved this week at one of three hotels in the Arlington entertainment district.

The current list of speakers is:

From outside Texas: Paul Werbos (National Science Foundation); Donald Wunsch (U of Missouri at Rolla); Robert Kozma (University of Memphis); Leonid Perlovsky (Air Force Research, Bedford, MA); Jose Principe (U of Florida).

From within Texas: Frank Lewis (UT Arlington); Daniel Levine (UT Arlington): Yoonsuck Choe (Texas A&M); Ricardo Gutierrez-Osuna (Texas A&M); Derek Harter (Texas A&M Commerce); Gerhard Werner (UT Austin); Risto Miikkulainen (UT Austin): Haluk Ogmen (U of Houston); Horatiu Voicu (U of Texas, Houston)

Please subscribe to our announcements list for additional information as it becomes available.

Dallas Chapter wins $1200 award to invite renowned neuroscientist

The Dallas Area Neuroscience Group applied and won an award for the Grass Travelling Scientist Program from the Society for Neuroscience.The Grass Travelling Scientist Program allows for the invitation of a renowned neuroscientist to ones institution for lectures/seminars/laboratory visits.The award consists of $1200, which includes $300 as honorarium to the invited scientist. $900 is meant for the scientist's travel, stay and lecture arrangements. Speakers usually agree to visit a chapter for 1 or 2 days, allowing ample time for a formal seminar presentation and extensive informal interaction with faculty and students. Beyond the seminar, the precise nature of the visit is determined by the chapter in conjunction with the speaker. Many visiting neuroscientists have agreed to present additional, more specialized seminars; participate in graduate courses; and offer personal consultations, etc. Past experience indicates that the informal scientific aspects of the Grass tours are often their most outstanding features.

Penny Lea wins SfN Graduate Student Travel Award

The Dallas Area Neuroscience Group congratulates Penny Lea in being selected for the SfN Graduate Student Travel Award. This award is supported by Eli Lilly & Co. and the Vernon Rowland Memorial Fund.It has been designed to recognize the promising work of graduate students who have been nominated by their local chapters for excellence in neuroscience.
THE AWARD CONSISTS OF:
As a travel award winner, Penny is entitled to a) a stipend to defray some of the travel expenses - this usually takes care of an economy class airline ticket to the venue b) receive complimentary registration to the Society for Neuroscience 36th Annual Meeting held in Atlanta, Georgia.
SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection process was such:Six graduate student abstracts were submitted to a selection committee chaired by an independent neuroscience professor. Care was taken that the Chairman selected did not have a graduate student applying for the award.There are 117 SfN chapters and each chapter submits one Graduate Student Nominee. Of these, this year, 50 of the most promisingcandidates were selected by a committee based in SfN headquarters,Washington DC. Awardees are chosen on the basis of the scientific merit of the abstract, evidence of outreach activities, as well as letters of nomination from the Principal Investigator/Mentor and the local nominating chapter. Further details about the award protocol can be accessed at
http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=TravelAwards_gradtravel