From the Editor's Desk:
See you in Kentucky!

Barbara Stegenga, Labstracts Editor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
bstegenga@bio.unc.edu

It seems like I just got back from the last ABLE conference at Purdue and here I am getting ready for Kentucky!  It’s been a busy winter, but I’m enjoying every minute of it.  In addition to running the introductory biology labs, this past fall semester I taught the intro biology course to part-time studies students here at UNC.  I really like teaching this class because of the variety of student backgrounds and the fact that I can teach in a newly renovated, spacious and comfortable lecture hall (that’s because I teach in the evening when everyone else is gone!) But, the extra space gave us room to hold group discussions and do classroom activities.

I also became a part-time advisor for Biology majors in the College of Arts & Sciences and had to learn many policies, many rules and how to work with many different personalities.  Since I do this anyway with hundreds of students walking by my office each week, it didn't seem to be too much of a problem for me.  I enjoy listening to students talk about their high school experience, how their classes are going, and what their plans are for the future.

When I left Purdue last June, I came back with several ideas that I wanted to implement right away, as I always do after an ABLE conference.  I set to work on making revisions on lab exercises and also decided it was time to give our lab manual a new look.  So, I agreed to have Hayden-McNeil help me create a more professional and user friendly manual to be on the shelves in the bookstore this fall for our introductory biology lab course.  I'm excited about that!

Another change that recently occurred for me was my move into a new office earlier this month due to renovations happening in our department. I now have a nice office with two windows instead of one, and a pretty view of oak trees and grassy area instead of a gate to a parking lot.  I can see the robins flying back and forth and the hawk that occassionally perches on the tree outside my window. A squirrel frequently visits my window expecting leftovers from lunch. The previous occupant of this office fed the squirrel every day. What is especially nice about this office is that the previous occupant has been a good friend of mine long before I moved into it.  She is the person who interviewed me in this office 15 years ago, often talked to me about the drama of having two daughters in this office, and introduced me to ABLE in this office.  I’ve been going to ABLE ever since. Thanks, Jean DeSaix!

If you are not a member of ABLE, I hope you consider joining and attending a conference.  Three days of workshops is a nice break from setting up labs, working on manuals, training TAs and listening to students worry about their grades. I enjoy being at a university and in a state I haven't visited, and catching up with friends I made at past ABLE conferences. I like the snack breaks (I think we all do) and I like flying paper airplanes at dinner! Most importantly, I look forward to coming back home with new lab ideas that work, and I think our TAs and students really appreciate that.

Enjoy the article in this issue by Kathy Nolan and see what interesting conferences/meetings are coming up. It's still not too late to register for mini-workshops and posters for the the ABLE conference this June! Also, check out the survey that Kelly Bohrer, Dan Johnson and Alma Ferrier are asking participants to fill out before registering for their workshop on training TAs in Inquiry-Based Learning. The survey can be found with the 2007 annual meeting information.

If you are interested in contributing articles or ideas to this newsletter, please don’t hesitate to contact me through email.  I would be more than happy to have new submissions for the Fall 2007 issue. 

Have a wonderful spring and see you in Lexington, Kentucky this June!

Barbara Stegenga