“The changes and new initiatives that will be unveiled at LabAutomation are a testament to ALA's determination and positive momentum.”
As my year as ALA president approaches its end, I look forward with great anticipation to ALA's continued progress in 2005, and to LabAutomation2005 in particular. The changes and new initiatives that will be unveiled at LabAutomation are a testament to ALA's determination and positive momentum. They are tangible examples of the organization's success in its strategic and long-term planning initiative.
For starters, the structure of the scientific program has been reshaped to serve a more diverse public of scientists, engineers, and technology managers, ultimately a more diverse membership. The five tracks now are organized by technologies, and should thus appeal to not only the biopharma and clinical organizations, but to any industry or organization utilizing laboratory instrumentation and technologies.
The five core content tracks include detection and separation, microtechnologies, high-throughput technologies, informatics, and frontiers beyond biopharma. Each of these core tracks features a menu of pertinent focus areas that collectively span the continuum of today's most important laboratory technologies, including clinical technologies, emerging technologies and systems integration. In addition, the short course offerings have been redesigned, and new events include Techno Jams and what promises to be a very compelling Session in the Round.
To reinforce the fact that the ALA LabAutomation conference is the most important place to showcase new ideas, the new ALA Innovation Award will present $10,000 to the conference presenter who shares the most innovative laboratory technologies or new, highly useful technology advances and applications. All presenters who demonstrate vision, originality, seminal technology, applications, and strategy will be considered, but only one will be selected by a panel of 11 seasoned experts in laboratory technologies. Abstracts will be screened before the conference, and rigorous evaluations will be conducted during the conference. As our ALA Executive Director Greg Dummer says, “This is ALA's way of putting its money where its mouth is. It is proof of ALA's commitment to excellence and innovation. To our knowledge, this is the first time an award of this magnitude has been established in this sector and been funded solely by a non-profit organization.”
The ALA Grant Program for full-time students was also revitalized for LabAutomation2005, and nearly triple the number of applications was received. To be considered for an ALA travel grant, an applicant must be the primary author of a submitted abstract. Only one applicant from a college or university department can win an ALA travel grant.
Attendees at LabAutomation2005 will also notice changes on the exhibit floor, which has been reorganized by our event management staff professionals to maximize efficiency for attendees and exhibitors alike. In addition to its new streamlined layout, the exhibit floor will feature the ALA Member Center. This gathering place for current and prospective ALA members will offer a comfortable place to chat and relax, connect to the Internet, participate in scheduled roundtable discussions, enjoy a neck and shoulder massage, win a prize, and gather association news and information.
As the 2004 ALA president, I am proud of these achievements, and I greatly appreciate the sweat equity that went into driving these initiatives forward. ALA is fortunate to have a committed team of very capable volunteer leaders—on its board of directors, scientific committee, editorial board, and other committees. Throughout the past year, I have witnessed their energy and enthusiasm, and have been inspired by their insight and expertise. ALA is acquiring the buffer capacity and flexibility to overcome future challenges given the ever-changing field of laboratory automation and organizational needs. ALA is, indeed, becoming a member-driven organization, and the quality and commitment of its members are its greatest strengths. I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve with such models of excellence.
