Read the President’s Note to the Membership, July 2022
News of Recent Board Activities
The Association for Materials & Methods in Paleontology would like to invite you to the 2023 Annual Meeting hosted by the Burke Museum in Seattle, Washington, April 4-8, 2023. This meeting will be held in a hybrid format featuring both in-person and virtual components. Check out the Annual Meeting webpage for more information. 2022 Board of Directors ElectionThe AMMP Board of Directors would like to convey the following message from the Elections Committee, in regards to the results of the 2022 elections. The Board would like to thank the Elections Committee for their diligence in running a free and fair election, the candidates and those who nominated them, and all members who participated in steering the future of this organization. Before reporting the results I would first like to thank the candidates for running, those persons who nominated them, the other members of the Elections Committee and the Board of Directors for helping to ensure a robust election. I would also like to thank you, the members; this year a full 64% of members cast ballots. Congratulations to the elected officers, and with thanks again, Michelle Pinsdorf (AMMP Member at Large 1) Results for 2022 Board of Directors Election Time zone: Eastern Time (US & Canada) 83 of 129 ballots cast. Candidate: President (2022-2024 Term) Greg Brown: 51 votes (61.4%) Matthew Brown: 32 votes (38.6%) Greg Brown wins with 61.4% of the vote. Votes tallied: 83 Abstentions: 0 ********************************************************** Candidate: Vice President (remainder of the 2021-2023 Term) Marilyn Fox: 48 votes (57.8%) Lisa Herzog: 35 votes (42.2%) Marilyn Fox wins with 57.8% of the vote. Votes tallied: 83 Abstentions: 0 ********************************************************** Candidate: Secretary (2022-2024 Term) Jessica Barnett: 45 votes (55.6%) Kayleigh Johnson: 36 votes (44.4%) Jessica Barnett wins with 55.6% of the vote. Votes tallied: 81 Abstentions: 2 ********************************************************** Candidate: Member-at-large 1 (2022-2024 Term) Larkin McCormack: 43 votes (52.4%) Patrick Wilson: 39 votes (47.6%) Larkin McCormack wins with 52.4% of the vote. Votes tallied: 82 Abstentions: 1 ********************************************************** Candidate: Member-at-large 2 (remainder of the 2021-2023 Term) Christina Byrd: 53 votes (65.4%) Cory Redman: 28 votes (34.6%) Christina Byrd wins with 65.4% of the vote. Votes tallied: 81 Abstentions: 2 The candidates have each written a short biography and a summary of why they chose to accept their nomination for office. You can find their statements here: https://paleomethods.org/2022-Board-of-Director-Candidates/ |
AMMP Webinar Series
The Association held its first webinar: FOSSIL PREPARATION IN A PANDEMIC: A COVID-19 WEBINAR.
This was the first in a new series offering virtual connections to members throughout the year. We hope to be able to provide regularly scheduled opportunities for training, demonstrations, new techniques, materials and institutional forces. Please visit the Webinar page for full details and opportunities to participate.
Stay tuned for information on the next Webinar.
Statement on Covid-19 Furloughs and Layoffs
The Association for Materials and Methods in Paleontology was founded to standardize conservation methodology for fossil specimens and collections around the world. Over the last decade, the Association has made significant strides in honing and refining best practices based on the research and experience of its member base. The knowledge accrued is the fruit of hundreds of careers and countless hours of work - effort and experience unique to each of our members and their positions in their home institutions.
The health and quality of care for a collection is inextricably tied to the presence of experienced, knowledgeable staff. Paleontological collections are irreplaceable archives for the history of life on Earth and require rigorous monitoring and specialized care. No two collections, or even two fossils, are the same, and so the expertise of existing staff is likewise unique. Furthermore, the proper protection and maintenance of paleontological collections is an avowed obligation often enshrined within institutional mission statements.
In response to financial fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the current wave of furloughs and layoffs in natural history museums is concerning for several reasons, namely:
- In times of financial stress, collections professionals - including fossil preparators, collections assistants, collections managers - are often the first casualties of cutbacks, suggesting administrators view these positions as non-essential. They are essential.
- Short term savings via layoffs and furloughs of collections staff will compound future expenses necessary to remediate damage to collections resulting from lapses in care.
- Institutional prestige - based on research and discoveries - will be stunted by cutbacks of the staff who acquire, process and maintain the specimens upon which such research is based.
- Dismissal of experienced collections staff shirks institutions’ responsibility as repositories of our scientific legacy in the public trust.
- These difficult times have not dimmed the sense of mission felt by those entrusted with the care of natural history collections. We offer this statement of support for Association members, directed to administrators and board members of natural history institutions, legislators, public officials, and the general public.
AMMP strongly urges decision makers to ensure that the resources and personnel needed to meet professional and institutional obligations are given utmost priority and remain in place to the greatest extent viable.
Become a Member
Join a growing community of individuals interested in paleontology conservation and methodological best practices.
AMMP is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization of persons interested in the field of paleontological collections care and methodology. This includes conservation, preparation, sampling, and collection of fossil animal remains. Members have the desire to maintain and further the profession through increased communication with peers, and encouraging others with the desire and capabilities to enter the profession. Members promote better understanding of the profession by the general public, those persons requiring such services, and increase the respect for the profession by maintaining and encouraging high standards of competence and ethics.
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