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Authored by:
Lynda Olin
Western Section President,SRAI
Washington State University
Email: lynda.olin@wsu.edu

Hello Western Section SRAI Members!

It was great to see about 160 Western Section members at the SRAI Annual Meeting in Orlando. Overall attendance was over 1,400. I personally want to give a huge “thank you” to everyone on the SRAI headquarters staff as well as the 3 meeting co-chairs. Your efforts made the meeting great, and we couldn’t do this without your commitment to all the members of SRAI.

Now that we have all returned home, and for those who were not able to join us, here is an update on what’s happening in your Western Section.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST CHAPTER – ALASKA!
A huge welcome to our newest Chapter in (cue drumroll) ALASKA! SRAI member Jennifer Redmond recognized a gap in local networking support and learning resources and reached out to us about starting an SRAI Chapter in Anchorage/Fairbanks. She sent us a very comprehensive Statement of Interest describing how they planned to grow the Chapter. We voted to accept the new Chapter at our Section Business meeting in Orlando, and the SRAI Board of Directors voted in favor of the new Chapter a few days later. So, it’s official. We have a brand new Chapter in Alaska! For more information, contact one of the founding member/officers: Jennifer Redmond , President; Adam Chisom , Treasurer; and Cindy Detablan , Secretary. Congratulations, Alaska! Welcome to the Western Section.

OFFICER NOMINATIONS/ELECTIONS – December/January
Nominations will be open soon for two Western Section officers. The term will start at the end of the Section business meeting in San Diego. We are searching for President-Elect and Secretary positions. Please consider putting your hat in the ring – it’s fun and very rewarding – really! You will have a great support network of other officers and SRAI Headquarters. Don’t be shy – join us! Read Tonya Edvalson's article for more details.

WESTERN/SOUTHERN SECTION MEETING – March 10-13, 2019, San Diego
Next up is our joint section meeting with our Southern Section colleagues in sunny and warm San Diego. March will come sooner than we think, so start planning now to attend - registration is open, the room block is open, scholarship (covers registration) applications are available (please apply), and we hope to have a preliminary program posted in early January. We have two great keynote speakers (Ellen Ochoa – NASA, and Robert Harmon – VetStem Biopharma), plus over 65 other sessions and workshops to choose from. For more information, watch your email for updates, check out the meeting website and see what Ellen Zavala, Southern Section Past President, has updates on.

CHAPTER MEETINGS – Summer 2019
We are in the midst of planning Chapter meetings, and if you are in the Seattle area on July 19, please join us at Seattle Children’s Research Institute for the Pacific Northwest Chapter annual meeting. For more information, contact Josy Combs at University of Washington. Northern California Chapter doesn’t have a firm date/location yet, but the committee is looking at a date in May. More details will be posted on the SRAI Chapter websites soon, or contact Lisa Parker at UC Davis. Our new Alaska Chapter is just getting organized, but stay tuned for more information on their meeting schedule.

SRAI ANNUAL MEETING – Fall 2019
Next fall, our SRAI Annual Meeting will be in our section. This time we will meet in the City by the Bay – San Francisco. Mark your calendars now for October 19-23, 2019. And if you want to provide your expertise, submit a proposal.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR
As I write this, I have about 15 proposals in various stages of completion on my desk. Your workload is probably similar. I also know we often forget to take time for ourselves. As you are reading this in late November, we will be in the middle of a very busy holiday season. My wish this season is for all my SRAI friends and colleagues to have a happy, healthy, joyous season with family and friends. Take time to do something for yourself, and in whatever way you celebrate, I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

As always, if you have questions, suggestions or comments about your section, please reach out to me or any of the other Western Section officers.

See you in San Diego in March!