From the PresidentRodger Kram

American Society of BiomechanicsNewsletter

Vol. 20 December 2007 No. 2www.asbweb.org

In this column, I want to outline a few initiatives that Iplan to work on during my tenure as President. I can’tdo them alone; I need your help.

First off, I am determined to grow the participation ofbiologists in the society. One way is to reach out to theSociety of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB).Research interests at SICB span the range of organismson the planet from ants to zebras and from amoebas toxylem. I encourage you to google “SICB biomechanics”and check it out. They provide a list of their membersand institutional affiliation. You probably have a localbiomechanics colleague and don’t even know it. Dropthem an e-mail, invite them to your lab, have a cup ofcoffee, exchange ideas and encourage them to joinASB or attend our meeting. Or maybe put together aproposal for a regional joint ASB-SICB conference.Bob Full of UC Berkeley is the chair of biomechanicsfor SICB and we are working on a plan to encourageASB and SICB members to attend each other’smeetings.

Our annual meeting is obviously the primary reason forthe existence of ASB. My second initiative is two-fold:make ASB a more frequent part of your scientific lifeand foster the fascination of young people withbiomechanics. One way to achieve both goals is to useInternet video. Currently, only 2 or 3 keynote lecturesper year are sponsored by ASB and they are seen byonly 500 members at the annual meeting. I’d like tobegin with an annual ASB Internet keynote lecture/presentation, build an archive, and hopefully increasethe frequency of these Internet video keynote lectures.I envision that eventually labs around the country wouldschedule a meeting around these events and therewould be interactive Q&A. More broadly, I hope thatthese presentations would be engaging enough thathigh school science students would check them out andhopefully even think they are “cool”. Many of us first

heard about biomechanics through popular media(NOVA, Discovery Magazine etc.). Young peopletoday spend their time online, not on TV. If you wantto see some examples of the kind of amazingpresentations that I have in mind, google “TED TheoJansen” or “TED arm Dean Kamen”. Please send meyour suggestions for scientists who give dynamic, highlyvisual and coherent presentations.

I also have two ambitious goals that involve fundraising.Did anybody else notice the William Gates computerscience building on the Stanford campus? I feel stronglythat ASB should broaden our appeal for corporatedonations beyond narrowly focused biomechanicscompanies. Almost every ASB affiliated lab usesproducts or services from much bigger companies, likeMicrosoft, Apple, Google, Matlab, National Instruments,and United Airlines. We need to ask them to invest inour future scientists. My goal is to develop corporatelyendowed conference travel grants for our students. Ifyou have a personal connection with someone at a largecompany, please let me know me so that we canleverage your contact.

On a related note, I would like create a new opportunityfor our longtime members to establish a legacy at ASB.Other scientific societies have arrangements wherebypeople can endow a fellowship in their name as part oftheir estate planning. The Jim Hay award in sportsbiomechanics is a perfect example of this idea. I wouldbe most grateful if any senior members of ASB wouldlike to help me out with this project.

Finally, if you are like me and subscribe to the adage“procrastination is an elegant form of time management”,mark your February calendar now! The abstractdeadline for the joint meeting of ASB and CSB(=NACOB) in August is MARCH 1st, not the moretypical April deadline. The team at Appalachian State,oops, I mean the University of Michigan does notbelieve in procrastination and their plans for this meetingare in great shape. OK, that’s it from Boulder.Remember to keep the rubber side down.

Page 2 ASB Newsletter

Editorial BoardEditor & LayoutMichelle SabickMSabick@boisestate.edu

Calendar & AdvertisingWilliam Ledouxwrledoux@u.washington.edu

ASB NEWSLETTERvolume 20, number 2

Back Copies of Newsletter:

All previous ASB newsletters have beenconverted into pdf documents and arearchived on the ASB website:

http://www.asbweb.org/newsletters/newsletters.html

Newsletter AdvertisingThe Editorial Board invites various businessesand corporations that have products or servicesof interest to members of the Society to advertisein the ASB Newsletter. Advertising space mayalso be purchased for job postings or other specialannouncements.

The current advertising rates are as follows:

1/4 page $1001/2 page $200full page $400back page $600separate insert $600

If you are interested in learning more aboutadvertising in the ASB newsletter, please e-mail William Ledoux at:

wrledoux@u.washington.edu

ASB InvolvementIf you are interested in becoming more active inthe Society (e.g., serving on a committee orchairing a conference session), contact MaxKurz (mkurz@mail.coe.uh.edu), MembershipCommittee Chair, with your name, address,phone/fax number, email address, and yourdesired involvement. This information will beincluded in a database which is periodicallyupdated and distributed to the Executive Board.

In this issue ...page

From the President 1Student’s Corner 4Education Committee 7Secretary/Treasurer 8Past-President 9Communications Committee 11NW Regional Conference 2007 12NW Regional Conference 2008 12A View From the Blue 15Paid Job Advertisements 16NACOB 2008 18Calendar of Events 19

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 3

Page 4 ASB Newsletter

Student’s CornerKatie Bieryla

The 31st annual ASB meeting held at Stanford wasa great success. Students from all over the UnitedStates were well represented. Highlights from theprogram included a night out in downtown PaloAlto, lunch with founding members of ASB, and awell attended Women in Science lunch on the lastday of the conference.

One important date for student members to beaware of is January 15, 2008, which is the due datefor ASB Graduate Student Grant- In Aidapplications. Last year the program was verycompetitive and five applications were grantedawards. We expect the award to be just ascompetitive this year. The Grant-In Aid programoffers research funding for small equipment items,materials and supplies, and animal or subject costs.The money cannot be used for salaries or travel. Tobe eligible for the award the student must be astudent member of ASB or have an applicationpending by January 1, 2008. The executive boardanticipates awarding 3-5 grants ranging from $500to $2500. More information is available at the ASBwebsite (www.asbweb.org).

With spring approaching more quickly than youthink, ASB regional meetings will soon be here. Asinformation about the regional meetings dates andlocations become available, it will be posted on theASB website. Be sure to check back periodically tosee if there will be a regional meeting in your area.Last year, successful meetings were held at DukeUniversity, University of Maryland, and Universityof Oregon. The regional meetings present theopportunity for students to present their researchwork in a more informal setting than the large nationalmeeting. If you have the chance to attend a regionalmeeting I suggest you take it.

The 2008 annual meeting will be a joint meeting withthe Canadian Society of Biomechanics (called theNorth American Congress on Biomechanics orNACOB). This means it is going to be bigger and

longer than before. The meeting will be held at theUniversity of Michigan, from August 5-9, 2008.The key date to remember is March 1, 2008, whichis when abstracts will be due. Begin to formulateideas now as we would like to have a fantasticstudent showing at this meeting. Each year thescientific program becomes stronger due to thequality of the abstracts that are submitted, withmany coming from students. At this meeting we willplan some student activities to mingle with ourbiomechanics friends from the north. Moreinformation about that will come in the springnewsletter. Additionally, my appointment as studentrepresentative will end at the NACOB meetingwhere we will elect a new student representative tothe executive board. Begin to think about servingASB in this capacity.

A new initiative has been started to compile a list ofgraduate programs in biomechanics that will beposted on the ASB website. This information willbe helpful for prospective students interested inentering the field of biomechanics. This will onlywork with your help. We would like your assistanceby providing us with the names and URLs of yourdepartments, programs, laboratories, or groups.Please emai l me wi th th is informat ion(kbieryla@vt.edu). We will continue to add to thislist and hopefully many students will find this ahelpful resource.

Good luck in the upcoming year with research andclasses. As always, feel free to email me with anysuggestions on how ASB can be of better service toyou, the students.

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 5

Page 6 ASB Newsletter

PresidentRodger KramUniversity of ColoradoBoulder, CO 80309-0354Phone: (303) 492-7984Email: rodger.kram@colorado.edu

Past-PresidentKenton KaufmanMayo ClinicRochester, MN 55905Phone: (507) 284-2262Email: kaufman.kenton@mayo.edu

President-ElectIrene DavisUniversity of DelawareNewark, DE 19716Phone: (302) 831-4263Email: mcclay@udel.edu

Secretary/TreasurerPaul DeVitaEast Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC 27858Phone: (252) 737-4563Email: devitap@ecu.edu

Program ChairRichard HughesUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI 48109-0486Phone: (734) 474-2459Email: rehughes@umich.edu

Meeting ChairJames Ashton-MillerUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI 48109-2125Phone: (734) 763-2320Email: jaam@umich.edu

ASB Executive Board 2007–2008

Education Committee ChairNick StergiouUniversity of Nebraska OmahaOmaha, NE 68182-0216Phone: (402) 554-3075Email: nstergiou@mail.unomaha.edu

Membership Committee ChairMax KurzThe University of Houston3855 Holman StreetGarrison Room 104Houston, TX 77204-6015Phone: (713) 743-2274Email: mkurz@uh.edu

Program Chair ElectSteven McCawIllinois State UniversityNormal, IL 61790Phone: (309) 438-3804Email: smccaw@ilstu.edu

Communications Committee ChairAndy KardunaUniversity of OregonEugene, OR 97403Phone: (541) 346-0438Email: karduna@uoregon.edu

Newsletter EditorMichelle SabickBoise State UniversityBoise, ID 83725-2075Phone: (208) 426-5653Email: msabick@boisestate.edu

Student RepresentativeKatie BierylaVirginia TechBlacksburg, VA 24060Phone: (540) 231-4294Email: kbieryla@vt.edu

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 7

I assumed responsibility as Education CommitteeChair at the August ASB meeting held at StanfordUniversity in California. Many thanks to SteveMcCaw, the previous Chair, who made this transitionpractically seamless.

I am located at the University of Nebraska at Omaha(biomech.unomaha.edu). Many of you when you hearOmaha, you probably think of countless acres of landcovered with corn. However, it is not exactly likethat. Omaha has a variety of attractions with somethingto fit almost everyone’s interest. We are the home ofthe College World Series and the world class HenryDoorly Zoo. Our easily reached riverfront has firstclass restaurants, the Qwest Convention Center,beautiful parks and a surprising amount of out of theordinary shopping. I am a native of Greece and yes,I do miss the easy access to the Mediterranean andthe mountains. However, I fell in love with Omahabecause of how friendly and helpful the people arehere. Omahans also love all kinds of sports, as do I.One of the things I enjoy most is my morning run,because I frequently see deer and other wildlife lessthan a mile from my home.

The ASB Graduate Student Grant-in-Aid Programis our biggest item to discuss, which is detailed below.The purpose of this program is to support ASBstudent members pursuing biomechanics research byoffering a source of research funding. The grants aredistributed on a competitive basis and are intended tooffset the costs directly associated with conductingresearch. Funds may be used for small equipmentitems, materials and supplies, and animal or subjectcosts, but cannot be used to support travel costs orsalaries. ASB anticipates awarding 3-5 grants, rangingfrom $500 to $2500 for a one-year period.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a student memberof ASB or have a membership application receivedby the Membership Chair no later than January 1,2008. Applications must be submitted in a single fileby electronic mail (Word or ASCII text only, no PDFmaterials are acceptable) by midnight January 15,2008. The email must have as the subject line: 2008ASB GIA. The attached file should have the

Education CommitteeNick Stergiou

applicant’s name as the file name using the followingformat: LastNameFirstNameInitialYear.doc (i.e.StergiouN08.doc).

The application must include:1. the name of the applicant and the title of the

project2. a 150 word abstract3. the significance of and need for the research4. specific aims and hypotheses to be examined5. a succinct overview of the methods to be

employed6. reference list7. an itemized budget (note that ASB does not

pay indirect costs for the GIA)8. a curriculum vita of the applicant9. a letter of recommendation from a faculty

advisor/supervisor10.the name and mailing address of the fiscal

agent at the institution responsible for handlingany grant funds provided, and the recipienttitle that should appear on the check.

Sections 1 to 7 of the application should not exceedseven double-spaced pages. Page margins should notbe less than 2.5 cm and font size no less than 11 point(9 point for the references). Since applications aredistributed electronically for review, neither letterheadgraphics nor electronic signatures are required on theletter of recommendation.

The Education Committee of the American Societyof Biomechanics will review applications, with fundingdistribution expected by June 1. The rule is thatrecipients must present at the annual ASB meeting inthe year following receipt of a GIA. For example,those receiving funding distributed in 2008 will beexpected to attend and present at ASB in 2009.Applications and inquiries should be submitted to:Nick Stergiou, Ph.D.Chair, ASB Education CommitteeUniversity of Nebraska at OmahaEmail: nstergiou@mail.unomaha.edu.Email subject: 2008 ASB GIA

I look forward to working with the ASB ExecutiveBoard and all committee members over the next threeyears. If you’re interested in serving on the EducationCommittee, or if you have any issues/concerns thatyou would like to raise, please contact me by phoneor e-mail.

Page 8 ASB Newsletter

Secretary/TreasurerPaul DeVita

On August 25, 2007 I succeeded Don Andersonas the Secretary-Treasurer of ASB. So far, sogood: ASB still exists and there remains moneyin the accounts. We have actually been movingthrough an extended transition period that iscontinuing to January of 2008. We are usingthis per iod to move to a new on- l inemembership system that will enable you toapply to ASB and renew your ASB membershipamong other functions. Don continued toprocess membership payments with theeminently difficult Access system while Ilearned the new system and worked to get itrunning. As I write this article the new systemis not yet functioning. As you read this article,the new system is hopefully ready to go, and asJanuary rolls around, the new system will makeall our ASB membership issues a joy to behold.Well, there’s always hope.

I want to thank Don for all the help he hasprovided me during the past year and for hiscontinuing efforts over this autumn for theSociety. For example, my modus operandi oneach of your requests and questions these pastfew months was: 1) become confused, 2) askDon how to solve the problem, 3) solve theproblem. Don has generously donated his timeand energy to ASB well beyond the norm (i.e.

what I’ll probably do) and we all owe him aGreat Big Thanks. GBT, Don.

Getting back to the money, I report to you thatthe current value of ASB investments totaled$149,280 and this value is $10,700 higherthan the investment total one year prior. Thecash accounts are in both Iowa ($4,015) andNorth Carolina ($11,050) for a total of$15,065. We will keep some money in Iowawhile Don is still on duty. The total is a bitlower than previous reports and because wehave not ye t col lec ted the corpora temembership fees. The cash account fluctuatesgreatly depending on the time of year. It ishigh after the membership renewal period andthen slowly decreases through the year as wepay journal subscriptions, various grants, andregional meeting fees. I apologize for beingsomewhat vague here and I will try to be morespecific in future newsletters.

I am not sure what we have gotten ourselvesinto by electing me as the Secretary-Treasurer(emphasis on the Treasurer part) for the nextthree years. I certainly thank the membershipfor having confidence in me and for electingme to this position. I hope to serve the Societywell…as I mentioned, there’s always hope.Please contact me if you have any questionsabout ASB financial matters or if you have afunny story. Thank you.

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 9

Past-PresidentKenton Kaufman

I invite and urge you to consider submittingan application for one of the ASB awards.There are awards for individuals at all stagesof their career, ranging from Pre-doctoraland Post-Doctoral Young Scientist awards tothe prestigious Borelli and Hay Awards. Afifth award, the Travel Award, also requires asubmission package. In this column I willbriefly describe the awards that require asubmission package. The remaining awards(Journal of Biomechanics , Cl in ica lBiomechanics, and President’s Award) areselected from the abstracts submitted to ourannual meeting. Information on all of theASB Awards can be found on our website( h t t p : / / w w w. a s b w e b . o r g / h t m l / a w a r d s /awards.html).

As Past-President, I serve as the Chair of theAwards Committees and administer theprocess. For those interested in submittingan award package, please note that we have anelectronic submission process. All awardapplication materials must be submitted byMarch 15, 2008. If you are not planning tosubmit an award application, please considerserving on one of the awards selectioncommittees and send me an email indicatingyour willingness to serve. My contactinformation is provided below. Good luck toeveryone!

Kenton Kaufman, PhD, PEASB Past PresidentChair, ASB Awards CommitteesCharlton North L-110LMayo Clinic200 First Street SWRochester, MN 55905kaufman.kenton@mayo.edu

Borelli AwardThe Borelli Award is the most prestigious honorgiven by the ASB, recognizes outstanding careeraccomplishment, and is awarded annually to aninvestigator who has conducted exemplaryresearch in any area of biomechanics. Theaward is named after Giovanni Alfonso Borelli(1608-1679). Borelli, a mid-17th centuryProfessor of Mathematics from Naples, Italy,is considered to be the father of modernbiomechanics. Borelli’s novel contribution,the treatise “On the Movement of Animals”(translated by Paul Maquet and published bySpr inger-Ver lag) , puts for th numerousproposi t ions on the movements anddisplacements of the limbs of man and animals.

The Borelli Award selection is based onoriginality, quality and depth of the researchand the relevance of this work to the field ofbiomechanics. The awardee must attend theAnnual Meeting of the ASB in order to receivethe award and to deliver the Borelli lecture. Theaward consists of an engraved plaque and acheck for $1500. The Borelli Award is open toall scientists, including non-ASB members, butexcluding ASB officers and members of theBorel l i and Hay Awards Commit tees .Candidates may be self-nominated or nominatedby others. Candidates should be establishedscient is ts whose work incorpora tesbiomechanics in any sc ient i f ic f ie ld .Submission material for the Borelli Awardincludes a letter of nomination (Word documentor PDF), a comprehensive curriculum vitae(Word document or PDF), and five publicationson a single topic or theme (PDF). All materialsmust be sent by e-mail (or post-marked) byMarch 15, 2008 to the ASB Past-President.

Hay AwardThe Jim Hay Memorial Award for Research inSpor ts and Exerc ise Biomechanics wasestablished in 2004 from the financial supportof the Hay family and additional donors torecognize outstanding career accomplishment.

Page 10 ASB Newsletter

The Hay Award is presented annually to aninvestigator who has conducted exemplaryresearch in the area of sports and exercisescience biomechanics.

The Hay award is based on originality, qualityand depth of the research and the relevance ofthis work to the field of Sports and Exercisebiomechanics. The awardee must attend theAnnual Meeting of the ASB in order to receivethe award and to deliver the Jim Hay Memoriallecture. The award consists of an engravedplaque and a check for $1,000. The award isopen to all scientists, including non-ASBmembers, but excluding ASB officers andmembers of the Borelli and Hay AwardsCommittees. Candidates may be nominatedby themselves or by others. Submissionmaterial for the Hay Award includes a letter ofnomination (Word document or PDF), acomprehensive curr iculum vi tae (Worddocument or PDF), and five publications on asingle topic or theme (PDF). All materialmust be sent by e-mail (or post-marked) byMarch 15, 2008 to the ASB Past-President.

Young Scientist AwardsThe Pre- and Post-Doctoral Young ScientistAwards are amongst the most competitive inour society and recognize outstanding earlyachievements by promising young scientists.Selection is based upon the scientific qualityof the submitted material. Both awardeesmust attend the annual ASB meeting to presenttheir work in a special Awards session. Eachaward consists of an engraved plaque, a checkfor $500, and a waiver of conference fees forthe annual ASB meeting.

Regarding eligibili ty, nominees must becurrent or pending members of the ASB at thetime of submission. A young scientist isconsidered eligible for the pre-doctoral awardif they have not received their doctoral degreein the year prior to the ASB annual meeting. Ayoung scientist is considered eligible for the

post-doctoral award if they have received theirdoctoral degree within five years prior to theyear of the annual meeting. Candidates may beself-nominated or nominated by an ASBmember for either award.

Submission materials are identical for the twoawards and include a letter of nomination fromthe department head or graduate researchadvisor (Word document or PDF), a curriculumvi tae (Word document or PDF) , and adescription of the nominee’s current research.Please include a statement specifying thenominee’s contribution to all work describedand to all accompanying publications (limit 2pages, Word document or PDF). Finally,candidates for the Young Scientist Awards mustsubmit an abstract of original research (viaregular call for abstracts) to the ASB annualmeeting with the nominee as first author. Allmaterials (excluding the abstract) must be sentby e-mail (or post marked) by March 15, 2008,to the ASB Past-President.

Travel AwardAll ASB members are eligible to apply. Traveland lodging costs are covered. Budget requestsmay be up to $1000. Matching funds from thecandidate’s or host’s institution are desirable,but not required.

Applications must include a cover letter,current curriculum vitae, letter from hostindicating support for the travel, a synopsis (2pages maximum) describing the purpose ofthe t ravel , and a de ta i led budget wi thjus t i f ica t ion . A shor t repor t (2 pagesmaximum) explaining the significant outcomesof the travel must be submitted following thecompletion of the travel (to be published inthe ASB newsletter).

All application materials (Word document orPDF) must be submitted electronically byemail to the ASB Past-President (or post-marked) by March 15, 2008.

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 11

Communications CommitteeAndy Karduna

Just a short update on what I’ve been working on.After a lot of digging, we now have a completehistory of all past executive board members and allpast award winners. Using a great program calledCommunity Walk (which uses Google Maps), Ihave mapped out all ASB national and regionalmeetings (see figure below).

Members of the Communication Committee havealso been busy. Iain Hunter is in the process ofupdating our conference archive page so that allpast meeting abstracts will be available and Zong-Ming Li is working on resurrecting our list of ASBgraduate programs. Perhaps the area that I’vespent the most time on has been investigating theidea of developing an on-line membership system.After exploring many options, talking to members ofother societies and getting several bids, we’vedecided on a Member IT, which is the same companythat the ISB is working with. I’m sure Paul will betalking about it elsewhere in the newsletter (seepage 8), but we are hoping to have the system upand running in time for next year’s membershiprenewals.

Attention!!

ASB Annual Meeting 2008 is part

of NACOB, the North American

Congress on Biomechanics

August 5-9, 2008

University of Michigan

More info: www.nacob2008.org

Dark balloons represent single meetings at a location.Light balloons represent multiple meetings at alocation.

Page 12 ASB Newsletter

Northwest RegionalConference 2007

The 2007 Northwest Biomechanics Symposium(NWBS), northwest regional ASB meeting, washeld at the University of Oregon on May 18-19,2007. A total of 33 scientific presentations from 6US states (Oregon, Washington, Montana, Arizona,Arkansas, and Louisiana), 1 Canadian province(British Columbia), and France were included in theprogram. More than 90 participants from 18 differentresearch laboratories, local corporations orinstitutions, and international vendors attended thesymposium.

There were five podium sessions, two postersessions, and three round table discussions duringthis one and a half day symposium. Sessions includedGait, Methodology/Modeling, Control of Movement,Instrumentation, and Spine, with 4-5 presentationsin each area. For the round table discussions,attendees were divided into small groups of 10-15to enhance interactions among individuals and tocontinue discussion on the research thread of theprevious session or on selected topics inbiomechanics.

The symposium was highlighted by the ASB Keynoteaddress, delivered by Dr. Rodger Kram (Universityof Colorado), with a title of “Using Biomechanicsto Dissect the Energetic Cost of Running.” Itwas a topic well-suited to the City of Eugene,“Track Town, USA.” A dinner banquet held at theUO Casanova Center concluded day one.

The second day of the symposium continued to befilled with podium and poster presentations by bothundergraduate and graduate students. Given thehigh quality of each presentation, the award selectionjudges had a difficult task. Ultimately, the awardsfor best podium and poster presentations (sponsoredby MEA Forensic Engineers & Scientists Ltd) wentto Nève de Mévergnies (title: “Development ofoptical instrument for cartilage and bone cellbiomechanics”; Portland State University) andShannon Kroeker (title: “Cervical spinal cordinjury due to axial tension”; University ofWashington), respectively.

We sincerely appreciate the ASB, AMTI, MEAForensic Engineers & Scientists Ltd, Motion AnalysisCorp., Motion Lab Systems, NeuroCom, OregonNeuroscience Institute/Sacred Heart MedicalCenter, Rehabilitation Medicine Associates ofEugene-Springfield, Simpleware, Slocum Researchand Education Foundation, Tekscan, University ofOregon, and VA RR&D for their generous financialsupport. The symposium co-chairs (Li-Shan Chouand Mike Pavol) are grateful to all of the participants,who made this symposium a great success. Welook forward to seeing you again at the 2008symposium, to be held at Boise State University.

Northwest RegionalConference 2008

We are pleased to announce the 4th NorthwestBiomechanics Symposium to be held May 9-10,2008 at Boise State University in Boise, ID. Thissymposium, in the spirit of ASB meetings, willencourage students in biomechanics, assist regionalcollaborations between research institutions, andadvance the state-of-the-art in biomechanics.

The program will include student presentations(podium and poster), a keynote address by arenowned biomechanist, a student/faculty dinnerbanquet, and round table discussions on currentbiomechanics research. These activities areexpected to provide an atmosphere rich in studentand faculty networking for both career and researchadvancement. Boise is convenient to outdoorrecreation including world-class whitewater rivers,skiing, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, andcamping, so plan to stay in the area and enjoy therecreational opportunities after the meeting.

Abstracts from all areas of biomechanics will beconsidered. The tentative abstract submissiondeadline is April 1, 2008.

More details on the meeting can be found bycontacting Symposium Co-chairs: Michelle Sabick(msabick@boisestate.edu) and Ronald Pfeiffer(rpfeiff@boisestate.edu), or Program Chair:Michael Hahn (mhahn@montana.edu). Informationwill also be available on the ASB website(www.asbweb.org).

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 13

New Foot and Ankle Biomechanics Community Announced

The i-FAB initiative (International Foot and Ankle Biomechanics community, www.i-FAB.org) has

been launched to support an international community of research users related to foot and ankle

biomechanics.

i-FAB will use research from the University of Salford’s Future Work Spaces group to create an online

collaborative workspace comprising a range of IT tools to facilitate greater connectivity and

collaboration on foot and ankle biomechanics. i-FAB was officially launched at the International

Society of Biomechanics (ISB) meeting in Taipei on July 2nd 2007, following a full day of foot and

ankle sessions, chaired by an i-FAB steering group member Dr Alex Stacoff (ETH Zurich).

In addition to the online community, the

first i-FAB Conference is planned for 4-6th

September 2008, at Istituti Ortopedici

Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy (www.ior.it).

A range of activities are envisaged within

the i-FAB community, from international

databases of research projects and post

graduate community forums to the

development of international standards,

consensus and position papers.

See: www.i-fab.org to join i-FAB on line, to download the i-FAB launch presentation and for details of

the September 2008 Congress in Bologna.

Page 14 ASB Newsletter

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 15

.

A View From the BlueMichelle Sabick

Well, I have officially been ASB Newsletter Editorfor over a year now, and it is amazing just how muchhas happened in that time. I successfully made itthrough the tenure process last April, received twomajor research grants in May, had a beautiful babygirl in June, didn’t sleep a wink in July, visited withmany old friends and colleagues at Stanford inAugust, and spent September, October, andNovember trying to find the balance between familyand career that I discussed in my column last June.

Given all that has been going on, I hadn’t given toomuch thought to the form or function of the newsletteruntil today. But sitting here staring at the screentrying to come up with a meaningful columnprompted me to give some thought as to how thenewsletter is organized and the information that itcontains (there are many ways to procrastinate ☺).Before our mid-year meeting of the ASB ExecutiveBoard in February, I would love to receive inputfrom many of you regarding how you use thenewsletter (if you do), and what we could do toimprove it for you.

A quick look at the newsletter archives on the ASBwebsite shows that the layout and graphics havebeen more or less the same since the ASB newslettermade its “modern debut” in 1988. We have a nicenewsletter template and it would certainly be easyfor me to continue to use the traditional format, butI am considering updating the graphics and layout abit. If anyone has examples of particularly well-designed newsletters from other professionalsocieties or other types of organizations I wouldlove to see them.

In addition, the Executive Board has discussedseveral times whether members would prefer toreceive hard copies of the newsletter or if electronicdelivery would be preferable. Obviously, if youhave gotten this far into this hard copy of thenewsletter I am probably not getting an unbiasedsample, but we would love feedback regarding

whether people actually read the newsletter and findit useful. The Society could save a substantialamount of money each year in printing and mailingcosts if we moved to an electronic newsletter, asmany other societies have. The general consensusamong the Board members has been that they likereceiving a hard copy of the newsletter. However,many members in the generation of “millennials” thatare now attending colleges and universities may noteven open paper documents. If that is the case,maybe the money spent on publishing the newslettercould be put to better use elsewhere.

Finally, content of the newsletter has shifted somewhatover the years. For example, job advertisementsused to be listed for free in the newsletter. As the useof BIOMCH-L and other electronic resourcesincreased, we have moved away from trying tocoordinate free job listings. However, this month wehad a record number of paid job postings in thenewsletter (special thanks to Bil Ledoux for handlingall the mayhem with ease), so I have organized theminto their own section once again. Is this somethingthat should continue? Are there other types ofinformation that we could include that would be(more) useful? Some examples might be scientistprofiles, career guidance for students, book reviews,or a Dear Abby-type advice column forbiomechanists.

Please let me know your thoughts by the end ofJanuary (msabick@boisestate.edu). If anyoneactually responds, maybe things will look a littledifferent when you read this column next June. In themeantime, Happy Holidays to you and your families.

Page 16 ASB Newsletter

The Department of Mechanical & BiomedicalEngineering at Boise State University seeks candidates for atenure-track opening in our growing emphasis area of biomedicalengineering. The successful candidate will be expected to makebalanced contributions in teaching, research, and service; superviseundergraduate and graduate students; collaborate with existingfaculty and local industry; and develop sustainable funded researchprograms. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise andinterest in biomechanics, biomechanical modeling, and relatedareas. Appointments are targeted for the assistant professor level;however, candidates with exceptional qualifications will beconsidered for appointment at the associate professor level. Anearned Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or Biomedical Engineeringor a closely related field and demonstrated potential for excellencein research and education are required. Further informationconcerning this opportunity can be found at: http://hrs.boisestate.edu/joblistings/faculty/To be considered for this position, qualified applicants shouldsubmit a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, statementof teaching interests, and contact information for at least threeprofessional references to: Dr. Steve Tennyson, Mechanical &Biomedical Engineering, 1910 University Drive, Boise StateUniversity, Boise, Idaho, 83725-2075. Applications may also beemailed to bblank@boisestate.edu. Boise State University is anaffirmative action, equal opportunity employer. Women andminorities are encouraged to apply. Veterans Preference.

California State University, Sacramento

Tenure Track Assistant Professor Position in

Kinesiology/Biomechanics.

Doctorate in Kinesiology/Biomechanics or closelyrelated field required. Individuals who are verifiedABD at the time of application will be consideredbut degree must be completed by August 1, 2010.The applicant should have a strong academicbackground necessary to teach Kinesiology (Ana-tomical Kinesiology). Preferences will be given toapplicants with a background in neuromusculardevelopment, structural anatomy, and biomechan-ics. The successful candidate will teach Kinesiol-ogy to majors and other classes as needed. SeeCSUS website for full vacancy announcement:http://www.csus.edu/fas/fsaindex.htm

Review of applications begins January 14th, 2008and will continue until the position is filled. Ad-dress letters of inquiry to Dr. Fred D. Baldini, Chair,Department of Kinesiology and Health Science,CSUS, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819-6073, email: baldinif@csus.edu, phone: 916-278-6441. AA/EO

The Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science at TheUniversity of Vermont is seeking to fill three 9-month, tenure-trackpositions at the assistant/associate professor level. There is a strongemphasis on interprofessional research and teaching among faculty inAthletic Training, Physical Therapy and Exercise and Movement Science.

The positions require that candidates have a record of publication,demonstrated excellence in teaching and the ability to develop a fundedresearch program related to the Department’s mission of health promotion,rehabilitation, and prevention of injury, illness and disability.

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY: Applicants must have a doctoral degree inExercise Physiology or a related field and be qualified to teachundergraduate courses in exercise physiology and related topics. Post-doctoral experience desirable.

MOVEMENT SCIENCE: Applicants must have a doctoral degree inHuman Performance, Neuroscience or a movement science related field.Post-doctoral experience is desirable.

Candidates with current certification in athletic training or physicaltherapy licensure are encouraged to apply for either position.

The University of Vermont is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunityemployer. The Department of Rehabilitation & Movement Science iscommitted to becoming a leader in developing a diverse faculty andstudent body to serve the professional, educational and local communities.Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion is considereddesirable.

Prospective candidates must apply online at www.uvmjobs.com Search forthe position using the department name (Rehabilitation and MovementScience). Attach curriculum vitae and letter detailing areas of expertise andprofessional goals. Deadline is December 15, 2007. For additionalinformation contact:

Sharon M. Henry, PT, PhD, Chair, Faculty Search,Sharon.Henry@uvm.edu, http://www.uvm.edu/~rms/

The Department of Orthopedics atUMMS invites applications for atenure-track faculty position inmusculoskeletal biomechanics.Applicants must hold a doctorate in

a relevant field and have demonstrated an ability to conduct outstandingresearch. The position is open to all ranks; candidates for the seniorrank must have a successful track record in obtaining external researchfunding. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

This position is part of the Musculoskeletal Center of Excellence,directed by David C. Ayers, MD, Chair of the Department ofOrthopedics, at the UMMS and the UMASS Memorial Health Center.Current research programs in the Department of Orthopedics includesmolecular and cellular mechanisms of skeletal development and bonemetastases, biomaterials/musculoskeletal tissue regeneration,mechanical models and molecular mechanisms of osteoarthritis, animalgenetic and surgical models for skeletal defects, radiostereometricimaging of total joint replacement, and clinical and outcome research.

Ranked fourth in the nation in primary care education in the 2006 USNews & World Report’s, UMMS is also one of the fastest-growingresearch institutions in the US. Federal research grants and contractsat UMMS rose to $160 million in 2005. The campus is undergoing amajor expansion in stem cell and RNAi research, and in clinical andtranslational investigations. For more information, visit our web site:http://www.umassmed.edu/research/core.aspx

Applicants should submit a copy of a curriculum vita, a statement ofresearch interest, and complete contact information for threereferences. The application package should be sent to: Chair,Biomechanics Search Committee, Department of Orthopedics, S4-827,University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave., NorthWorcester, MA 01655, Biomechanics.Search@umassmed.eduEmail submission is encouraged. UMMS is an affirmative action/equalopportunity employer; qualified women and minority candidates areencouraged to apply.

Paid Job Advertisements

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 17

The Indiana University Department of Kinesiology

invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant or

Associate Professor position in Biomechanics. The

position will be available in August, 2008.

Qualifications include doctorate in biomechanics or

related field, publications in appropriate journals, and

demonstrated ability to attract external funding.

Preference will be given to candidates with research

emphasis in gait analysis, sport or workplace injuries,

ergonomics, or musculoskeletal modeling.

Responsibilities include: Maintain a biomechanics

research program, publish research in refereed

journals, acquire external funding to support research

activities, advise graduate students, direct master's

theses and doctoral dissertations, and teach courses in

biomechanics and related topics. Send letter of

application with a brief statement of professional

objectives, curriculum vitae, representative

publication reprints, transcripts, and a listing of at

least three professional references to: Chair,

Biomechanics Search and Screen Committee,

Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University,

Bloomington, IN 47405 (phone: 812-855-6541;

email: ktanksle@indiana.edu). Applications

received by January 1, 2008 will be assured of

consideration, but applications will be considered

until the position is filled. Indiana University is an

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Page 18 ASB Newsletter

www.nacob2008.org

NACOB 2008 is the combined annual meetings of the American Society of Biomechanics and the Canadian Society of Biomechanics. This combined meeting is held once every six years to promote scientific exchange and to foster collaboration amongthose interested in all aspects of biomechanics.

Meeting Chair: James A. Ashton-Miller, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Program Co-Chairs: Richard E. Hughes, Ph.D., University of MichiganDavid Andrews, Ph.D., University of Windsor

Volume 20, No. 2 Page 19

Calendar of EventsWilliam Ledoux

NOTE: For a more comprehensive international listing, please visit ISB’s website at: www.isbweb.org/conferences

International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterialsand TissuesDecember 9 - 13, 2007, Lihue, Kaua’I HawaiiAbstract deadline - pastwww.icmobt.elsevier.com

American Academy of Orthotists and ProsthetistsFebruary 27 - March 1, 2008, Caribe Royale Resort,Orlando FloridaAbstract deadline - pastwww.oandp.org/meeting2008/default.asp

International Symposium on Computer Methods inBiomechanics and Biomedical Engineering

February 27 - March 1, 2008, Porto, PortugalAbstract deadline - past

www.cmbbe2008.cf.ac.uk

Orthopaedic Research SocietyMarch 2 - 5, 2008, San Francisco, CaliforniaAbstract deadline - pastwww.ors.org

Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis SocietyApril 2 - 5, 2008, Richmond, VirginiaAbstract deadline - pastwww.amrms.com/ssl/gcmas

International Symposium on Robotic Applications inBiomechanics

May 3 - 5, 2008, Banff, Alberta, CAAbstract submision begins12/1/07

American College of Sports MedicineMay 28 - 31, 2008, Indianapolis, IndianaAbstract deadline - TBAwww.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Annual_Meeting2

World Biomaterials CongressMay 28 - June 1, 2008, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsAbstract deadline - TBAwww.wbc2008.com

International Sport Engineering AssociationJune 2 - 6, 2008, Biarritz, FranceAbstract deadline - pastwww.isea2008.estia.fr

International Society of Electrophysiology and KinesiologyJune 18 - 21, 2008, Niagara Falls, Ontario, CanadaAbstract deadline - December 31, 2007www.isek2008.ca/default.asp

American Society of Mechanical EngineersJune 25 - 29, 2008, Marco Island, FloridaAbstract deadline - January 31, 2008divisions.asme.org/bed/events/summer08.html

European Society of BiomechanicsJuly 6 - 9, 2008, Lucerne, SwitzerlandAbstract deadline - pastwww.esb2008.org

North American Conference onBiomechanics

Date: August 5 - 9, 2008, Ann Arbor,MichiganAbstract deadline - March 1, 2008www.nacob2008.org

IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology SocietyAugust 20 - 24, 2008, Vancouver, CanadaAbstract deadline - April 7, 2008www.embc2008.com

European Society of Movement Analysis for Adults andChildren

September 11 - 13, 2008, Antalya, TurkeyAbstract deadline - May 1, 2008www.esmac.org

Human Factors and Ergonomics SocietySeptember 22 - 26, 2008 New York, New YorkAbstract deadline - tbawww.hfes.org/web/HFESMeetings/meetings.html

International Conference of Experimental MechanicsNovember 8 - 11, 2008, Nanjing, ChinaAbstract deadline - May 15, 2008www.icem2008.org

International Society for Posture and Gait ResearchJune 21 - 25, 2009, Bologna, ItalyAbstract deadline - tbaispgr.org/conferences/italy-2009/conference-overview/index.html

Page 20 ASB Newsletter