2009 Assembly of Delegates:
Comprehensive Colleges & Universities Constituency Associate Director

2009 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting & International Research Conference

November 12-15, 2009
The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel
The Woodlands, Texas (near Houston)

Name: Thomas Sasek

Present Position: Associate Professor of Biology
Organization: The University of Louisiana at Monroe

Address: Department of Biology
Monroe, LA 71209-0520
United States

Telephone: 318-342-1792
E-mail: sasek@ulm.edu

Chapter Affiliation: University of Louisiana at Monroe

Candidate's Statement: I am interested in helping the Director continue to develop the Constituency Group. I have strong interests in undergraduate and graduate research opportunities. I have participated in the rejuvenation of several introductory labs to make them more interesting, research-focused, and more sociable for the students, as a way of creating the atmosphere of a research laboratory. I have been particularly interested in promoting greater interest and appreciation of plant biology throughout the curriculum, including the use of technology to stimulate excitement in plant research. I believe that Sigma Xi can play a much greater role in stimulating undergraduate and graduate research by utilizing its human resources to demonstrate the value of and enthusiasm for a scientific career. The spirit of collegiality among Sigma Xi members is a valuable resource that is underutilized.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: I joined Sigma Xi in 1986 as a graduate student and have been active in my local chapter at ULM since 1992. I have served on the chapter's undergraduate symposium committee and on the committee to change from club to chapter status in 1994. For the past two years, I have served as the chapter's president in hopes of revitalizing the chapter, increasing membership, and conducting more activities on campus. I am also a member of the Ecological Society of America, American Society of Plant Biologists, Association of Southeastern Biologists, and Louisiana Academy of Sciences (Editor of the Proceedings, 1999-2009, and Secretary, 2004-2009). I am an active participant in the regional Science Olympiad and the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Biographical Information: A.B. in Biology (1979) -- Dartmouth College; M.S. in Botany (1983) and Ph.D. in Botany (1985) -- Duke University; Fulbright Graduate Research Fellow (1986-1987) -- Kobe University, Japan; Postdoctoral Research Associate (1987-1992) -- School of the Environment, Duke University; Assistant Professor of Biology (1992-1997) -- University of Louisiana at Monroe; Associate Professor of Biology (1997+) -- University of Louisiana at Monroe; Curator of the ULM Herbarium (2006+); Director of the ULM Museum of Natural History (2009-2010). Research interests -- physiological plant ecology, introduced species, ozone and carbon dioxide effects on plants, and propagation of native wildflowers. Grant funding -- National Science Foundation (4), Department of Energy (1), NSF-EPSCoR (1), Louisiana Board of Regents (4), HHMI (1). Publications -- 31 peer-reviewed, 11 chapters/reports.