General Interest Group Committee Report 2007

The officers for the General Interest Group (GIG) for the 2007 calendar year are:         
Chair:  Peter Mueller          
Chair Elect:  Allen Oliver   
Secretary:  Jeanette Krause (through 2008)           
Member at Large:  Nathan Coker (through 2008)

At the 2007 meeting in Salt Lake City the General Interest Group co-sponsored the following seven sessions:         
03.01:  General Interest I        
03.02:  General Interest II       
13.09:  Teaching Gadgets and Educational Tools  
TR01:  Transactions Symposium Diffuse Scattering for the Masses.    
AW01:  Trueblood Award
AW02:  Fankuchen Award
AW03:  Etter Award

For the 2007 meeting in Knoxville, the GIG wants to organize two half-day “General Interest” sessions to catch presentations that do not fit into the other sessions.  In addition, co-sponsorship is offered for the Transactions Symposium Complementary Methods and the Etter Award session. 

Peter Mueller informed those present about the failed attempt to start an Education SIG (John Huffman initially put forth the notion of such a SIG).  It was discussed that the GIG Constitution be amended to include an Education mandate, specifically the suggestion that the GIG occasionally sponsor or co-sponsor an Education session in cooperation with the Standing Committee Continuing Education.  Peter has been in contact with the Continuing Education Committee regarding this issue and they are in support of such an amendment of the Constitution of the GIG.

Peter Mueller, Chair