Win-Win for All
The Enrichment Record is proud to announce the reorganization of the Enrichment Extravaganza (EE), a full-day event devoted to promoting innovative enrichment strategies for lab animals. Three years ago, Genny Andrews-Kelly, a laboratory animal technician working for a global pharmaceutical company, envisioned an event that would bring the laboratory animal community together to share ideas and strategies for improving the welfare of animals in a biomedical research environment. With help from a committed group of volunteers, she organized a comprehensive and engaging program she called The Enrichment Extravaganza.
Now four years later, it is time to reach a wider audience and give the program the recognition it deserves. Working collaboratively with the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR) and the New Jersey Branch of AALAS, a Planning Committee has expanded the EE, which is scheduled on June 13, the Monday preceding the Tri-Branch Symposium in Atlantic City, NJ. According to Jayne Mackta, publisher of The Enrichment Record, “This new venue offers a wonderful opportunity to engage a broader audience and showcase all the exciting advances in the field of environmental enrichment. The change is a win-win for everyone involved.”
This all-day event consists of a morning plenary session featuring nationally recognized speakers and eight different one-hour workshops in the afternoon.
Two Exciting New Features
This year, organizers have added a poster session and a national award program to identify Enrichment Rising Stars. A call for abstracts has gone out to encourage the sharing of enrichment experiences through a more formal and recognized process. Several poster authors will be selected to make short presentations during the EE plenary session. All enrichment posters will be included in the larger Poster Session at the Tri-Branch and may be reproduced in future issues of The Enrichment Record. Information regarding EE abstract guidelines and submissions can be found at http://www.njabr.org/content/abstract-submission. In an effort to stimulate research into environmental enrichment and to recognize younger scientists in the field, The Enrichment Record has established an Award Program for Enrichment Rising Stars. The call has gone out for exceptional graduate students, who are doing groundbreaking work in this emerging field.
Candidates for the Enrichment Rising Star Award are graduate students or post-docs who—
- Are currently studying or have completed innovative studies on laboratory animal enrichment
- Are highly motivated and enthusiastic
- Are willing to present their research to the EE audience
Requests for submissions have been sent to all major universities and laboratories across the country. Two candidates will be chosen to participate in the Extravaganza. They will present their research and lead workshops. Winners will be presented with a $500 cash award. The Enrichment Extravaganza promises to deliver an enriching experience for all!
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