In Brief

Boger, Babior Elected AAAS Fellows
Professors Dale L. Boger and Bernard Babior of The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been awarded the distinction of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellow, an honor bestowed upon members by their peers.

Boger, who is Richard and Alice Cramer Professor of Chemistry at TSRI, was elected for "outstanding developments in the synthesis and understanding of the structure-activity relationship of complex natural products of medicinal importance."

Babior was elected for "pioneering studies in unraveling the function and physiology of the human neutrophil."

New fellows will be presented with an official certificate on Saturday, February 14, at the Fellows Forum during the 2004 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington.

Chisari, Vogt Elected to Institute of Medicine
Professors Francis Chisari and Peter Vogt have been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

"It is a great pleasure to welcome these distinguished and influential individuals to the Institute of Medicine," said IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg. "Members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes those who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. Election is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health."

New members are elected from among candidates nominated for their professional achievement and commitment to services by current active members. Chisari and Vogt are also elected members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Florida Press Continues to Cover TSRI Expansion
For more press coverage of TSRI's plans to open a campus in Palm Beach County, Florida, see the Palm Beach Post and Sun-Sentinel.

Dennis Burton to Speak in Faculty Lecture Series
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) Professor Dennis R. Burton will speak on "The Search for an HIV Vaccine," as part of the Faculty Lecture Series on Wednesday, November 12. The lecture will be held at 5 PM in the Valerie Timken Amphitheater, Scripps Clinic, 10666 North Torrey Pines Road.

Coming Up: Open Enrollment, Benefits Fair
Open Enrollment will start Monday, November 3 and run through Friday, November 14 at 5 PM. Open Enrollment is the annual opportunity for participants to make changes to their benefit selections and, if eligible, enroll (or re-enroll) in Health Care and/or Dependent Care Spending Accounts for the following calendar year. Instructions on how to access the online system will be mailed to the homes of all eligible participants over the weekend and should be received by Tuesday, November 4. Kiosks will be available in Human Resources for employees who DO NOT have computer access.

A Benefits Fair on Wednesday, November 5, from 10 AM to 1 PM in the Immunology Galleria will feature representatives from each of the companies providing benefits, as well as Human Resources staff. Refreshments will be served and a raffle will be held. In addition, question and answer sessions with Human Resources staff will be held in six TSRI buildings during the Open Enrollment period. There will also be informational sessions for the Health Care and Dependent Care Spending Accounts and Long Term Care Insurance over the next two weeks.

Participants with questions regarding Open Enrollment should contact the Human Resources Benefits Line, x4-8487. More information about Open Enrollment is available online, including a link to the online enrollment site, a list of Benefit Fair attendees, and a schedule of events.

New English-as-a-Second-Language Class Begins
A new English-as-a-second-language class will begin Tuesday, November 4. Instructor Cassandra Wadkin's class meets from 6:30 to 8:30 PM every Tuesday evening in the Immunology Building, West Conference Room. The price for three months (12 classes) is $60.

Each intermediate-level English class is divided into speaking and listening, idioms and vocabulary, and reading and writing. If you would like to improve your English communication skills as well as your understanding of your friends and colleagues, movies, television shows, and the news, this class is for you. Movies, games, television shows, grammar books, songs, drawing and novels help teach standard American English. Have fun and learn English at the same time! For more information, please leave a message at x4-2176.

Free Flu Shots
TSRI will offer free flu shots to TSRI employees, research associates, and graduate students on Wednesday, November 12 and Thursday, November 13, from 9 AM to 4 PM, 3377 N.Torrey Pines Court, second floor, Room 205. Please bring a form of identification. A map is available online. For more information, call Benefits Administration, x4-8293.

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Professors Bernard Babior (left) and Dale L. Boger have been elected AAAS fellows.

Professors Francis Chisari (left) and Peter Vogt have been elected to the Institute of Medicine.