Program Chairpersons Research Articles

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF CLASSROOM OBSERVATION TOOL FOR FACULTY TEACHING UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

The purpose of this study is to determine the validity and reliability of the test items developed for classroom observation for faculty teaching undergraduate courses. The study utilized semantic validation, content validation and reliability testing to ensure relevance and clarity of the items. The respondents of the study were the program chairperson, school dean, university psychometrician, and Faculty Federation President. The finding of this research indicated that majority of the items developed for classroom observation were relevant and clear that will give justice and compensate the actual teaching-learning performance of the teachers.

The Development of Learning Experience Provision Models That Synergize the Knowledge of Suan Dusit University to Enhance Proper Development of Young Children

This research article aims to 1) determine the knowledge and experience of early childhood education of Suan Dusit University, and 2) develop and study the effectiveness of learning experience provision models that synergize the knowledge of Suan Dusit University to enhance the proper development of young children according to the 75/75 criteria. Data is obtained from personnel of 87 various agencies of Suan Dusit University, e.g., deans, directors, managers, chairpersons of programs, heads of departments, and 129 students in kindergarten 1, 2, and 3 of La-orutis Demonstration School, Suan Dusit University. The research results consisted of 15 learning experience provision models for young children, such as gravity-powered toys, battery-powered toys, the differences between a toy using force and a toy using a battery, toy caring, and how to play with toys, etc. Every learning experience provision models has a performance rating according to the 75/75 criteria.

Classroom walkthrough observations in a state university: On grounded theory

The primary goal of this classroom walkthrough observation study was to come up with a theoretical framework that improves the instruction process in a public university in Region 02, Philippines. Walkthroughs in classrooms are done quickly and unexpectedly, usually by school administrators in the facility. In addition to deans and program chairpersons, nine educational leaders (deans and program co-chairs) and 37 faculty members took part in the study by the chain or snowball sampling. A core category (phenomena) was formed, conceptual tags were assigned, and a theoretical model that describes the causal elements influencing the phenomenon was developed through extensive discussions. Strategies that arise as a result of the occurrence, processes affected by context, processes that are influenced by intervening conditions, and implications of the system when employed. A detailed description of the many categories and subcategories are given, and participants' statements in support of the theory.

Sex Disparity Persists in Pain Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study of Chairpersons Within ACGME-Accredited Chronic Pain Fellowship Programs in the United States.

To compare the representation of female and male chairpersons and evaluate their respective demographic, academic, and program-related characteristics in academic chronic pain institutions. We identified all chronic pain fellowship programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) on April 19, 2021. We queried institutional websites or contacted programs directly to identify the respective departmental/divisional program chairperson. We abstracted data on program chairpersons from public databases and performed statistical comparisons of demographic, academic, and program-related characteristics between female and male program chairpersons. Of the 111 ACGME-accredited chronic pain fellowship programs, we identified the current chairperson at 87 programs (78.4%). There were 17 female chairpersons (19.5%) and 70 male chairpersons (80.5%). A higher proportion of female chairpersons reported an academic rank of assistant professor compared with male chairpersons (35.3% vs 11.4%, P = .027). Male chairpersons published more peer-reviewed articles compared with female chairpersons (median 32.0 vs 10.0 publications, P = .001). Concordantly, male chairpersons achieved a higher H-index score compared with female chairpersons (median 10.0 vs 3.0, P = .001). No differences were identified in other academic or program-related characteristics. This cross-sectional study illuminates important details on sex-related differences in the chronic pain program chair role. Women chairpersons are underrepresented, have fewer peer-reviewed publications, and achieved a lower H-index score compared with male chairpersons. Establishing these baseline associations provides a reference for future studies to evaluate changes over time.

Course Crediting and Academic Evaluation System of The College of Communication and Information Technology

The study aimed to develop a Course Crediting and Academic Evaluation System of the College of Communication and Information Technology (CCIT) in President Ramon Magsaysay State University – Iba Campus to offer an online system to ease the procedures of crediting and evaluation of the student academic records. Descriptive research design and descriptive statistics were utilized in this study. The dean, program chairpersons, and students of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering are the respondents of the study. The findings revealed that the respondents evaluated the software quality of the system using the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC): 25010:2011 as excellent. The respondents evaluated as strongly recommended on the degree of recommendation of the acquisition and implementation of the system. The Course Crediting and Academic Evaluation System is recommended to implement to improve the present procedures. Training to the end-users is advised to be conducted to know how to use the system. The maintenance and continuous enhancement of the system to adapt to the changing trends in information technology.

Development of Dynamic Local Area Network (LAN) Based Mock Board Examination System

Purpose-Mock board exam is necessary to identify if the students are ready to take the board exam. However, preparing for the examination is not easy. It takes too much time to release the result, given that the College has limited personnel. Thus, the proponents developed the Dynamic Local Area Network (LAN) Based Mock Board Examination System that makes the preparation and checking easy. Method-The proponents followed the iterative waterfall model to develop the system efficiently. Some criteria of ISO 25010 were adopted in the evaluation instrument. Simultaneously, evaluators are composed of program chairperson, College of Computer Studies (CCS) faculty, board program students, and alumni. Results-The result of 4.91 in Functional Suitability, 4.87 in Performance Efficiency, 4.91 in Usability, 4.90 in Security, and 4.92 in Maintainability shows that the system is fully functional and is usable by any board program. Conclusion The computer-based examination, implemented through LAN, can simplify administering personnel of MinSCAT mock board examination. The development of the "Dynamic LAN Based Mock Board Examination System" is a great help to the MinSCAT and their board program graduates if it is implemented. Recommendations-The system has hidden weaknesses that were only identified in actual operation. Thus, further testing is needed, like beta testing, to identify and correct it for better performance. After beta-testing, the system can be improved through iteration of the Waterfall Model phases. Research Implications-The developed system can improve the mock board examination process and ease preparing this significant examination. Moreover, it immediately provides a result that helps the examinees to identify their weaknesses and do a further review to master it.

The Performance of Lecturer in the Development of Academic Culture in Ilmu Tarbiyah Al-Hilal College of Sigli

Ilmu Tarbiyah Al-Hilal College of Sigli is an institution of higher education and a center for strategic study of Islamic religious knowledge that requiring lecturers who have the ability and reliable performance. This study is aimed to determine the performance of lecturer at the Tarbiyah Al-Hilal Sigli College of Sciences. This study uses a descriptive approach and qualitative methods with data collection techniques used were documentation, observation and interviews. Research subjects were College chairpersons, study program chairpersons, lecturers, administrative chairpersons, and students. Data analysis were performed by: data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. This research shows that: 1) the performance of lecturers in conducting the learning process has followed the principles of learning, this is seen from the planning, implementation and evaluation of learning carried out by lecturers. 2) The motivation of lecturers in conducting the learning process is reflected in the willingness and awareness of lecturers in carrying out the tasks assigned to them.

State of University Library: Challenges and Solutions for Yemen

This study focuses on presenting the state of university libraries in Yemen, drawing upon observational research and in-depth interviews with 4 key university leaders, 12 teaching education program (TEP) chairpersons, 9 college deans, 6 vice-deans, 20 teaching professors, and 34 teacher training students within one higher education institution. The observational research has also covered five libraries of three private universities and two state ones. The findings outline the challenges faced by library users: the presence of traditional libraries, traditional resources and services, and the implementation of new policy. The study highlights the urgent need to redesign libraries, to increase libraries' budgets, and to establish digital resources and services, as well as a national library association.

Prevalence and Impact of Self-Citation in Academic Orthopedic Surgery.

The h-index is a commonly utilized metric for academic productivity. Previous studies have proposed that self-citation may limit the utility of the h-index. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of self-citation on the h-index among orthopedic investigators. The study cohort consisted of program directors, chairpersons, and faculty at orthopedic surgery residency programs in the United States. The Scopus database was used to determine the h-index and number of citations ± self-citations. The total number of publications was correlated with the change in the h-index via self-citation. A total of 463 researchers were included (198 National Institutes of Health-funded faculty, 147 chairpersons, 118 program directors). Of these researchers, 83.8% cited previous work at least once (mean, 123.9 ± 277.6). Self-citations accounted for 5.8% of all citations. Including these citations increased the author h-index from 18.5 ± 14.9 to 19.2 ± 15.6 (P < .001). A minority of researchers (36.3%, P < .001) had increased their h-index via self-citation (range, 0-11). The proportional increase in the h-index via self-citation was positively related to the number of publications (P < .001). While the practice of self-citation is prevalent in orthopedics, its impact on the h-index is minimal for most researchers. With more publications, researchers can increase their h-index to a greater degree via self-citation.

Prevalence of Substance Abuse Among Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residents From 2006 to 2015

Substance abuse in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) training programs is an important and under-represented topic in the literature. This study's purpose was to assess the prevalence of substance abuse in OMS training programs in the United States during a 10-year period and to determine the substances most abused by OMS residents. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted by sending an online questionnaire to program directors and chairpersons of all OMS graduate training programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The content- and validity-tested survey asked respondents to report on substance abuse cases at their program from 2006 to 2015. Auxiliary questions asked opinions on substance abuse. To analyze the data, percentages were calculated, including the estimated prevalence of abuse; results were presented as bar charts. Forty-six of the 101 OMS training programs (45.5%) responded. Sixteen of the responding 46 programs (34.8%) reported at least 1 suspected or encountered incident of substance abuse. The 2 most abused substances were alcohol and narcotics. During the decade studied, the prevalence of resident substance abuse was estimated to be 1.2%. The estimated prevalence of resident substance abuse has gone unchanged since Rosenberg's initial study in 1986 (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 44:458, 1986). With the introduction of new drugs and despite more stringent protocols, substance abuse continues to be a germane issue for OMS requiring ongoing attention clinically and in the literature.

Kuwait Unveils Upstream Opportunities

The inaugural SPE Kuwait Oil and Gas Show and Conference (KOGS), held 7–10 October 2013 in Kuwait, attracted more than 3,000 delegates representing major oil and gas companies from all over the world. The event, under the patronage of Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, carried the theme “The Power of Collaboration...People and Technology in the Oil and Gas Industry,” Hosnia Hashim, KOGS conference program chairperson and vice president of operations at Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), said that the gathering allowed exploration and production professionals to network with colleagues from around the world and celebrate key successes in the industry. “For the first time ever in Kuwait,” she said, “we launched a technical event with outstanding participation, having received more than 520 papers, from 104 organizations and 69 universities, from 37 countries.” In his opening remarks at the Conference Opening Ceremony, Kuwait Deputy Premier and Minister of Oil Mustafa Al-Shimali, reiterated Kuwait’s unflinching commitment, in its capacity as a main oil producer, to ensuring regular supplies to world markets. “This conference is timely and logical, as the Kuwait oil sector is undertaking plans to ensure that it meets and fulfills its international role as a reliable supplier. We have allocated billions of US dollars to reach production capacity of 4 million BOPD by 2020. An international exchange of technology and experience is critical to realizing these plans,” Al-Shamali said. At the Executive Plenary Session, Nizar Al-Adsani, chief executive officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), aentation titled “Kuwait Experience: The Power of Collaboration, People, and Technology in the Oil and Gas Industry,” that the challenges ahead for his country are great. “The emergence for new competitors, changes in supply and demand dynamics, social and environmental pressures, and demographic shifts, are transforming and reshaping our industry,” he said. Al-Adsani said that technology has been the driving force behind the industry’s continued ability to deliver increased oil and gas production safely, efficiently, and in an environmentally friendly manner, adding that he believes that the excellence required is only provided through the strength of human resources. The CEO said that his company is proceeding with its ambitious plans to enhance KPC’s role in the international oil industry and to be more effective in supply security for the world’s energy, adding that KPC wants to focus on the upstream. “Achieving our crude oil production growth target of nearly 1 million BOPD by 2020, and maintaining it through 2030, depends on the successful implementation of advanced technology in both improved and enhanced oil recovery,” he said.

AuD-Degree Holders in Tenure-Track Positions: Survey of Program Chairpersons and AuD-Degree Holders

The doctor of audiology (AuD) degree is now the entry-level degree for the profession of audiology. Typically, AuD programs train professionals for clinical careers, while those offering PhDs educate students for university teaching and research positions. Some in the communication sciences and disorders have predicted that there could be a shortage of PhDs in academic institutions over the next decade as senior faculty members with PhDs retire, AuD programs expand, and likely fewer students complete PhD degrees or elect to pursue careers in academia. If a PhD shortage becomes a reality, then one solution might be to include AuDs as candidates for vacant academic tenure-track positions. To survey AuD-degree holders' (AuDs') and program chairpersons' (chairs') views about AuDs in academic tenure-track positions. National Internet survey Data Collection and Analysis: Two questionnaires were designed for this study. One was e-mailed to 1575 "AuDs in general" (randomly sampled from the American Academy of Audiology Membership Directory) and 132 "AuDs in academia." The other was e-mailed to 64 chairs from programs offering the AuD. The two surveys included similar questions so that comparisons could be made across groups. Potential respondents were e-mailed an informational letter inviting them to participate by completing a survey on SurveyMonkey within a 2 wk period in March and April 2010. This process resulted in three data sets: (1) AuDs in general, (2) AuDs in academia, and (3) program chairs. Return rates were 25, 26, and 45% for the three sampling methods for recruiting AuDs in general, AuDs in academia, and program chairs, respectively. Of the respondents, few AuDs held academic tenure-track positions or had achieved rank and tenure success in them. Those AuDs in academia usually had to meet the same or similarly rigorous criteria (with heavier emphasis on teaching than on research) for advancement as did PhD faculty. Overall, AuDs tended to believe that AuDs could be appointed to and succeed at tenure-track positions; chairs reported that such appointments were not permitted in most programs, did not personally believe that AuDs should hold these positions, and felt that AuDs would have more difficulty than PhDs in achieving success in them. Obstacles to AuDs' success in tenure-track positions reported by all three groups included lack of research skills and mentors, biases from faculty within and outside of audiology departments, and poorer pay than could be earned in the private sector. Considerable variability existed in the types of and titles for faculty positions held by AuDs in academia. Few AuDs were employed in tenure-track positions. Contrary to many of the chairs' responses, most AuDs felt they would be successful in such positions. Many of the AuDs suggested that universities with AuD programs should add more research and mentorship opportunities and tenure tracks for clinicians. Most respondents believed there is a need for both AuDs and PhDs in academic programs. These findings should be of interest to AuDs, chairs, and other stakeholders in academia, and the survey responses identified some areas warranting future investigation.

Gender Characteristics Among Academic Ophthalmology Leadership, Faculty, and Residents: Results from a Cross-Sectional Survey

Purpose: To determine if there is any association in ophthalmology between the gender of the chairperson and residency program director and the gender of faculty and residents.Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was sent to 121 ophthalmology residency program directors. Demographic information pertaining to size, location, academic or community affiliation, and gender distribution of the faculty, residents, residency program directors and chairs was obtained.Results: The response rate was 45.45% with 55 residency program directors responding to the survey. Academic programs comprised 53 (96%) of the programs studied. Male department chairs led all 53 (96%) programs. In terms of the residency program director gender, 37 (67%) were male, whereas 18 (34%) were female. Female faculty and residents comprised 313 (28%) and 270 (45%), respectively. Compared to departments with male chairs, departments with a female chair had a higher crude proportion of female faculty (35% vs. 28%; P = 0.300) and female residents (50% vs. 45%; P = 0.660), although there was no statistical difference. Departments with either a male or female residency program director had similar number of female faculty (28% vs. 28%; P = 0.991) and residents (44% vs. 46%; P = 0.689).Conclusions: We found no significant association between the gender of the residency program director and chairperson with the proportion of female faculty and residents. Given a higher ratio of female residents relative to female faculty, it is probable that graduating female residents are choosing not to pursue academic medicine, shrinking the potential pool of female candidates for positions of departmental leadership.

Interview with 2009 SPE President Leo Roodhart

President's interview Leo Roodhart is Head of Strategic Innovation at Shell International. With Shell since 1980, he has worked in R&amp;D, production engineering, business development, and innovation. Roodhart has been active in SPE for more than 25 years, most recently Director for SPE's North Sea Region, Chairperson of the Board Committee on Technical Programs and Meetings, and a member of the Board Committee on Finance and Administration. His contributions to the Society, at the local and international levels, have emphasized encouraging technology innovation. Roodhart has actively contributed to the SPE Forum Series, serving on Forum steering committees and as a member and as Chairperson of its Implementation Committee for the Eastern Hemisphere. He also has chaired the Forum Series Coordinating Committee. Roodhart has served as both Program and Section Chairperson for SPE's Netherlands Section. He has served on the program committee for Europec and on the 2001, 2003, and 2005 Offshore Europe executive committees. Roodhart chaired the first two Netherlands Applied Technology Workshops (ATWs) on Mature Reservoirs and has served on or chaired many Forum and ATW committees. He has been a member of the Distinguished Lecturer Committee and was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer during 2007–08. Roodhart is an Associate Fellow at Templeton College, Oxford University, on Strategic Innovation. He earned an MS degree in chemistry and a PhD degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Amsterdam. What would you like to accomplish during your term as SPE President? Each SPE President is just one of the links in a long chain of Presidents, each with his or her own aspirations; together they built SPE into what it is now. Even if it would be possible, and it is not, for a President to make big changes in the one year he/she has, it is probably not a good idea. That said, the SPE Board of Directors developed some time ago a Long-Range Plan to guide our Society, which is updated regularly. The current Long-Range Plan identifies key strategic issues, such as turning SPE into a truly global society; engaging young people, particularly inducing students to come select careers in our industry; and tackling such global issues as reserves definitions, capture and sequestration of CO2, and improving the industry's image.

The Culture of Excellence of Private Higher Education Institutions

The study investigated the culture of excellence of six top performing private higher education institutions in Northern Mindanao. These descriptive study respondents involved 80 academic administrators and program chairpersons as respondents. The frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and analysis of variance were used. These are the conclusions of the study. The culture of excellence is largely a function of efficient and effective quality assurance management systems such as voluntary accreditation and international certification. The external evaluation in the quality assurance audits promotes the achievement of comparable standards with the best practices in the Philippines and abroad. Some accredited schools have acquired ISO certification, a move that enhances the quality assurance management system. The schools’ culture of excellence generates the intended teaching and learning outcomes manifested through integral development of graduates, high performance in licensure examinations, high employability, and global competitiveness. The efficiency and effectiveness of the governance and management of the schools have an overriding influence on the quality of teaching and research, support to students, relations with the community, and management of resources. Generating higher research productivity among the faculty, fund sourcing from partnership and entrepreneurial activities that generate non-tuition revenues remain the serious challenges of the school management. Key words - Culture of excellence, governance and management, teaching and research, quality assurance

Interview with 2008 SPE President William M. Cobb

William M. Cobb is president of William M. Cobb &amp; Associates, a petroleum consulting firm based in Dallas that specializes in waterflooding, fluid injection, field studies, reserves evaluation and certification, and reservoir management. He founded the company in 1983. Before that, Cobb was vice president and manager of engineering for Cornell Oil in Dallas during 1979–83, and he was a staff research engineer and senior analytical and operations engineer for Atlantic Richfield. Cobb also taught reservoir engineering at Mississippi State University, where he now serves on the Dean's Development Council. He is currently an adjunct professor of petroleum engineering at Texas A&amp;M University. Cobb was 2006 SPE Vice President-Finance and a member of the SPE Board of Directors. He has served on many SPE committees, including the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Program Committee, Editorial Review Committee, Distinguished Author Series Committee, Engineering Registration Committee, and several awards committees. Cobb chaired the board task force that recommended opening an SPE office in the Middle East and was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 1995. In 1999, he received the SPE Reservoir Engineering Award. Cobb has served in numerous leadership positions at the section level, including Program Chairperson and General Chairperson for the SPE Hydrocarbon Economics and Evaluation Symposium sponsored by the SPE Dallas Section. In addition to publishing numerous technical papers, he has made more than 50 technical presentations to SPE sections throughout the world. Cobb earned BS and MS degrees from Mississippi State University and a PhD degree from Stanford University, all in petroleum engineering. How do you see your role as SPE president? SPE is constantly pursuing a variety of worthwhile goals. As president, one serves for just 1 year, so it is difficult to establish new goals unless they are simple. I believe that the society needs to be guided by the Long-Range Plan, so my overriding objective will be to give direction to that plan and to see if we can begin to identify milestones to determine our progress. Several key initiatives tied to our Long-Range Plan come immediately to mind. One is reserves. The work that the SPE Oil and Gas Reserves Committee has just finished is critically important, and I hope that over the next 12 to 18 months we can cause those reserves and resources definitions to be adopted universally by financial institutions, national oil companies, international oil companies, independents, consultants, and government institutions. It would delight me to no end to see the US Securities and Exchange Commission sign off on them. I think if companies and other entities that perform reserves evaluations will use these definitions, the accounting groups will follow and then we will have a very good chance of government agency approval as well. Another important item will be the followup to the industry executive summit in June convened by 2007 SPE President Abdul-Jaleel Al-Khalifa. One outcome of that event was the idea to create a committee on carbon sequestration and have SPE take a leadership role on the carbon issue in the industry. That is something that the SPE Board of Directors and its appropriate committees will be discussing.

Physician Incentives for Academic Productivity&lt;sbt aid="1122205"&gt;An Analysis of Orthopaedic Department Compensation Strategies&lt;/sbt&gt;

Changes in the health-care industry have led to increasing demand for physician-driven clinical volume. This environment has altered the traditional balance among teaching, research, and service responsibilities for faculty in residency training programs. As economic pressures mount and budgets shrink, academic departments are exploring ways of paying faculty that would help to maintain the global mission of the organization. The purpose of this study was to examine the compensation strategy for faculty in academic orthopaedic surgery departments in the United States with a focus on compensation methods for academic productivity. Thirty-one academic orthopaedic surgery residency training programs were recruited for the study. Two methods of data collection were used: (1) a survey was mailed electronically to the program chairpersons or the finance directors, and (2) eight program leaders were interviewed to obtain more in-depth information regarding compensation for academic productivity in their organizations. All thirty-one programs responded to the survey. To compensate faculty for clinical productivity, twenty-two programs used a salary and bonus system, two used salary alone, and the remainder used combined methods. Nineteen departments had a compensation system that included academic productivity, and twelve did not. Of those that compensated for academic work, seven used the chair's decision, six used a point system, one used academic rank alone, and the remainder used a combination of methods. The point systems varied in breadth, focus, and amount of detail. Most, but not all, departments accounted for academic productivity in their compensation system. Most programs used the chair's discretion to determine academic bonuses, but several departments had developed point systems. There are common themes with regard to this issue, including the importance of the academic mission, the need for clinical revenues, the value of flexibility and transparency, and the importance of culture and leadership.

Q&amp;A with Abdul-Jaleel Al-Khalifa

Abdul-Jaleel Al-Khalifa is 2007 SPE President-Elect and Manager of Reservoir Description and Simulation in Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He is also serving as Program Chairperson of SPE’s first International Petroleum Technology Conference, to be held 21–23 November in Doha, Qatar. Before his current assignment with Saudi Aramco, Al-Khalifa was Manager of Characterization–Exploration, and served as Assistant to the Vice President of Petroleum Engineering and Development, and he has held several division head assignments in the Reservoir Management and Simulation departments. In 1998–99, he served as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer on “Reservoir Management of Giant Oil Fields in Saudi Arabia.” In 1999, he received the SPE Middle East Regional Service Award, and in 2001, he was named an SPE Distinguished Member. Al-Khalifa’s participation in SPE includes serving as a Director-At-Large on the SPE Board of Directors, 2005 Chairperson of the Board Committee on Technical Programs and Meetings, Director of the SPE Saudi Arabia Section during 1993–97, Technical Editor of SPE Formation Evaluation during 1991–92, and Chairperson of the SPE Annual Technical Symposium in Saudi Arabia during 1990–92. He also served as Technical Editor of the Arabian Journal of Science and Engineering during 1993–94. Al-Khalifa earned BS and MS degrees from King Fahd U. of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia, and a PhD degree in petroleum engineering from Stanford U. As Program Chairperson of the first International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) in Doha, can you offer a preview of some of the highlights of the conference? This is the first international conference sponsored by the four premier societies: SPE, the American Assn. of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Soc. of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), and the European Assn. of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE). A very intensive program with broad appeal has been carefully designed by a talented team made up of members of the four societies to address the most challenging issues in today’s energy environment.

Emergency Preparedness for Biological and Chemical Incidents: A Survey of Anesthesiology Residency Programs in the United States

We surveyed health care professionals about their preparations to manage the clinical problems associated with patients exposed to hazardous substances, including weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Training for WMD is considered a key part of public health policy and preparedness. Although such events are rare, when they do occur, they can cause mass casualties. In many models of mass casualty management, anesthesiology personnel are responsible for treating patients immediately on arrival at the hospital. We studied the extent of training offered to anesthesiology personnel in the use of WMD protective gear and patient management in United States (US) anesthesiology residency programs. Information was obtained via an online survey to all program directors and chair persons of anesthesiology programs. We polled all of the 135 US anesthesiology programs of which 90 (67%) responded. Only 37% had any form of training, and many of them did not repeat training after initial sessions. Twenty-eight percent of programs east of the Mississippi River reported some form of training whereas only 17% of programs west of it reported training available. The majority of anesthesia residency programs in the US that responded to our survey provided little or no training in the management of patients exposed to WMD. In an attack involving weapons of mass destruction or toxic chemicals, anesthesiologists will provide care. Our survey of United States anesthesiology residency programs demonstrated that there is limited training of residents regarding the anesthetic management of patients injured by weapons of mass destruction. This has serious public health implications.

Collaborative Infusion: An Emerging Approach to Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Education

Preparing teachers for inclusive classrooms is one of the most important challenges facing teacher education today. Collaborative infusion approaches have been used by some programs as an alternative to or augmentation of single course approaches to the delivery of content related to students with disabilities. This paper presents findings of a national survey of 252 teacher preparation programs, including follow-up interviews with chairpersons of programs that used collaborative infusion approaches. Results indicated that approximately 25% of programs surveyed used collaborative infusion in some form, with the majority of these programs using it to supplement other approaches, such as a separate class. Interviews with those using collaborative infusion indicated that the majority of these persons found this approach beneficial to both students and participating faculty. However, some disadvantages, such as time-intensiveness and lack of congruence with university structures, also were noted.