Who We Are
The Delaware Valley Branch of AALAS is a nonprofit organization of laboratory animal science professionals. Each AALAS branch operates independently from National AALAS, but we all share the same purpose and goals!
Our Branch
DVB AALAS serves Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. We are part of District 2, encompassing Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia. Our sister branches are
New Jersey and
Three Rivers.
Our Mission
The Delaware Valley Branch of AALAS is committed to achieving excellence and innovation in the field of laboratory animal science by providing an open forum for communication, promoting education and training, and disseminating information concerning the benefits of humane care and use of animals in biomedical research.
Our History
The Animal Care Panel, later known as the
American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) was established in 1950. As the field of laboratory animal science grew, organizations began to have local meetings, and regional branches started to form.
The idea of creating a Delaware Valley Branch of AALAS to serve the Philadelphia region started percolating in 1958 after the
Metro New York Branch was founded. A meeting of interested individuals met at the Faculty Club of the University of Pennsylvania on March 30, 1960. Those in attendance were George Bjotvedt, Allen Creamer, Vincent DiFiglio, Lawrence Ferrigan, James Fendrick, Samuel Foster, Allen Hayen, Georgia Kirkpatrick, John Noonan and James Fendrick, who called the meeting to order. Soon, a
Constitution and Bylaws modeled after the New York branch were presented. Elections were held, dues were set at $3.00 per year, and the Delaware Valley Branch was born! (The organization's original name was Philadelphia Branch of the Animal Care Panel.)
The first officers elected were:
- President: A. James Fendrick
- Vice President: Dr. Allen Hayen
- Secretary and Treasurer: Georgia Kirkpatrick
- Council: George Bjotvedt, Lawrence Ferrigan, Samuel Foster and John Noonan
The first meeting was held on June 9, 1960, at the
Wistar Institute lunchroom, and the branch was officially recognized by he national organization on August 15, 1960.
Education has always been central to DVB AALAS’s mission. Before the development of online training programs and computer testing, local technicians were offered multi-week, hands-on certification prep courses, taught by local LATGs, ending with administering certification exams.
Annual Technician Days were offered and included a full-day program complete with live animal demonstrations, a meal and square dancing! There were annual regional meetings, first as the Joint Symposium with the Metro New York Branch and later, with the addition of the New Jersey Branch, the TriBranch Symposium. Over the years, the meetings outgrew regional hotels, eventually moving to Atlantic City.
The branch celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010, with one of the founders, George Bjovedt, as the featured speaker.
As the industry has grown, DVB AALAS members have developed and maintained accredited research animal facilities, served as National AALAS presidents, and received many prestigious industry awards!
Today, we boast over 200 members, hold a minimum of 5 events per year, and continue to support the laboratory animal science community through education, networking and other opportunities.