Southern Section of AOAC International

The Southern Section of AOAC International (SSAOAC) is a non-profit organization of chemists and microbiologists based in the southern United States. SSAOAC is a chapter of AOAC International, a scientific organization that publishes standardized chemical analysis methods. SSAOAC primarily offers services through its annual meetings.

Mission

"Our mission is to provide opportunities for scientists to share and increase their technical knowledge and expertise. To achieve our mission we strive to attain the following goals: (1) To provide scientists with affordable opportunities for technical presentations (2) To focus upon the training requirements of our Section (3) To provide a forum to keep our meeting attendees abreast of the latest technical challenges and (4) To establish and maintain professional contacts."

History

SSAOAC represents chemists and microbiologists from the southeastern United States including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The section was formed in 1985, and its first meeting was held in the spring of that year. SSAOAC members have been recognized by AOAC International for their contributions to the aims of the organization. Jo Marie Cook, a former SSAOAC president, was recognized as the Methods Committee Member of the Year, and Wayne A. Ziemer, a former SSAOAC president, president-elect, and secretary, was recognized as a fellow of AOAC International for his dedication to the organization.

Communication and dissemination

SSAOAC holds an annual meeting that offers workshops, presentations, and commercial exhibits on the latest technical developments in analytical chemistry and microbiology. For example, participants in a session at the 2008 meeting discussed the merits of using the protein-based AOAC method for identifying fish species compared to more recently developed DNA-based methods. including Accelerated Technology Laboratories, Inc., BIOGX, Leco, Bruker Daltonics, and Gerstel.

Awards

The SSAOAC confers the following awards:

Anant Jain Founder's Award – recognizes an SSAOAC member who has held a leadership position and had an active role in the section for at least 10 years.
Doug Hite Honorarium – recognizes as SSAOAC member who is a member of the AOAC International Board of Directors or the Official Methods Board, has held a leadership position in the section, and had an active role in the section for at least 10 years.