3 minute read
Message from the President
Message from
The President
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Dear ASPET members,
I am delighted to have an opportunity to update members on the many activities and projects currently under way at ASPET. These include ASPET 2023 meeting preparations, generation of a new Strategic Plan, revisions to ASPET’s Bylaws, and operational analysis of ASPET’s journals. These key initiatives are designed to further enhance APSET’s ability to meet the professional and scientific needs of our membership. This important work could not be implemented without the dedicated commitment and hard work of our many volunteer leaders and exemplary professional staff.
The ASPET office in Rockville, Md., is now fully staffed and several new positions have been added as well. Please welcome Ana Hilton, Awards Program Manager, and Yesenia Mendez, Governance and Office Coordinator, to Team ASPET. Additionally, Dianicha Santana, PhD, Chair of ASPET’s Young Scientists Committee has joined the ASPET Council as an ex-officio member.
ASPET 2023. Our annual meeting at St. Louis Union Station, May 18-21, will be a “not to be missed” event with an outstanding mix of exciting science, social programing, and professional development opportunities. The multidisciplinary approach to next year’s meeting is exemplified by our excellent list of Keynote Speakers that includes Yasmin Hurd, PhD, Director of the Addiction Institute, Mt. Sinai, Holden Thorp, MD, Editor in Chief of Science, and William Kaelin, PhD, 2019 Noble Laureate in Physiology and Medicine. ASPET 2023 meeting attendees can also experience many new interactive social events including our Welcome Event at the St. Louis Aquarium, Poster Presentations Mixers throughout the meeting, a Volunteer Appreciation Reception, and Closing Awards Presentation Luncheon for all attendees. These events contain traditional elements of ASPET programing along with new and enhanced opportunities to network and celebrate the community of pharmacology.
ASPET 2023 Strategic Plan. In light of the ever-changing biomedical professional landscape, a well-developed and current strategic plan is an essential mechanism to coordinate and integrate ASPET’s many activities. The process for ASPET’s 2023 Strategic Plan is well underway. As many will know, a Strategic Planning Survey was sent to the larger ASPET community in October. We are very happy with the high level of engagement we received with more than 1,000 responses. This activity is crucial for both benchmarking and the development of metrics to assess the performance of all ASPET initiatives and programs. This effort will ensure that we have cohesive programs to meet our members needs in the years ahead. Based on the feedback in that Strategic Planning Survey, the ASPET Council and Strategic Planning Task Force met in November and spent two days dedicated to mapping the vision and strategy for ASPET’s future.
ASPET Bylaws Revisions. As I have mentioned previously, our collective efforts to enhance membership engagement and transparency of ASPET operations include updating ASPET’s Bylaws. This initiative will ensure that ASPET operations are updated and aligned with best practices for nonprofit associations incorporated in the State of Maryland. Further, appropriate changes to the existing bylaws have been proposed that will provide greater clarity to how ASPET committees and divisions function, how decision-making processes are implemented, and provide enhanced flexibility for the Society to address member’s needs in the future. Another aspect of the Bylaws revision process will be the generation of an ASPET Policy manual. This manual will
provide the membership with detailed policies and procedures underlying all ASPET activities and operations and increase transparency of how the Society operates.
ASPET’s Journals. The Publications Committee and an ASPET Journals Taskforce are working with an external vendor to assess ASPET’s journal operations and portfolio. This is an especially important and timely initiative considering the recent Office of Science and Technology Policy directive regarding public access to all federally funded research. ASPET remains committed to maintaining complete scientific oversight of our journal portfolio as we develop strategies for improving our journal operations and develop innovative ideas to further enhance the financial stability of our journals and the Society.
As all can see, there is a lot under way at ASPET. These efforts are critical to building the future of the Society and I look forward to a productive and fruitful 2023.
Sincerely,
Michael F. Jarvis, PhD ASPET President
