Biophysical Society Bulletin | January 2018

AMessage from the President

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The Process Council hired an outside facilitator to guide the strategic planning process, Marsha Rhea of Signaturei. Her organiza- tion conducted an internal scan through member surveys and interviews, as well as an environmental scan of factors affecting the field and the researchers conducting biophysical research. Armed with this wealth of data and information, Council and other Society members participated in a two-day retreat to draft the Society’s first ever strategic plan, then spent considerable additional time revising the draft, ulti- mately approving it at their fall meeting on October 28, 2017. In the end, the new vision positions the Society to take full advantage of the interdisciplinary edge biophysics has as a unifying discipline with powerful quantitative methods that others need and that lead to significant new biological discov- eries. The goals included in the plan affirm that the Society will work globally to enhance knowledge exchange, advo- cate for the value of biophysics, and support an increasingly diverse next generation of scientists. In its deliberations, Council identified biophysics as a dynamic and evolving discipline within an increasingly interdisciplinary science landscape and determined that the term biophysics does not necessarily need a clear and coherent definition. The Society can exploit the strengths of this ambiguity as an advantage with biophysics seen as open to emerging fields of science and a discipline that continues to evolve and define quantitative biology. Strategically Councilors agreed that it may be better to an- swer what biophysics is by describing its purpose and scope rather than defining its boundaries. The Society may also find this identity question can be an energizing and exciting dis- cussion to continue when members gather. Councilors talked about how biophysicists are heroes of their own stories of scientific endeavor. Leaders of the field agree that biophysics and its quantitative methods are key to unlocking funda- mental answers in the life sciences. Continuing to focus this identity conversation on what biophysics is doing rather than what it is may generate more opportunities for the Society to grow and thrive in the future. The Outcome Vision Biophysics is identified and recognized as the interdisciplinary scientific discipline that develops the quantitative methods and techniques needed by scientists as they seek fundamen- tal understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical mechanisms of life and work to unlock answers essential to curing disease, solving biological problems, and discovering basic scientific insights.

Mission The Biophysical Society convenes and connects a global community of scientists working at the interface of the phys- ical and life sciences and creates, shares, and advocates for biophysical knowledge and methods through programs and communities that support biophysicists. Values • Scientific excellence • Integrity and transparency • Diversity and inclusion • Community building Goals and Objectives Sharing Knowledge in and about Biophysics. The Biophys- ical Society is the organization where one can find the whole breadth of research that is biophysics, and not just one small part. While researchers can attend other meetings that have a biophysics track, or join societies that have a biophysics component, nowhere other than the Biophysical Society can they experience the diversity of what biophysics is and what biophysicists do around the world. The Biophysical Society’s meetings, publications, programs, and website will all work together to strengthen the identity of biophysics as a dis- tinct and integrative discipline that underpins a quantitative understanding of biological processes. Together they will provide forums, resources, and opportunities for researchers to access biophysics-related research and information. Fostering a Global Community. Biophysics bridges multi- ple scientific disciplines and does so around the world. The Biophysical Society is an international organization. Although headquartered in the United States, more than one third of its membership is working outside the United States and this international fraction is growing. The collaborative and inter- disciplinary nature of biophysics has allowed this growth to happen organically, but as a Society we pledge to do more to ensure that all members and prospective members feel more connected and that those members, particularly student and early career members who may not be able to travel to attend the Annual Meeting, can access all available resourc- es and feel a part of the Society. To cater to its international membership, the Society organizes meetings in international locations around the globe. The Society will work to support biophysicists throughout the world at all career levels and foster collaborative efforts with national biophysics societies to strengthen the identity of biophysics.

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T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B I O P H Y S I C A L S O C I E T Y