Biophysical Society Bulletin | April 2023

Council Update

Nearly Normal but Change Is Afoot There was a bit of déjà vu and reminiscing as BPS Council

Annual Meeting Program Co-Chairs for 2023, Baron Chanda and Janice Robertson , and 2024, Ibrahim Cissé and Elizabeth Villa , attended Joint Council on the Saturday morning of the Annual Meeting to share updates on their programs and to participate in discussions about member-organized sessions and speaker policies. Maximizing opportunities for incorporat ing member suggestions into the program as well as ensuring diverse speakers and fresh voices at the Annual Meeting emerged as priorities. Joint Council also included the establishment of the 2023 Nominating Committee, which will be chaired by Margaret Cheung , review of the Subgroup report card, and approval of the revised Thematic Meeting proposal “Beyond Simple Models: The Consequences of Membrane Complexity in Living Systems,” which will be held in Denmark in 2025. At the conclusion of Joint Council, we disbursed to enjoy the rest of Subgroup Saturday, reunite with friends and col leagues, and make new connections while exploring what’s new in biophysics during the ensuing symposia, platforms, and poster sessions. On Tuesday, February 21, at the BPS Annual Business Meeting, we enjoyed a smooth transition of power as outgoing President Gail Robertson handed the gavel to incoming President Taekjip Ha . We reconvened on Wednesday, February 22, for New Council at the San Diego Convention Center where Ha shared his priorities focusing on diversity, global reach, and advocacy for the upcoming year. The 2023 and 2024 Annual Meeting Program Co-Chairs joined us once again, and we shared experiences, feedback, and highlights from the prior days. Some of the highlights are included in this issue of the BPS Bulletin. Council thanked Chanda and Robertson for all their efforts in creating and de livering an outstanding scientific program. Cissé and Villa pre sented their final program for 2024 to Council and received unanimous approval. Ha then made three proposals for new programming at the 2024 Annual Meeting. The proposals, all aimed at increasing speaker opportunities and research exposure, were approved by Council and will be put into effect pending technical implementation. Chair of the Publications Committee, Kathleen Hall , and BPS’s three Editors-in-Chief, Vasanthi Jayaraman , Jörg Enderlein , and Sam Safran from Biophysical Journal (BJ), Biophysical Reports , and The Biophysicist , respectively, were also in attendance at New Council. Hall reported on activities from the Publications Committee including a search to replace Safran as he ends his term with The Biophysicist . Hall also shared a report from scholarly publishing expert Raym Crow from Chain Bridge Group exploring the feasibility of various business models for converting BJ from a hybrid subscription journal to a fully

gathered at the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, California on February 17 just before the 2023 Annual Meeting. We shared memories of the 2020 meeting, recalled Skyping Sunney Xie from China for the BPS Lecture, and remarked how only a few weeks later everything would change.

Taekjip Ha

Although we met in person for BPS 2022 in San Francisco, limited participation, cancelled sessions, and continued concerns about the recent Omicron wave and the health and safety of our colleagues impacted the event. Returning to San Diego this year with greatly increased attendance and almost a full return to regular programming felt “nearly normal,” as many attendees commented throughout the event. Fortunately, all members of Council were able to attend this year as well, which was outstanding as we had some sig nificant issues to tackle. Friday’s Joint Council began with light-hearted moments as then-President Gail Robertson recognized outgoing Council members Erin C. Dueber , Gilad Haran , Carolyn A. Moores , and Francesca M. Marassi , as well as Past President Frances Separovic , who were attending their final Council meeting. We also reviewed the Society’s new Strategic Plan and the process for engagement, communica tion, and evaluation as our Committees undertake the work of the plan. BPS Treasurer Samantha Harris reported on the finances of the Society, reminding Council that we have a deficit bud get for operations again this year due in part to significantly increased costs for the Annual Meeting and attendance num bers not yet equal to those of pre-pandemic years. Council engaged in a discussion about registration rates, other costs associated with attending the meeting, and contracted obli gations for future meeting sites. Balancing accessibility and affordability with program sustainability is challenging but critical. Council also discussed a report and presentation on the Soci ety’s current technology environment and use of technology in serving members and supporting programs. The report identified several areas, including data systems and digital presence, that need significant work to make BPS more effi cient, progressive, and capable of fulfilling our mission, vision, and business objectives. To that end, Council approved a stra tegic investment from reserves to improve BPS information technology over the next several years.

April 2023

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