Biophysical Society Bulletin | January 2023

Communities

Meghna Gupta Committee for Inclusion and Diversity (CID)

Meghna Gupta

Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held? I am currently a member of the Committee for Inclusion and Diversity (CID) and a program co-chair for the Cryo EM Sub group for the 2023 BPS Annual Meeting 2023. I have served as a Student Research Achievement Award (SRAA) poster competition judge and a BPS mentor at past Annual Meetings. Why do you volunteer? I believe our role as a scientist goes beyond the research work we are invested in. By volunteering, I get a chance to contrib ute to the community in various ways. It helps me appreciate the grander vision and social responsibilities of being a scien tist. I have met many role models through these interactions who are not only doing excellent science but are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive group of future scientists through education, outreach, advocacy, travel awards, society awards, platform talks, and many such activities. I did not realize how much enthusiasm, devotion, and commitment it takes to sustain a society and organize events as an attendee until I saw things from the other side as a volunteer. It has been a rewarding journey and I am motivated to keep volun teering for BPS.

What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? The highlight of my volunteer experience has been under standing how BPS operates as a society and the rich collective values it has incorporated in the organization of events, help ing researchers build their networks, mentoring, education, and outreach. I am happy to be a small part of it. Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? If time permits and you want to do something for the scien tific community in addition to what you already do, go for it. I can assure that it will be an enriching experience. There are volunteering opportunities for all career stages. Such activ ities provide a broader perspective of science, the prospect to interact with inspiring BPS members, the opportunity to network with peers, and much more. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? I am a specialist in the lab of Robert Stroud at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco. My research focuses on membrane protein structural biology, and I am attempting to answer fundamen tal questions in biology and human diseases. I volunteer my time to various committees at other organizations as well.

Nominate yourself or a colleague for a 2024 Society Award Open until May 1, 2023 For the first time, BPS Society Awards are open to self-nominations. Nominate yourself or a deserving colleague for one of the 10 Society Awards by May 1, 2023. To ensure a diverse candidate pool, we particularly encourage nominations of women, international members, and those from underrepresented groups. Join us Sunday, February 19, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM at the Annual Meeting in San Diego for a workshop on how to write great nomination and support letters. Learn more about eligibility requirements for all 10 Society Awards and the Fellows distinction, and submit a nomination, by visiting our website: biophysics.org/awards-funding/society-awards.

January 2023

9

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