Biophysical Society Bulletin | July/August 2018

Communities

Publications Committee The BPS Bulletin is running a series highlighting the Society’s committees to help members learn more about them and

the kinds of things committee members do on behalf of BPS. The Publications Committee is established in accordance with Article VI of the Society Bylaws, which stipulates that Council approves appointment of Publications Committee members and the committee Chair. The Publications Committee is responsible for overseeing Society peer-reviewed publications and recommending edito- rial policies for each to ensure achievement of Society goals. The Committee is also responsible for understanding and developing journal budgets in collaboration with the Finance Committee, for approval by the Council (the Publications Committee Chair serves ex-officio on the Finance Committee). Through its Chair, the committee develops fiscal policies and budgets that work to improve the publications and maintain the fiscal goals of the Society, which is the publisher. The Publications Committee oversees each publication and, in consultation with the editors-in-chief, develops editorial policies that reflect the Society’s values. Another important function of the Publications Committee is conducting the searches for editors-in-chief and submitting recommenda- tions to Council. They are, furthermore, responsible for over- seeing and evaluating performance of the editors-in-chief. The committee appoints all Associate Editors and Editorial Board members, such appointments to be ratified by Council. In order to perform its oversight function effectively, the com- mittee stays abreast of publishing trends, changes, and new areas of biophysics and makes recommendations to the So- ciety publishing program accordingly. Through the Chair, the committee maintains relationships with publication vendors (e.g., Cell Press). Finally, the committee Chair is charged with reporting annually orally and in writing to Council with:

• An update on the business model for each publication and how it compares to the marketplace. • A summary of operations for each publication. • An update or monitoring of publishing policies and ethical guidelines. • A list of newly appointed Associate Editors and Editorial Board Members. • An update on additional issues discussed and any related recommendations. To carry out its duties, the Publications Committee is one of only two Society committees that holds two face-to-face meetings a year (the other being the Public Affairs Commit- tee). One is held during the Annual Meeting and a second meeting is held in late Summer or early Fall. Depending on the workload, conference calls are often held between in-person meetings. The committee is made up of a Chair and [at least] five members elected by Council for staggered, three-year terms so that [at least] two members retire at the end of each fiscal year. Committee members are ineligible to be considered for an Editor-in-Chief position while serving on the committee. The Publications Committee Chair is precluded from serving on the Council while serving as committee Chair. Effective July 1, the Chair of the Publications Committee is Kathleen Hall , Washington University in St. Louis. The outgoing Chair is Olaf Andersen, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The Society Treasurer is an ex officio member of the Publica- tions Committee.

Use Your Expertise toMake a Difference! Be an inspiration to your community and help change the lives of those interest- ed in or studying science. Based on members’ feedback, the Find a Biophysicist (FaB) Network launched in early April with the newly redesigned BPS website. Volunteer to be a K-12 classroom visitor, mentor, science fair judge, speaker, or student chapter sponsor. The FaB Network is free and accessible by members and nonmembers, but only BPS members may add their names to FaB. The net- work is designed to provide the best match to users searching for a biophysicist for any of the aforementioned activities. To join FaB, login or create your myBPS account and get involved. Help build this new network by signing up today. For more information, visit biophysics. org/get-involved.

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