Biophysical Society Bulletin | June 2024

President's Message

Officers President Gabriela K. Popescu President-Elect Lynmarie K. Thompson Past-President Taekjip Ha Secretary Teresa Giraldez Treasurer Samantha Harris Council Patricia Bassereau Margaret Cheung Martin Gruebele Taviare Hawkins Anne Kenworthy Syma Khalid Emmanuel Margeat Anita Niedziela-Majka Elizabeth Rhoades Tamar Schlick Valeria Vasquez Jing Xu Biophysical Journal Vasanthi Jayaraman Editor-in-Chief The Biophysicist Padmini Rangamani Editor-in-Chief Biophysical Reports

diverse we can be depends in large part on maintaining a healthy contingent of Regular members. A direct look at the data can inform our choices about what we can do to continue to support the global, inclusive community we aspire to be. Membership size fluctuates. Like many other non-profit membership organizations, BPS has experienced a clear decline in membership over the last several years. This trend likely reflects changes in how we all connect and engage professionally, as well as generational differences in identification with a particular group. Economic uncertainties, including ac cess to stable funding, the proliferation of sci entific meetings, and the outgrowth of more specialized groups, compete for our—always finite—resources and influence which associ ations scientists join and continue to identify with and support. An analysis of membership data reveals that the number of total members remained fairly stable between 2010 and 2014 at ~9,000, but has slowly declined since then, such that by 2020 it had experienced a 25% reduction. In 2021, when our Annual Meeting was virtual, membership declined precipitously to 5,400. Although it has increased since then (to 6,117 in 2023), we are yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. Importantly, the number of Regular members declined steadily from a high watermark of ~5,000 in 2010 to ~3,500 in 2020. Although numbers have rebounded from the lowest of ~2,600 in 2021, we were still only at ~3,000 in 2023. Given that our overhead increases with inflation and cost of living, to continue to offer the programs we have developed over the years, it is imperative to keep in mind that although membership size fluctuates with environmental pressures, our commitment to leading an innovative global community depends in large measure on maintaining a strong contingent of Regular members.

Let me be clear: BPS remains a healthy and vi brant organization due to a strong contingent of core members and unrelenting stewardship by Council and staff. And, I believe we can do more! Membership controls what we can do to support the global community. Although membership dues are essential to our financial health and sustainability at similar levels as our Annual Meeting revenues and Biophysical Journal royalties, membership size and compo sition control who we are and what we do to a much larger degree. Our membership, under the egis of BPS, has a wide sphere of influence. Members support the profession and the global community of practice, safeguard standards of rigor and ethics, and ensure its credibility with the public at large. Our members organize Thematic Meetings, student chapters, networking events, Sub group symposia, workshops, webinars, career panels, mentoring opportunities, education and learning resources, and more. Our members volunteer on our committees, establish policies and strategic plans, participate in governance, champion the discipline, advocate for funding from multiple federal agencies, promote bio physics globally, educate the public, and more. Our members define the profession. If you identify with the BPS vision, mission, and values and want to support and shape our strategic plan, our programs, and our activities, I encourage you—I urge you—to consider where you invest your most precious resourc es (time, attention, effort, and talents), and to continue your BPS membership, attend our meetings, and publish in our journals. Encour age your peers and trainees to join our global community! Together we can stand strong for quantitative, rigorous science to, as stated in the Society's strategic plan, “seek knowledge, improve the human condition, and preserve the

Jörg Enderlein Editor-in-Chief

Society Office Jennifer Pesanelli Executive Officer Newsletter

Executive Editor Jennifer Pesanelli Managing Editor John Long Production Ray Wolfe Meredith Zimmerman Proofreader/Copy Editor The Biophysical Society Newsletter (ISSN 0006-3495) is published eleven times per year, January-December, by the Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Distributed to USA members and other countries at no cost. Cana dian GST No. 898477062. Postmaster: Send address changes to Biophysical Society, 5515 Security Lane, Suite 1110, Rockville, MD 20852. Copyright © 2024 by the Biophysical Society. Darren Early Laura Phelan

planet for future generations.” — Gabriela K. Popescu , President

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