We are already in June – for some of you, this means taking a break from teaching, for others it means focusing on research with summer students, or simply time for vacation. June is also Pride month – a month when we recognize the rights and privileges of the LGBTQ+ community. Rest assured that this community has its place in AAA and that you are valued for your contribution to our common goals of discovery and innovations in anatomical sciences. You are also welcome to join the LGBTQ+ community on Anatomy Network.
“If you have an idea for a meeting session/symposium, send it to AAA, there are good chances they will program it.” These words, pronounced twenty years ago by a AAA colleague, still resonate in my ears because my submitted proposal was programmed the following year. And this constituted the beginning of my involvement with AAA. Do you know you can do the same? That’s right, AAA is calling for proposals for symposia for its 2025 Anatomy Connect meeting in Portland, Oregon. The program committee schedules about 23 basic science-focus sessions, 10 education-focus sessions, and 4 professional development symposia along with 4 lunch and learns. All of them are chosen from submitted symposiums or submitted abstracts. In other words, you, AAA members, shape the 2025 meeting. So please, do not wait, send your submission today (the deadline is tonight at 11:59 pm ET) so that the program committee has a vast array of proposals to choose from.
While you all are working on your best ideas for the meeting, let me update you on some of my activities with the board. We are following up with our friends from the Association of Medical Illustrators to explore how we can continue our partnership. I will be attending their meeting this summer and be on the lookout for opportunities. We are also reviewing our partnership with SCGDB, as it has already been 5 years since we came together. This affiliation brought lots of scientists and their cutting-edge research together and we are looking forward to what the next 5 years will look like.
Currently, 80% of our revenues come from royalties from our journals. With upcoming changes in publishing (more open-access, fewer subscriptions), we need to look at diversifying our income. I formed two working groups to explore 1) corporate sponsorships and 2) competency testing and certification in Anatomy that would provide accreditation in the discipline. They will report back at our July board meeting, and I am eager to hear what they will come up with.
Lastly, the board agreed to investigate the best ways to foster new leaders and ensure we have the right experience on our board and committees. We hired a consultant, Association Management Center (AMC), to help us with these reflections. We will get a first glance at some of their ideas in July, and their full recommendations later this year. We hope to bring the proper expertise to every level of AAA and get our unsung heroes a seat at the table to contribute to the future of our organization. With that, enjoy some of the longest days of the year, if you are on the Northern Hemisphere!
Best,
Martine Dunnwald, PharmD, Ph.D., FAAA
AAA President
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA