ASBMB committees welcome new members

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology welcomed many new committee members in the fall. Some of them were elected by the membership, and others applied and were appointed by the committees. 

Learn about the committees and see the new members below. 

Education and Professional Development Committee 

The Education and Professional Development Committee encourages and supports the development of a vibrant and inclusive community of biochemists and molecular biologists by promoting effective molecular life sciences curricula and educational practices and by providing career resources across the professional life cycle. 

These newly appointed members will serve through 2025: 

• Rou-Jia Sung (Carleton College)
• Paula Lemons (University of Georgia)
• Bruno Rodrigues (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)
• John Tansey (Otterbein University)

The following members’ terms ended in 2022: 

• Cheryl Bailey (Mount Mary University)
• Chris Peña (Purohit Navigation)
• Rita-Marie Raach (Lincoln College Preparatory Academy High School) 

Finance committee 

The Finance Committee assists the Council in fulfilling its financial oversight responsibilities by monitoring the society’s financial resources, including budgeting and financial planning, financial reporting, internal controls and accounting policies, and investment fund strategies. 

The following committee member’s term was renewed through 2027: 

• Gerald Wilson (University of Maryland School of Medicine) 

Meetings Committee 

The Meetings Committee facilitates organization of meeting programs to deliver groundbreaking scientific research, promote networking and mentoring opportunities, and foster relationships and collaboration between scientists around the globe. With a forward-thinking strategy, the meetings committee recommends new scientific areas and programming to expand the reach and engagement of ASBMB members and the larger BMB community. 

The co-chairs for the ASBMB annual meeting, Discover BMB, will serve through 2023. 

• Karen N. Allen (Boston University)
• Craig Cameron (University of North Carolina School of Medicine) 

These new members will serve through 2023: 

• Martha Cyert (Stanford University)
• Aaron Hoskins (University of Wisconsin–Madison)
• James Olzmann (University of California, Berkeley)
• Kim Orth (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
• Saumya Ramanathan (Arizona State University)
• Jared Rutter (University of Utah School of Medicine)

The following members’ terms expired in 2022: 

• Cheryl Bailey (Mount Mary University)
• Enrique M. De La Cruz (Yale University)
• Patrick Grant (Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine)
• Chad Slawson (University of Kansas Medical Center)
• Blanton S. Tolbert (Case Western Reserve University)
• Yan Jessie Zhang (University of Texas at Austin) 

Membership committee 

The Membership Committee focuses on the retention, growth and engagement of the ASBMB membership. The committee is charged with considering, reviewing and recommending actions to implement programs, benefits and services to advance the mission of the society and meet the needs of its members. 

These newly appointed members will serve through 2025: 

• Mark Witmer (Bristol Myers Squibb)
• S. Patricia Becerra (National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health)
• Melanie McReynolds (Pennsylvania State University) 

These members’ terms will expire in the spring of 2023: 

• Pete Kennelly (Virginia Tech)
• Bettie Sue Masters (Duke University)
• Renee Yura (Pfizer) 

Maximizing Access Committee

The mission of the Maximizing Access Committee (formerly the Minority Affairs Committee) is to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion are a priority throughout the society to advance life sciences research and education. The MAC strives to increase the presence, visibility, access and support of historically excluded and marginalized groups by advocating for policies and developing resources to promote more diverse, equitable and inclusive practices. 

There are five newly appointed members whose terms will end in 2025: 

• Stephen Williams (Baylor College of Medicine)
• Jose Rodriguez–Martinez (University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras)
• Oluwarotimi Folorunso (McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School)
• Yass Kobayashi (College of St. Scholastica)
• Anita Nag (University of South Carolina Upstate) 

The committee thanks the following for their service: 

• Deborah Neely–Fisher (J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College).
• Cecilia Giulivi (University of California, Davis) 

Nominating committee 

The ASBMB Nominating Committee nominates regular members of the society to stand for election for president, Council, Publications Committee and the Nominating Committee. Committee members are elected for three-year terms and can be reelected or reappointed to serve one additional term. 

The committee has three new members — two elected by the membership and one appointed — whose terms will end in 2025: 

• Juan Mendoza (University of Chicago)
• Jeremy Thorner (University of California, Berkeley)
• George Carman (Rutgers University)                                                           

The following committee members’ terms ended in 2022: 

• Celia Schiffer (University of Massachusetts Medical School)          
• Nicholas Tonks (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
• Wei Yang (National Institutes of Health) 

Public Affairs Advisory Committee 

The Public Affairs Advisory Committee monitors and responds to all matters relating to the government’s role in the practice of science. The committee advises the society leadership on governmental issues in which the membership has an interest. 

Three new committee members were appointed to serve through 2025: 

• Olivia George (University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu)
• Karen Lewis (Texas State University)
• Kevin Gardner (City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center)
• Emily Pitsch (University of Utah) 

The terms of the following members expired in 2022: 

• Susan Forsburg (University of Southern California)
• Susan Baserga (Yale University)
• Terri Kinzy (Illinois State University) 

Publications committee 

The ASBMB Publications Committee oversees the society’s scholarly publishing activities, advises the Council on policy and ethical issues that may arise, and advises journal editors about editorial matters, including the approval of associate editor appointments. Committee members are elected for five-year terms and can be reelected or reappointed to serve one additional term.                                    

ASBMB members elected four new committee members, whose terms end in 2027: 

• Walid Houry (University of Toronto)
• Marcelo Kazanietz (University of Pennsylvania)
• Daniel Leahy (University of Texas at Austin)
• Anne-Frances Miller (University of Kentucky) 

The following committee members’ terms ended in 2022: 

• Brian Crane (Cornell University)
• Robert Haltiwanger (University of Georgia)
• Ruth Welti (Kansas State University)
• Tanya Paull (University of Texas at Austin)

Science Outreach and Communication Committee

The Science Outreach and Communication Committee develops science communication training and facilitates outreach activities for the society. The committee provides resources and professional-development opportunities for ASBMB members to get involved with informal education in their communities. The SOCC’s mission is to increase and expand the effectiveness of inclusive and accessible science outreach and communication activities through the involvement of ASBMB members. 

These newly appointed members will serve through 2025: 

• Joanna Kwiatek (Polonium Foundation)
• Debra Martin (St. Mary’s University of Minnesota)
• Greg Miller (Catholic University of America) 

The following members’ terms ended in 2022: 

• Stuart Ravnik (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas)
• Edwin Li (St. Joseph’s University)
• Niki Woitowich (Northwestern University) 

Student Chapters Committee 

The Student Chapters Committee is devoted to building a national community of undergraduate students and faculty members for the advancement of biochemistry and molecular biology research, education and science outreach. It provides networking and career-development opportunities at regional and national levels, access to research and science outreach, and grants and awards. 

The committee has one newly appointed member who will serve through 2025: 

• Betsy Martinez–Vaz (Hamline University) 

One member’s term ended in 2022: 

• Debra Martin (St. Mary’s University of Minnesota) 

Women in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Committee 

The Women in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Committee advocates for women in biochemistry and molecular biology, both in academia and in industry, by increasing participation, visibility and status of women within the scientific community. 

The following members were appointed and will serve through 2025: 

• Alexandra Kent (University of California, Berkeley)
• Nicole Koropatkin (University of Michigan)
• Sudha Sharma (Howard University) 

The following members’ terms expired in 2022: 

• Sonia Flores (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus)
• Vahe Bandarian (University of Utah)
• Marina Ramirez–Alvarado (Mayo Clinic)