Council

About the Committee

The ASCB Council serves as an advisory board to the Presidents and the CEO in setting priorities and strategic directions, overseeing resource allocations, and ensuring that ASCB activities align with the mission of the ASCB.

Activities

Advisory

  • Advise the Presidents and CEO regarding strategic direction, priorities, and goals to ensure long-range planning, implementation, and goal assessment
  • Be aware of the Society’s mission and the constituencies it serves
  • Periodically review the Society’s mission and purpose—ensuring its relevance and effectiveness in meeting members’ needs
  • Carefully consider new initiatives, their alignment to ASCB’s mission, timetables, assessment, and exit strategies, if relevant
  • Recommend nominees for Council, Officers, Committee Chairs

Oversight

  • Oversee ASCB’s business, property, and affairs—including overall stewardship of the Society
  • Review and approve major programs and policies, ensuring that they meet the needs of our members, our profession, and our constituents
  • Approve Chairs of Committees and publication Editors-in-Chief
  • Review and approve ASCB public statements
  • Be aware of ASCB By-Laws, initiate and act on amendments to the Bylaws Review amendments to the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation
  • Establish policy on behalf of the ASCB and suggest policy changes
  • Review and approve Annual Meeting program and speakers (Two Council members must also serve as Program Committee members)

Financial

  • Ensure the fiscal soundness and financial stability of the Society
  • Make financial decisions that directly support the Society’s mission and vision
  • Approve budget—a planning document that should align resources with priorities
  • Approve changes in dues, registration fees, page charges, journal subscription rates Individual Council Member Responsibilities:

Participatory

  • Become sufficiently aware of and remain informed about ASCB policies, activities, finances, membership, committees, publications, goals, partnerships, grants, and business model to make informed decisions
  • Engage actively in, and support, the Society and its mission, programs, and policies through partnerships with staff and volunteers
  • Attend the ASCB Annual Meeting
  • Read the agenda materials provided to each Councilor, including reports from Committee Chairs and staff, in advance of the Council’s meetings
  • Attend and actively participate in all (or most) Council meetings/conference calls
  • Offer talents, skills, experience, interests, and advice
  • Provide important input regarding the Annual Meeting by gauging the needs, interests, and priorities of the cell biology community
  • Serve on Society subcommittees and/or its journals’ editorial boards as needed
  • Take other appropriate governance actions
  • Exercise discretion in its handling of potentially sensitive or competitive information, keeping confidential membership data and other briefing materials provided
  • Respond in a timely manner to requests for Council vote, input, and advice

Representative

  • Take seriously commitment to serve the interests and goals of the ASCB as a representative of the membership
  • Represent the Society to members, potential members, and the community positively, helping to inform others (peers, students, postdocs, etc.) about the Society’s value, membership benefits, meetings, and programs
  • Contact the President, the CEO, the relevant Committee Chair, or other member of the ASCB leadership when an issue arises that is of interest or about which more information would be helpful

Member Criteria

Councilors

  • Current Regular, Educator, Postdoctoral or Graduate Student member
  • Proven commitment to diversity, equity and/or inclusion work
  • Past participation in ASCB activities
  • With the goal of providing opportunity for more of the membership to participate in the governance and guidance of the ASCB, current committee member nominees would be expected to resign from their committee service if elected to serve on Council

President

  • Current Regular member
  • Consistent membership over the past 3-5  years
  • Proven commitment to diversity, equity and/or inclusion work
  • Past participation in ASCB activities, especially leadership roles
  • Has experience in strategic planning and/or the execution of a strategic vision
  • Strong spokesperson, with media and/or advocacy experience preferred
  • Experience leading at the equivalent of the departmental level of higher
  • Experience with fundraising from private, foundation and corporate sources or for multiple group efforts from public sources

Time Commitment

Council meets three times per year beginning in 2021 to review ASCB activities, set priorities and define strategic directions, and approximately monthly through conference calls that focus on specific issues. Some decisions and votes are also taken through email discussions, as needed. Regular participation in each of these venues is required. Council members also serve as representatives of the ASCB and should actively promote its programs (including the Annual Meeting and its journals) to peers, students, and postdoctoral fellows.

Interested in Applying?

Applications for 2024 are now closed.

Staff Contact Info

Please email info@ascb.org for questions regarding the Council.
The ASCB Council consists of 12 members, as well as the ASCB Officers (President, President-Elect, Past-President, Secretary, and Treasurer). ASCB Councilors are elected by their peers (ASCB voting members) to three-year terms. The duties of the Council are to oversee the organizational health and engage in the overall stewardship of the Society, to determine the policies for the good of the Society, approve the budget, approve changes in dues, review proposals for amendments to the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, and take other appropriate governance actions. View Council Members

Amy Gladfelter

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“I serve on ASCB Council to help make an impact on the culture and practice of science in the larger cell biology community around the world. As a global Society, we have the chance to shape practices around communication, inclusion and equity that transcend institutional and society boundaries to ensure that science is welcoming to as many different minds as possible into the next generation. I also want to give back to the Society because it has supported me in so many steps of my career.”

Andrew Campbell

Brown University

“Serving on Council allows me to have a lasting, positive impact on the Society. It allows me to bring my own unique perspective, as well as other perspectives that are not always represented but should be. Being a Council member allows me to raise the Society's awareness of issues that are important to its increasingly diverse membership. ASCB Councilors are ASCB members who reflect and embrace member values and identities.”

Jordan Raff

Dunn School of Pathology

“I first attended an ASCB Meeting as a final year PhD student, and it remains one of my most memorable experiences as a scientist. I was so excited to hear so many amazing talks about so many things I had never even thought about before—and to then get a chance to actually speak to all these famous scientists afterwards. I have been a die-hard supporter of the ASCB ever since. Although the ASCB is great in many ways, I subscribe to the view that its upper echelons have previously been something of an exclusive club—although perhaps a relatively enlightened one. I have actually always admired the ASCB’s efforts over the years to promote outreach and inclusivity, often well before these issues became mainstream. It is only through working on the Council, however, that I have come to appreciate how much thought and hard-work the ASCB put in to trying to tackle these issues. Nothing here is easy, but it’s been a pleasure to work with this team to try to help advance the cell biology cause, while realizing that we need to look beyond our usual horizons if we are going to do so. I would urge anybody who thinks these are worthwhile goals to consider applying to join ASCB Council or to serve on an ASCB committee. Your Society needs you.”