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Welcome to the Society of Toxicology
President’s Section
Here you will have access to the
2007–2008 SOT President’s Messages to the Society's members
and miscellaneous issue letters.
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Meet the 2007–2008
Society of Toxicology
President
George B. Corcoran |
President's
Message
Summer/Fall Issue 2007
Effective and regular communication is vital to success, whether it involves a personal relationship, a business interaction, or a vibrant organization like SOT. We hope the Communiqué both informs you and gives you a sense of connection and belonging. If you would like to make comments or offer suggestions to strengthen the Communiqué, we welcome your thoughts. Please drop us an e-mail at sothq@toxicology.org.
So much has happened since you read the Spring Communiqué, and even more is actually underway. Our Seattle meeting is really taking shape. The Program Committee chaired by Ken Ramos and co-chaired by Cheryl Walker has secured very exciting plenary speakers and have tentatively accepted 66 sessions consisting of symposia, workshops, roundtables, historical highlight, and informational seminars. As noted later in the Communiqué, our meeting in Seattle will include thematic tracks for the first time. They include the Developmental Basis of Disease, Oxidative Signaling and Redox Biology, Nanotechnology, and Stem Cell Biology and Toxicology. The Continuing Education Committee chaired by Kok Wah Hew has 13 stimulating sessions well in the works. Consider submitting your best work to our meeting. The abstract deadline of October 3 is rapidly approaching (submit an abstract). ToxExpo promises to be the largest ever in 2008, so do not forget our exhibitors when you are planning your meeting itineraries.
The SOT Council has been working harder than ever over the past several months on developing a draft strategic plan for presentation to you, Society leadership and other meeting attendees at the Town Hall meeting in Seattle. We are striving to meld 3 outstanding strategy reports (Science, Communication, Membership) and member input into an insightful and responsive blueprint that will guide our activities and decision making for years to come. During two retreats and significant time at our regular meetings, Council has been forging a plan that will present a vision to position the Society for success in a rapidly changing future. The Strategic Plan promises to:
- Develop greater synergy of current activities,
- Prioritize our future activities and directions,
- Create the first strategic implementation roadmap with benchmarks, measurable outcomes, and feedback loop.
A draft of the Strategic Plan will be vetted by leaders inside the Society and posted to the SOT Web site for your comment in early 2008. Please make a point of reviewing all aspects of it and of giving us your comments and suggestions. The Society has a long tradition of leaders who have positioned SOT strategically and effectively by recognizing our greatest opportunities and challenges and by implementing appropriate change. I share the confidence of these leaders, particularly SOT Past Presidents Kendall Wallace and Jim Popp, who began this most recent strategic review process that will result in strengthening the discipline of toxicology and the Society.
The 11th International Congress of Toxicology was held in Montreal, Canada on July 15–19, 2007. Presiding were Gabriel L. Plaa (Honorary) and Mallé Jurima-Romet (President). Michael Cyr and Robin Walker co-chaired an outstanding scientific program. SOT is an IUTOX member society and was represented by delegates Jim Popp, George Corcoran, Ken Ramos, Jack Dean, and Linda Birnbaum. I want to congratulate the SOT members who were elected to serve on the IUTOX Executive Committee for 2007–2010, including President Kai Savolainen, President-Elect Linda Birnbaum, Vice President Tohru Inoue, Secretary General A. Wallace Hayes, Treasurer Alexander Buerkle, and Directors Elaine Faustman, Silvia Barros, Barbara Hales, and Lewis Smith. The 12th International Congress of Toxicology will be held in Barcelona, Spain in July 2010.
SOT recognizes that NIH funding is a key concern of many of its members. The Society has been working hard on several fronts. SOT has been attempting to collect data on the fate of member grant applications, through the NIH Funding Task Force chaired previously by David Eaton and now by Ron Hines. Council has held several meetings with NIH leaders on the topic of peer review, and has submitted a response to NIH Director Zerhouni's Request for Information on how to strengthen the current peer review system. In our response, the SOT presented both rationale and data supporting the value of creating a new IRG with toxicology and therapeutics study sections. The SOT is also sending 2 members to each of 6 Open Houses sponsored by NIH Center for Scientific Review Director, Dr. Toni Scarpa. Read more about this activity in a later article. Finally, Drs. Sam Wilson (Director) and Sally Tinkle of NIEHS met recently with SOT Council to explore a range of urgent issues facing the discipline, including peer review.
In its efforts to remain at the cutting-edge of associations and scientific societies, SOT has embraced the intentions of the Sarbanes Oxley legislation to strengthen financial accounting and reporting by creating an Audit Committee. This committee is separate from the Finance Committee and will oversee the auditing of SOT financial operations including accounting procedures and controls. The new committee includes Chair James Bus (former Treasurer), Michael Holsapple (former Councilor), and Jeffrey Charles (financial expert).
Even though our 50th anniversary seems far away, the Task Force, chaired by Ernest Hodgson, is already hard at work and the pace of its activities is accelerating. I wish to thank a number of new members who have volunteered to support these activities by joining the Task Force, including Dennis Paustenbach, Jack Dean, Dennis Devlin, Ronald Tjaklens, and Lisa Opanashuk.
With all that is taking place and so much more that cannot be covered in the Communiqué, I believe more than ever in a statement I made and explained in the previous President's Column—the future of SOT is bright, and our Society clearly is ALMOST AMAZING! Thank you for your support of SOT, and for doing your part to realize the top of our potential.
Warmest regards and thanks,
George B. Corcoran,
2007–2008 SOT President
Past President Corcoran's Messages
Spring 2007
Past Presidents of the Society
Contacting
the President
The
SOT President would like to hear from you on issues related to the
Society of Toxicology and/or toxicological sciences in general.
Send all correspondence to:
Dr. George B. Corcoran
SOT Headquarters
1821 Michael Faraday Drive, Suite 300
Reston, VA 20190-5332
E-mail: corcoran@wayne.edu
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