Members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals, elected Willie E. May, Ph.D., to serve as the association’s president-elect. Members elected Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Ph.D., and Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis, Ph.D., to the AAAS Board of Directors as well.
AAAS members also overwhelmingly approved – with 86 percent supporting – an amendment to the AAAS Constitution and Bylaws, which gives the Board the authority to amend the governing documents, a duty that remains shared with the members. This amendment enables the final step in the organization’s governance modernization process. AAAS’ governance had not been updated in more than 70 years.
“We are thrilled to welcome Willie, Kathleen, and Betty to the AAAS Board. Their expertise will be invaluable as we advance scientific excellence, expand who can participate in the STEMM ecosystem, address mis- and disinformation, and provide historical context on the scientific enterprise to inform strategic thinking. We are confident that these strong leaders will help achieve our vision, especially as we celebrate our 175th anniversary and focus on igniting progress for the next 175 years,” said Sudip S. Parikh, Ph.D., chief executive officer of AAAS and executive publisher of the Science family of journals.
“I am also delighted that we have successfully completed our three-year governance modernization process, the culmination of thousands of hours of volunteer and staff work. We look forward to moving into full implementation of our streamlined structure that will allow us to run a modern organization efficiently and provide our volunteer leaders ample opportunities for meaningful and engaging work to further our mission of advancing science in service to society,” added Parikh.
May serves as vice president of research and economic development and professor of chemistry at Morgan State University, Maryland’s largest historically Black university. He is currently a member of the AAAS Council for the Section on Industrial Science and Technology. Previously, he served as the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. May’s one-year term as president-elect begins immediately, followed by one year as AAAS president (and chair of the AAAS Annual Meeting), and one year as immediate past-president.
“I am honored to serve as the new president-elect of AAAS. During my term, I will prioritize partnering with key leaders to enhance the U.S. STEMM workforce by proposing ways the nation can expand access and opportunities to education. I stand ready to support AAAS as it embarks on a mission to transform the way the scientific enterprise realizes benefits to society at large,” said May.
