{"id":4417,"date":"2026-02-10T03:50:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T03:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sicb.burkclients.com\/wp\/?page_id=4417"},"modified":"2026-05-15T14:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T14:06:10","slug":"spring-2026-society-wide-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sicb.burkclients.com\/wp\/?page_id=4417","title":{"rendered":"Spring 2026: Society-Wide Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Message from the President<\/b><\/h2>\n

Michele ‘Nish’ Nishiguchi<\/strong>, President (president@sicb.org)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Michele<\/a>
Michele “Nish” Nishiguchi, SICB President.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spring has sprung so to speak, and our annual meeting in Portland was a great way to start the new year, especially when science has been under the scrutiny of multiple lenses. Having attended many talks and the opportunity to chat with many of our members (especially our students) during the poster session reminded me of why I am committed to this society and its goals and visions for\u00a0 integrative biology. Many of you have brought to our (executive committee) attention the changing needs of our members, and our executive officers have brainstormed with many of our committees to better support those needs. Thus, it is so important for us to hear from our \u201cboots on the ground\u201d members as to how we can provide resources that will help maintain the integrity of our scientific society, as well as always being a platform to share ideas, train and promote our younger members, and create a safe and inclusive environment to broaden our perspectives within the biological sciences. I would also like to remind our members that individually we can all express our support for science and how imperative continued funding for basic research benefits everyone in society. With reinstated partial funding from our NSF BIO-LEAPs grant and support from SICB, we were able to have one full day of leadership training after our annual meeting\u00a0 for our executive committee, facilitated by Dr. Wynne Chinn, who is our assessment person for BIO-LEAPs. We hope that we can begin to develop division specific tools for our leadership to be more efficient and effective in addressing the needs within and between our divisions. Given that our society is becoming quite broad in scope, it is imperative to maintain both the individuality of all the disciplines and divisions, yet also ensure that the integration among fields is what makes SICB so unique and innovative in our science and within our membership.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Message from the President-Elect<\/b><\/h2>\n

Rick Blob<\/strong>, President-Elect (president.elect@sicb.org)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Rick<\/a>
Rick Blob, SICB President-Elect.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As biologists, we are acutely aware that we live in a continually changing world. The landscape of science and education was already experiencing major disruptions in the lead up to our wonderful meeting in Portland, which have continued since January with the added framing and uncertainty of dramatic world events. More than ever, our goal is for SICB to provide a setting and resources that help our members continue to advance their science and sustain the integrative biology community. We have worked hard to build wider participation in SICB, and are eager for members to get involved \u2013 check the range<\/span> committees and roles<\/a><\/strong> where you can participate, and <\/span>sign up on our volunteer <\/span>sheet<\/a><\/strong> or contact me directly (<\/span>president.elect@sicb.org<\/span>) to let us know your interest. Also keep an eye out for upcoming announcements about award applications and nominations that can recognize outstanding work and support the efforts of the next generation of SICB scientists.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SICB is also seeking to strengthen science by engaging with other Scientific Societies. We are all stronger working together, and have begun new coordination with societies including The Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (<\/span>SABER<\/strong><\/span><\/a>) and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (<\/span>SVP<\/a><\/strong>)<\/strong>, including SICB members being able to register for the 2026 annual SVP meeting in Cleveland, OH at SVP member rates. In this context, if you enjoy SICB, we encourage you to share your experience with colleagues you think might be interested and <\/span>invite them to join<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Wider participation makes SICB stronger, so spread the word about what SICB has to offer!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Message from the Program Officer and Program Officer-Elect<\/b><\/h2>\n

Matt McHenry<\/strong>, Program Officer (programofficer@sicb.org) and\u00a0Britt Heidinger<\/strong>, Program Officer – Elect (programofficer.elect@sicb.org)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a>
Matt McHenry, SICB Program Officer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was great to see so many of you recently in Portland for SICB 2026. At 1,800 presentations, the Portland meeting was a slight correction in size from our peak from the prior year\u2019s Atlanta meeting. One benefit of this size was the flexibility it afforded our scheduling; we were able to transition back to a shortened final day. This allowed for our traditional streamlined final day, while maintaining SICB\u2019s usual depth of scientific exchange.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am honored to have officially stepped into the role of Program Officer. My focus is already shifting toward our upcoming annual meetings, as we prepare to head to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for SICB 2027 and then to Los Angeles, California, in 2028. It is also a pleasure to welcome Britt Heidinger as our Program Officer-Elect. Britt is already hard at work shepherding a strong crop of symposia for the Pittsburg meeting. I look forward to collaborating with her to build the programs for our upcoming meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

These meetings will continue to rely on the vision of our members to define the frontiers of organismal science. The symposia you organize remain the backbone of the meeting and provide the high-impact content for our journal, Integrative and Comparative Biology. We will be issuing a formal call for symposia over the summer, but I encourage you to begin discussing your ideas now.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have concepts for a symposium or are looking for feedback on a proposal, please feel free to reach out to Britt at programofficer.elect@sicb.org. For any other questions or concerns regarding meeting programming, you can contact me directly at programofficer@sicb.org.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for your continued dedication to the society, and I look forward to working with all of you as we plan for Pittsburgh.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Message from the Secretary and Secretary-Elect<\/b><\/h2>\n

Vanessa Hilliard<\/strong>, Secretary (secretary@sicb.org) and\u00a0Caitlin Gabor<\/strong>, Secretary-Elect (secretary.elect@sicb.org)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Vanessa<\/a>
Vanessa Hilliard, SICB Secretary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 2026 meeting was a success! Thank you again to all the SICB volunteers who work to keep this society running and welcome to everyone who started new positions after the conference ended. Congratulations to all the students winners in the Best Student Presentation contents. You can learn more about their work <\/span>here<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The ballots are now open for the society wide and divisional elections. We have 15 officer positions open and we want to thank all the candidates for being willing to serve SICB. At the end of this newsletter, you will find the candidate statements for the society-wide positions of President-Elect, Treasurer-Elect, and Member-At-Large. The candidate statements for each divisional position are found at the end of the divisional newsletters.\u00a0 Please also read your divisional newsletters to see more about proposed amendments to bylaws that are also being voted on in this election.<\/span><\/p>\n

We would like to give an extra special thanks to our outgoing secretary, Marianne Porter. During her time in office, she contributed to the development of the SICB Strategic Plan and provided valuable insights to guide SICB communication and policies during these turbulent times.\u00a0 Marianne also edited a number of society-wide bylaws changes, guided divisional leadership through major changes (such as the merging of DCE and DCPB into the new Division of Physiology [DPhys]), and made the annual officer transitions easier. Caitlin and I are continuing her work by updating \u2018user guides\u2019 for each officer position, serving as a resource for DPhys as it emerges, and reassessing election timing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this newsletter and we hope you enjoy it. Please remember to vote – and remind your friends and colleagues to vote too!! – and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions about the governance of our society.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Message from the Treasurer<\/b><\/h2>\n

Brian Tsukimura<\/strong>, Treasurer (treasurer@sicb.org)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Brian<\/a>
Brian Tsukimura, SICB Treasurer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even in uncertain times, there are encouraging signs\u2014and SICB\u2019s financial outlook is one of them. Following a highly successful Portland meeting, the Society is in a strong position. Attendance exceeded expectations, and expenses have come in below budget, putting us on track to close the 2025\u20132026 fiscal year in the black. While final numbers for the Portland conference are still being finalized this month, the overall picture is very positive. Timing also worked in our favor, as recent market volatility occurred after much of our annual activity had concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our investment performance has been solid throughout the fiscal year as well. Because divisional budgets for annual meetings are based on a three-year average, we do not anticipate significant impacts on divisional funding for the 2027 Pittsburgh meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are especially pleased to see continued growth in our food insecurity program, which will return in Pittsburgh. Thanks to donor support, we were able to provide direct assistance to students during the conference. If you are interested in helping sustain or expand this effort, please feel free to reach out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Planning for Pittsburgh is well underway. While some traditional funding sources remain constrained, the strong showing in Portland gives us confidence that the upcoming meeting will be another success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking ahead, maintaining stable membership\u2014particularly at the full membership level\u2014remains critical. Prompt renewals will help the Finance Committee and Executive Officers continue to assess our financial position and sustain the high level of support we provide to students and members. We are also exploring additional strategies to strengthen long-term financial stability.<\/span><\/p>\n

This year, we are again committing approximately $90,000 to student housing support. Currently, the Mangum Fund covers only a portion of these costs. A key priority of the SICB President is to grow the Mangum Fund so that it can take on a larger share of student support, reducing reliance on general operating funds.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are in a position to do so, we encourage you to consider making a donation to support these important efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Code of Conduct Transparency Report<\/b><\/h2>\n

SICB has had an Annual Meeting Code of Conduct since the 2017 meeting and a Code of Conduct with investigation procedures and listed disciplinary actions<\/a> since the 2018 meeting.<\/p>\n

Beginning in 2020, following the last in-person annual meeting, and going forward, SICB will release a \u201cTransparency Report\u201d summarizing incidents, outcomes, and related actions from the Annual Meeting. This Transparency Report aims to inform the SICB community about the number and types of reported Code of Conduct violations at the annual meeting and to give a sense of how the Code of Conduct functions. This is the sixth year that SICB has compiled and released a transparency report. Conduct-related issues, particularly as they relate to inclusion, are a rapidly evolving area for SICB.<\/p>\n

Building trust within the SICB community that the member who is found to have engaged in conduct violations will receive consequences proportional to the offenses is important. This reassures SICB members that the Code of Conduct effectively protects our community from harassment and enhances the inclusivity of our meetings.<\/p>\n

SICB has contracted with Paula Brantner of Accountability Ignited to provide virtual meeting safety services and ongoing support for enforcing the SICB Annual Conference Code of Conduct and Harassment Policy.<\/p>\n

From the 2026 SICB meeting, SICB received no reports.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Update from the Communications Editor\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Molly Jacobs<\/strong>, SICB Communications Editor (comm.editor@sicb.org)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Molly<\/a>
Molly Jacobs, Communicators Editor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SICB is committed to social responsibility and opportunities for all of its members, through multiple structural and programmatic actions. In response to requests from members, this spring SICB has issued a statement on Leadership and Sustainability that details these actions and commitments, and can be used by symposium organizers, members applying for institutional support for SICB activities, and other purposes.\u00a0 The statement can be found <\/span>here<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep an eye on SICB communications for more from the society! Newsletters like this one are the place for longer, detailed updates and summaries of SICB\u2019s work.\u00a0 Member updates are short, one page bulleted lists that highlight important SICB deadlines, opportunities, and news from our journals. SICB also has thriving social media accounts (see below) and blogs associated with the journal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Update from SICB Media<\/b><\/h2>\n

Suzanne Miller<\/strong>, SICB Media Manager (media@sicb.org)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Suzanne<\/a>
Suzanne Miller, SICB Social Media Manager.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m happy to announce that we have these reps in place after less than a year of focusing on SICB media\u2019s fostering and supporting our community online.:<\/span><\/p>\n