SABER Executive Committee Update - Winter 2020/2021

1. SABER Meetings

   1. A final recap of the 2020 meeting is now available. Many thanks to the committee chairs who analyzed data to contribute to this report!

   2. 2021 National Meeting Format

      1. Although our hearts yearn to be in person for our 2021 national meeting, we believe the best format for safety and inclusivity is another virtual conference. Jaime Sabel has agreed to lead the planning of our 2021 virtual meeting (thank you!); look for further details in the coming months.

      2. We applied to NSF for an IUSE conference grant to support a hybrid national meeting. This grant will enable SABER to continue to lower the barriers for attending our national meeting and increase the diversity of our attendees. Through this grant, we will be able to fund: (1) virtual keynote and plenary talks to facilitate attendance from participants who might otherwise not be able to attend a physical meeting, and (2) conference scholarships for students and faculty from underrepresented institutions, such as community colleges, and from minoritized racial groups.

2. Communication

   1. In response to member needs and with a look towards long-term stability, we migrated our listserv to Google Groups in early fall.

   2. Under the leadership of SABER president-elect (Stanley Lo), we are initiating a new SABER role, Historian. The goal of this appointed position is to facilitate communication, both between the executive committee and other SABER committees and with our membership more broadly. We are pleased to announce that Mary Pat Wenderoth will fill this role.

3. Supporting SABER Growth

   1. Under the guidance of the SABER treasurer (Kris Callis-Duehl), we initiated a new SABER committee, Development and Growth.

   2. This committee is charged with fundraising including: strategizing, coordinating, implementing and managing a comprehensive annual development program composed of individual giving, including major and planned gifts; corporate donations; institutional, government, and foundation granting; special events fundraising and capital campaigns.

   3. SABER Swag will be part of this committee’s charge, and we are grateful to Kelsey Metzger and Michael Moore for leading this effort. Check out recent emails for how to purchase a mug or hoodie!

4. A Call to Action: Striving for Racial Justice in Academic Biology

   1. Under the leadership of Sara Brownell, SABER supported this 7-part virtual seminar series. All talks are currently available on the SABER website.

   2. We continue supporting this series in the spring - details available on our website.

Sincerely,

The SABER Executive Committee:  Jenni Momsen, Jenny Knight, Stanley Lo, Joe Dauer, and Kris Callis-Duehl

Past Executive Committee Updates

• Winter 2020/2021