2001 Business Meeting Minutes

ASHG Business Meeting
San Diego, California
October 14, 2001

MINUTES

Hunt Willard, ASHG president, brought the meeting to order. He read the names of members who had died since the last annual meeting: Kiichi Arahata, David H. Bing, Robert H. Edwards, Mae R. Gailani, W. D. MacDiarmid, DeLill S. Nasser, Charles Piussan, Kathryn Maria Taylor, Han Quang Tran, and Victor C. Vaughan, III.

Willard presented gifts to and thanked the retiring Board members, Judith Allanson, Debra Collins, Eugene Hoyme, and past president Uta Francke. He announced the winners of the 2001 election for president-elect and directors: David Valle, president-elect; Leena Peltonen, Val Sheffield and Wylie Burke, directors. Collins will remain on the Board as Web Editor.
 

SECRETARY'S REPORT – Ann Walker
 

As of September 28, 2001, there were 6,929 paid members and 688 who had not paid in 2001 for a total of 7,617, a nine percent increase over last year (6,875). Of these, 4,066 are regular members, 1,340 overseas affiliates, 56 life members, 363 emeritus, 187 husband/wife and 917 students.
 

Membership Profile
 

Of the 6,929 paid members, 6,465 completed at least a portion of the member profile form that appears on the back of the dues notice and also online at the ASHG Web site. This year three new categories of member interest were added: model systems, informatics and neuro/behavioral genetic. All charts and tables that show yearly comparisons by category from 1997 forward therefore do not show numbers in these three areas before 2001.
 

TREASURER'S REPORT – Jan Friedman
 

2001 Performance Compared to 2002 Budget

Total revenue for 2001 will be $3,872,333. Budgeted for 2002 is $3,984,540 for an increase of $112,000. The 2002 figure includes $52,000 in anticipated income from corporate memberships and other forms of corporate support; an increase of $98,000 over 2001 from nonmember journal subscriptions; $92,000 in investment income; and, an increase of $11,540 in net annual meeting income. Net revenue over expense projected for 2001 will be $486,336, compared to the $233,582 budgeted for 2002.

2002 Budget

Expenses for 2002 will be much greater than for 2001 primarily due to the following additional costs: (1) the honorarium for the Web editor, a new expense; (2) one-time development cost for the Web page; (3) Landmarks in Human Genetics (see below); (4) Journal management fee increase; and (5) the salary , benefits and other expenses related to for for the Executive Vice President (EVP)'s office. All of these increases were foreseen and efforts have been made to increase income to accommodate them.

Investments

Because of the volatility in the stock market, the managed account balance has fallen from $2.003 million to $1.996 million, a drop of 0.4 percent. The fund balance or ratio of expenses to holdings is 71 percent, the highest ever.
 

Landmarks in Human Genetics
 

Willard discussed a new undertaking by the Society to publish a book entitled Landmarks in Genetics, a collection of reprints of 40-60 landmark papers in human genetics research. Cold Spring Harbor Press is partnering with ASHG to produce the book. A selection committee will be named to work with others to select the articles that will be featured. The goal is to publish the book in 2002.
 

EDITOR'S REPORT – Stephen Warren
 

Through August of 2001, the Journal accepted 25% of articles and reports submitted, down from 32% in 2000. The average time from University of Chicago Press receipt of manuscript to electronic publication is was 29 days, roughly comparable to 2000. The total time from initial submission to electronic publication is was about 78 days and from submission to acceptance 49 days. This compares favorably to Nature Genetics and Human Molecular Genetics. So far in 2001 the Journal has received 689 submissions compared to 701 last year. Rapid review has been requested in 52 cases. Twenty-three papers have been published on this track, with an average time from submission to first decision of eight days and from submission to acceptance of 17 days. The number of new subscriber members and librarians combined is slightly greater than 1,000.

The Journal has a very high impact rating. It is ranked sixth, but three journals with higher ranking are review journals. Of nonreview journals, only Genes and Development and Nature Genetics have a higher citation impact than the AJHG.
 

Cotterman Awards
 

The award, which was established by the ASHG to recognize the contributions of our members in training, is being given for the first time this year. More than 50 submissions competed for the award. The "first cut" was made by the editorial office, selecting the top ten. The editorial board made the final selections. The 2001 winners are Brian K. Jordan and Ramsey A. Saleem. The winners will receive their award certificates and $500 in cash at the awards ceremony on the last day of the meeting.
 

Editorial Board
 

Four associate editors will retire at the end of 2001: Cynthia Morton, David Nelson, Nick Schork and Huda Zoghbi. The four new associate editors are John Blangero, Evan Eichler, Rob Nicholls and Lisa Shaffer. Warren thanked the retiring board members and welcomed the new ones.
 

Electronic Publication
 

Warren discussed the online journal. International and US users each accounted for about 38% of user sessions with the remainder of unknown origin. His report includes a list of the most accessed AJHG articles for the periods March through August 2001 and September 2000 through February 2001 and March through August 2001.
 

EVP REPORT
 

Willard reminded the Board members that Joann Boughman joined the ASHG staff as Executive Vice President on July 1, 2001. He praised her work thus far in increasing the Society's visibility, particularly inside the Beltway.

Boughman thanked the membership for creating this opportunity to serve and praised the hard work of the Administrative Office staff. She discussed her plans to interact with existing committees.

Boughman was invited to speak at an AMA meeting and has also represented ASHG at a conference of state legislators. She is anticipating more involvement with groups such as The Genome Action Coalition that was designed to raise consciousness at the federal level about human genetics research and its importance to the public health. Boughman has communicated with Society members to increase visibility with the press. She has initiated a variety of meetings with key congressional legislative staff, at NIH, and at DHHS, and with consumer groups.

Boughman discussed having to find the appropriate balance between herself and the rest of the Executive Committee. She intends to solicit input through the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors and then from the membership. So far, feedback from the membership indicates approval of Society actions. The issues Boughman is currently dealing with are the federal budget with respect to NIH, genetic nondiscrimination legislation, human subjects, IRB issues, recommendations related to the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetic Testing, CLIA certification and barriers to genetic testing, and a proposed education summit on genetics education. Boughman stressed the need for more members to participate in this area. Boughman related the pride she feels in being able to serve the organization.
 

SOCIAL ISSUES COMMITTEE - Mary Z. Pelias
 

Members of the 2001 Social Issues Committee are: Mark Rothstein, Chair; Jeffrey Botkin; Timothy Caulfield; Jane Congleton; Franklin Desposito; Jane Gitschier; Angela Scheuerle; M. Anne Spence; Wendy Uhlmann. Tenures for Rothstein, Gitschier and Spence end in December 2001. New members to the committee are: M. Pelias, Chair; Robert Fineman and Matthew McGinniss.

Pelias said that there are several nominees for the two vacancies on the committee. She stated that the committee's morale is low. The committee had submitted a paper on DNA databanks for forensics, jointly authored by the ACMG, ISONG, NSGC and ASHG, which was not adopted by the Board. This paper will now be published elsewhere. Other products were similarly rejected. Pelias stated that a Board member will now serve as liaison to the committee to enhance communications. Also, the Board has voted to establish a Social Issues Committee workshop at every annual meeting that will run concurrently with the education sessions. Pelias plans to emphasize improving communications between the committee and the Board, the Executive Committee and the EVP.

Pelias suggested new directions for the committee. Papers will be outlined on race and genetic testing and on "gene-hype," the public perception of genetics.
 

INFORMATION AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE - Bronya Keats
 

Members of the 2001 committee are: B. Keats, Chair; L. Baumbach; C. Christianson; M. Horwitz; B. Korf; L. Oman-Ganes; A. Pandya; E. Pergament; S. Terry. Members rotating off at the end of 2001 are: M. Horwitz and E. Pergament. Keats was asked to stay on until the end of 2003. New members for 2002 will be Feige Kaplan and Vincent Riccardi.

Keats talked about collaborations the committee has entered into with ISONG, NSGC, NCHPEG, and the APHMG. She announced a new project for the committee -- compiling an oral history of human genetics via videotaped interviews with senior distinguished members.

Keats stated that the medical school curriculum guidelines have been revised and after Board approval will be published either in Academic Medicine or its equivalent. They will also appear on the ASHG web site. The committee is planning to author guidelines for nonmajor genetics curricula, this task to be headed by Joe McInerney and Carl Heuther.

Education session proposals are being submitted for the 2002 annual meeting. Keats reported that the student mentor luncheon was a success. The committee is also responsible for identifying three nominees for the Excellence in Education Award, with final selections being made by the Awards Committee.

Keats concluded her remarks by talking about the teachers' workshop that takes place the day before the first day of the annual meeting. The Society hosts a special event for local biology teachers that has been very successful.
 

PROGRAM COMMITTEE - Harry Orr/Diana Bianchi
 

Members of the 2001 committee are: H. Orr, Chair; B. Baty, M. Bocian, D. Bianchi; C. Eng; R. Gibbs; M. Grompe; B. Lee; D. Marchuk; M. Muenke; L. Peltonen; S. Schwartz; V. Sheffield; E. Wijsman. Those rotating off at the end of 2001 are M. Bocian, D. Marchuk, L. Peltonen, S. Schwartz. New committee members for 2002 are: D. Bianchi (Chair), Nancy Cox, Louanne Hudgins, Nancy Spinner, R. Douglas Wilson.

Orr discussed two factors that contributed to the lower-than-expected 2001 meeting attendance: travel concerns related to recent world events and new DHHS guidelines that limit NIH employee travel.

Orr noted changes to the program from last year. There will not be a late-breaking session, some of the sessions will be cross-topic in nature and there will be two free evenings instead of one.

In 2001 there were 2,940 accepted abstracts compared to 2,441 in 2000. Some posters listed in the program will not be presented because of cancellations. Others were offered slide presentations to replace authors who cancelled. In 2002 in Baltimore, the traditional Tuesday through Saturday format will resume. Orr asked the group to think about submitting invited speaker session proposals for 2002.
 

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF HUMAN GENETICS SOCIETIES - Uta Francke
 

Willard thanked Francke for her years of service not only to ASHG as its former president, but also as the president of the Federation. Francke will head the Federation until the end of 2002.

Francke told the group about the importance of the Federation in increasing international communication among geneticists. The Federation ensures the organization of international congresses of human genetics. The last ICHG was a successful scientific meeting held in 2001 in Vienna. The next ICHG meeting will be hosted by the Human Genetics Society of Australasia and will be held in Brisbane, Australia in 2006. The Federation is now comprised of ASHG, ESHG, HGSA and ReLAGH, its newest Full Member, and 46 Corresponding Member societies.

Francke continued that the World Health Organization has a human genetics program that has organized the creation of an ethics of human genetics document, still in draft form. She recommended that all who are interested in the document should e-mail the Administrative Office to request a copy, since it is not available electronically. Francke thanked Strass for her support in running the Federation.
 

AAAS FELLOWSHIP - Diane Baker
 

Diane Baker, the fifth Congressional Fellow, said that she had a very positive experience working for one year in the Capitol Hill office of Senator Reid of Nevada.

Willard mentioned that Baker was the last of the joint DOE/ASHG fellows because the DOE has decided not to renew the five-year grant. Willard announced plans for a new fellowship opportunity for ASHG members. A joint NHGRI/ASHG Public Policy fellowship is planned to begin in September of 2002.

In closing, Willard acknowledged the hard work and support of the Administrative Office staff and commented on the numerous initiatives undertaken by the Society. He then asked for new business. There being none raised, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Ann Walker, Secretary
Elaine Strass, Executive Director
 

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