The recent accomplishments of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) were presented during the Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, March 14, at the 56th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo™ in Baltimore, Maryland. Some of these achievements are highlighted below. The meeting also included the Passing of the Gavel from me to SOT Vice President Patricia E. Ganey.
The Society now has 8,158 members, including 1,564 with more than 25 years of participation and 1,207 students. In 2016, 907 new members joined SOT. Participation in the component groups demonstrates strong member engagement: 27 Specialty Section (SS, 4,015 members), Regional Chapter (RC, 3,714 members), and Special Interest Groups (SIG, 1,637 members). There are 45 Committees, Subcommittees, and Task Forces (682 volunteers including SS, RC, and SIG officers).
Moreover, SOT has comprehensive on-line opportunities and resources. There are 49 CEd-Tox Courses (CE course recordings) available—with four more from 2017 that will be on-line soon. There also are 40 webinars hosted by SOT on a variety of scientific and career development topics. Furthermore, the Eminent Toxicologist Lectures provides important perspectives on toxicology and serve as an educational resource. The coordination efforts of the Undergraduate Subcommittee and the SOT Historian are appreciated.
The Society is fiscally sound and the family of Endowment Funds continues to grow, providing support for Education, Global Activities, and SOT Priority Needs. The value of the Endowment Fund is $3,124,109. Since 2007, the Society has made available $970,000 in matching funds and SOT continues to match all contributions.
The Society remains committed to the central challenge of Shaping the Future of Toxicology in a Changing Scientific Landscape. This challenge is at the center of the Society’s programs and activities and will be forwarded globally at the ICT XV, July 15‒18, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii.