It’s said that time flies when you are having fun. The summer months have been a busy and productive time for SOT. Although busy, it also has been rewarding and enjoyable, and indeed, the time has flown by. In this message, I want to highlight two recent efforts and important accomplishments of the Society and address the ongoing review of our external communications strategy.
Aloha: We are looking forward to hosting the International Congress of Toxicology (ICT) in Honolulu in July 2019. SOT was an active participant in the recent ICT meeting held in Seoul, Korea, and during this meeting, I had the pleasure and honor to present our bid to host this important international toxicology meeting. There had been considerable planning by members of the 2012–2013 Council, along with invaluable efforts by SOT Headquarters staff, particularly Clarissa Russell Wilson and Heidi Prange, to prepare a comprehensive and compelling case for organizing a meeting at this world renowned destination. It probably didn’t hurt that we also had a bountiful supply of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts provided by the Hawaii Convention and Visitors Bureau to share with all meeting attendees.
In the end, the location, the opportunity for world-class science and recognized excellence in meeting planning carried the day for our bid, and now we begin the work to develop a scientific program that will match the quality of our own Annual Meeting. In preparing to present our proposal, I spent a little time reading about Hawaiian customs, particularly the “spirit of aloha.” I was fascinated to learn that aloha is more than just a way to say hello or goodbye. Rather it describes the quality of a relationship in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. I could think of no better way to capture the essence of SOT’s engagement in the international toxicology community, and no better way to bring the “aloha spirit” to the ICT meeting.
Congressional engagement on the Chemical Safety Improvement Act. Earlier this summer, United States Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ; deceased) and David Vitter (R-LA) announced a groundbreaking, bipartisan agreement to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in legislation titled the Chemical Safety Improvement Act of 2013. The bill, which has been in discussion for some time, represents a significant opportunity for the Society to provide scientific expertise and the inclusion of toxicological principles in this legislation. A task force led by Daland R. Juberg was reactivated this summer after the bipartisan legislation was advanced in the Senate. This task force, representing a very broad spectrum of experienced scientists, has made contact with Congressional staffers and is currently working to identify and develop the best ways to communicate scientific information and perspective with legislators as debate on the bill continues.
In addition to the work of the task force, the Past Presidents of SOT developed a letter that was sent on behalf of the Society to Senators Vitter, Udall, Crapo and Boxer (Chairs of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works [Boxer] and the Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health [Udall] or ranking members on these committees [Vitter and Crapo, respectively]). The letter, co-signed by 20 Past-Presidents of SOT, provided details on the relevance of toxicology to protecting and improving public health and the environment. It also offered the Society’s assistance to ensure that TSCA improvements would fully reflect the best practices of modern toxicology. The letter didn’t go unnoticed, as Senator Vitter specifically referred to SOT during Congressional testimony concerning this legislation. I want to specifically acknowledge the efforts of SOT 1996–1997 President James S. Bus who organized this effort. In fact, it was an absolute pleasure to watch as the Past Presidents developed and completed this effort in about three days—providing a real example on how to be proactive, timely, and effective in communicating the significance of our science.
The discussion of TSCA activities brings me back to our ongoing effort to review the Society’s overall communication strategy. As I noted in my previous message, this is a major area of focus and review for SOT Council this year. Our current strategic plan places considerable emphasis on promoting the recognition and communicating the value of toxicology, and our Communications Committee is charged with leading this outreach to external audiences. I am not yet ready to share many specific details on the outcome of this effort. However, we have reconfirmed that our primary emphasis needs to be focused on how we establish SOT and the science of toxicology as a credible, valuable resource to effectively engage in scientific communication. Additionally, we have re-assessed the priority for the external audiences we believe we need to reach, and we have completed the more challenging process of critically assessing our strengths and weaknesses.
One area that we have identified as a real opportunity for outreach and communication is our own website, with more details on this effort to follow. With a defined strategy and a clearer focus, the Communications Committee is working to evaluate what existing efforts may need to be advanced or finalized and to define and establish priorities for new efforts. As a Society, we also need to be able to bring some of that flexibility and effectiveness that the Past Presidents demonstrated in their recent communication with Congress to our overall communications strategy. I believe we are making real progress in this strategic overview, and I will provide more details in the fall after the Communications Committee has had time to assess current and future needs.
In the “spirit of aloha,” I want to acknowledge the many individuals who have offered their desire and willingness to contribute to the diverse work of the Society. As a reminder, there is a volunteer form on the SOT website, and I encourage you to complete this form so that we have a record of those of you who would like to contribute in more specific ways to the success of the Society. In these busy days that do indeed fly by, it’s gratifying and inspiring to know that many people want to engage in Society activities and help to advance our science.
Aloha,
Lois D. Lehman-McKeeman, PhD, ATS
2013–2014 SOT President
Past Presidents of the Society