Membership and Professional Development Committee

Recruitment and retention, the charge of the Membership and Professional Development Committee, is accomplished through innovative programs like the Special Interest Groups to promote interactions between EMS members, and mentoring to facilitate successful career development.

Vision/Mission Statement

The mission of the Membership and Professional Committee is to encourage scientists within the EMS areas of interest to join our society for the mutual benefit of both entities, and to retain current members of EMS. To promote interactions between applied and basic researchers to encourage innovative and translational research projects. To help develop, coordinate, and promote the unique and highly successful EMS Special Interest Groups that continue to meet the changing requirements of the EMS membership. To develop and maintain a successful Mentor Program through the EMS Mentoring Program Task Force.

Committee Composition

The committee should consist of 12–15 members including co-chairs: one responsible for the oversight of membership development and the other with oversight of the Special Interest Groups. In addition, the committee should include the SIG leaders and other members representing academia, government and industry.

EMS members can view a current Committee roster via EMS Connect.

Business Office Interaction

The Business Office maintains the official membership records. Communicate any known changes in members' records to the Business office. Obtain membership reports/counts as needed.

Charges

1. Suggest plans to Council and Executive Board to encourage new membership in the Society
   
2. Work with Business Office to ensure individuals renew their membership in the Society.
3. In coordination with the EMS Program Committee, develop an aggressive plan to increase our membership in each of the major areas represented within our Society.
4. In conjunction with the EMS Program Committee, follow-up with target groups at the Annual Meeting who may be interested in becoming more involved with EMS
5. Suggest and help implement methods by which the society can more effectively promote interactions between its members involved in applied research and its members involved in basic research.
6. Monitor the specialty subgroup research areas and develop new subgroups as identified.
7. Develop and maintain Mentor Program.

Standard Operating Procedures

1. Prepare report for Council and Executive Board Meetings—two reports a year.
   
2. Submit requests for consideration in budget for following fiscal year in March
   
3. Prepare article for newsletter two times a year.

Current Year Initiatives

Develop a plan to follow-up individuals from new scientific areas that were targeted at the Annual Meeting.

Invited speakers in these areas should be introduced to the Society in some official way if we want to increase our chances of bringing these groups of scientist into the EMS. If possible, people attending the meeting who work in these areas should also be included in this recruitment effort. A plan to follow through with the Program Committee's effort to introduce new areas of research to the EMS is definitely needed.