I have really enjoyed spending this year engaging with the exciting initiatives that the Executive Board has been pursuing.

As part of the Development Committee, we have worked to develop ways to continue to grow funding support for our programs and members. This is ever more important in the current era of changing federal funding. I am so thrilled at the recent generous gift from the De Luca Foundation that will support summer research and meeting travel awards to encourage participation in biomechanics. There are many ways for all of us to contribute, including planned giving, employer matching, and even buying some cool biomechanics merch!

We have recently released a draft of the new Strategic Plan under development for member feedback. I hope you will read and provide your insights so we have a plan that reflects the goals and needs of our membership. Next year, I am excited to work with our Board, committees, and members to start implementation of the plan and formalize the tactics we can use to achieve each goal. Thank you to Ajit for his leadership on this initiative and to all the XB members and committees who have already contributed their visions and edits to shape the draft.

I hope together we can continue to improve the culture and support for our membership and increase our public advocacy for science. We have strengthened our existing relationship with the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) to speak on behalf of science and provide clear resources to our members to help you communicate about science and research to your representatives and community. As part of our membership in the Council of Societies, we have signed on to public letters to agencies and Congress; we list these letters on our Advocacy webpage.

We are still on the lookout for new sites to host future ASB meetings, including for 2027. If you would be interested in hosting for 2027 or future years, please reach out to me at asbpresidentelect@asbweb.org. We are fortunate to have strong support from our management company Podium for the logistics of organizing the meeting, so we are really looking for someone who is ready to show off their city and the local biomechanics community. In addition, 2027 will be the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASB – so it will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the history of our society. When we hosted ASB 40 in Raleigh, one of my favorite parts was reflecting on ASB’s growth since the founding, collecting original conference books and photos of biomechanists over the years, and seeing how far our community has come. I can’t wait to see how we celebrate 10 more years!

Thank you to our vibrant membership for your dedication to ASB! I look forward to celebrating everyone’s science, teaching, and leadership at the Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh in just a few weeks. Please don’t hesitate to send your suggestions to me as we make plans for how to best approach the challenges and opportunities ahead for ASB. I look forward to supporting the society and serving as your president next year!