ESA Disease Ecology Section News – Disease Ecology Section

Call for Officer Nominations for the 2026-2027 Annual Cycle!

It’s election time again and we have three positions open for the 2026-2027 cycle: Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Student Liaison. The descriptions of these positions are below. If you are interested in being considered for any of these positions, please email the section chair, Cat Searle (searlec@purdue.edu) by May 20, 2026. Your email should include your full name, a <300 word description of your qualifications, and any other information that will be useful to voters. This information will appear on the ballot.

DUTIES OF THE VICE-CHAIRPERSON. The Vice-Chairperson shall serve as program officer and shall arrange the scientific program for the annual Section meetings. The Vice-Chairperson shall assume the duties of the Chairperson whenever that person is unable to act. The Vice-Chairperson shall serve for a term of one year after which time the Vice-Chairperson will assume the office of Chairperson and serve in that capacity for one additional year. Following the term as Chairperson, there will be a one-year term as Past-Chairperson.

DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY-TREASURER. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the records of the Section, including current membership and mailing lists. The Secretary-Treasurer shall attend the annual Section business meeting and report on the activities of the Section in the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for corresponding with the Society Business Manager concerning expenditures made in connection with official Section Business. The Secretary-Treasurer may authorize expenditures subject to permission or approval by the Chairperson. The Secretary-Treasurer term of service is two years.

DUTIES OF THE STUDENT LIAISON. The Student Liaison shall serve a one year term and will be responsible for ensuring that the section is keeping in mind the issues and concerns of graduate students.