SER President’s Message
It’s June! And June means that it’s time for the annual meeting. We have a great meeting planned. From the plenaries to the symposia to the oral sessions to the posters, the program promises to be engaging and educational. Our collective efforts to improve human health as epidemiologists are impressive.
If you’re presenting at SER, and especially if you’re presenting for the first time, take some time to review the presentation I recorded to help people present more effectively. You can find the presentation here:
This year, our meeting falls on Juneteenth. Fundamentally, Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom. During the meeting, we will share about Juneteenth to inform and test your knowledge. See how you do with the quiz questions and then take the time to learn from the quiz answers. We hope that everyone will find this activity worthwhile.
Looking for another way to honor Juneteenth? Join in the SER 5k run or 1 mile walk. And if you’re up to it, extend the walk a little further to 2.5 miles. Or maybe walk that 2.5 mile walk sometime later in the day on June 19. Why 2.5 miles? The 2.5 miles represents the time from the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863) to Juneteenth (June 19, 1865). The distance has been used in events supporting efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday; the practice continues in some Juneteenth events today. (If going on your own, 2.5 miles is roughly from the hotel to the river and south/southeast to Comal St/Chicon St in the Edward Rendon Sr. Park and back).
June is also a time of change as Spring officially becomes Summer. June is also a time of change in SER. This message is my last as the President of SER. I hand the leadership to Yvette Cozier, who will be an outstanding leader.
With change comes members serving in newly elected positions. Dr. Wendy Nembhard is the new President-elect. Please take a moment to congratulate her when you see her in Austin.
We also have new SER Executive Committee members: Dr. Peter Tennant is the newest member of the Communications Committee and Dr. Brenda Heaton will serve on the Education Committee. Anthony Nixon is the new President-elect for the Student and Postdoc Committee. Please congratulate them when you see them at SER.
Finally, I want to thank Dr. Onyi Arah for his service to SER these past three years. He has been an outstanding president (in all its forms) and I’ve deeply appreciated his thoughtfulness and guidance. Please thank him for his efforts when you see him at the meeting.