Dear SWFS Members,
Welcome to the Eleventh edition of the SWFS Newsletter.
I hope this Autumn Newsletter finds everyone healthy and well. As our Society continues to navigate the new world, it will come to no surprise to find a shorter Newsletter. The SWFS board and committees have been operating as normal and we have a few notable updates.
Over the summer there were several changes to the SWFS board. The following board members completed their terms and have moved on to impact the Wildlife Forensic Community in different ways. I would like to recognize Rob Ogden, Kathy Moore and Rebecca Johnson for the dedication, involvement and expertise they brought to the SWFS board over the last several years in their role on the SWFS board. Their input and expertise will be missed. With three members terming out the board circulated a request for new board members in April 2021. I am pleased to announce that the board has voted in three Wildlife Forensic Professional who will be great additions to the team.
I am pleased to welcome back Dr. Rebecca Johnson, Associate Director for Science and Chief Scientist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History as the President-Elect, Dr. Sherryn Ciavaglia, Wildlife DNA Forensic Unit at SASA as the Membership Director and Professor Gila Kahila Bar-Gal at the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine as the Director of Policy. Please take a moment and congratulate each of these SWFS members on their new Board positons.
Now on to Conference thoughts, as the 2021 year is more than half way gone the SWFS board and conference planning committee are starting to meet again to discuss how to move forward with a meeting in July of 2022. How this meeting will look as not been decided at this time, as there are many variables in play. Current communication on SWFS meetings have been minimal at best, please know we are working to have something in place come July.
As always, I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to all that have contributed to the SWFS Newsletter, as well as the production team that put this periodical together.
Best wishes
Tasha Bauman