Advocacy and Outreach Committee
Description
Under the direction of the Board of Trustees, the Advocacy and Outreach Committee (AOC) develops and implements activities that influence research policy and funding decisions globally; increases members’ interest and ability to educate the public and policymakers about the importance of vision research; increases public awareness of ARVO and vision research; and establishes ARVO as a trusted source of information. In addition, the AOC assists ARVO in responding to scientific content of policy discussions relating to research guidelines worldwide. The Committee consists of a mix of MDs and PhDs and should also have strong international representation, including at least two Members-in-Training.
Activities
- Works with ARVO staff to review and recommend policies impacting eye and vision research funding internationally.
- Works with ARVO staff to respond to issues in science and vision-research related policy areas and science funding, where advice of experts is requested from legislative or regulatory offices in the U.S. and other countries.
- Works with ARVO staff to develop initiatives and activities to support members’ capacity to educate and inform external audiences and advocate on behalf of vision research.
- Works with ARVO staff on U.S. and international press and media activities related to science and vision research topics.
- Reviews and selects Science Communication Training Fellowship participants
- Reviews and selects honorees for Advocacy Awards—Achievements in Eye and Vision Advocacy Award and Emerging Advocate Award
- Sponsors Annual Meeting workshops and reviews publications.
- Provides a committee report to the Board of Trustees at its regular meetings.
Resources
- International Advocacy Toolkits
- International Advocacy Handbook
Meetings
The Committee as a whole meets during the ARVO Annual Meeting and conducts business via ARVOConnect, e-mail and, if needed, by conference call during the year. Sub-committees meet at least once during the year via conference call or more as projects dictate.
How to Apply - application period opens December 2021
To be considered for membership on the Committee, please submit an online application consisting of an application statement, plus detail of past ARVO service and/or experience. It is recommended that individuals:
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- Invest time in their application
- Make sure their member information is updated and accurate in ARVOConnect
Applications will be accepted from December 2021 through January 2022. The ARVO President-elect will make appointments in February/March for the term beginning in May 2022 (additional details will be announced at a later date).
Roster
Chair
Stephanie Watson, MBBS, FRANZCO, PhD
Section: Cornea
Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney
Sydney , Australia
Term: 05/07/2021 - 04/27/2023
Member
Van Lansingh, MD, PhD
Section: Clinical/Epidemiologic Research
Help See Me
Weston , Fl.
Term: 05/07/2020 - 04/27/2023
Member
Ruanne Vent-Schmidt, MSc, PhD
MSc, PhD
Clinical/Epidemiologic Research
Canadian National Institute for the Blind
New Westminster , Canada
Term: 05/07/2020 - 04/27/2023
Member
Milam Brantley, MD, PhD
Section: Retina
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Brentwood , Tenn.
Term: 05/02/2019 - 05/05/2022
Member
Ludwig Heindl, MD, PhD
Section: Anatomy & Pathology/Oncology
University of Cologne
Cologne , Germany
Term: 05/02/2019 - 05/05/2022
Member
Elliott Sohn, MD
Section: Retina
University of Iowa
Iowa City , Iowa
Term: 05/02/2019 - 05/05/2022
Member
Brian Vander Beek, MD, MPH, MSCE
Section: Retina
Scheie Eye Institute University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia , Pa.
Term: 05/02/2019 - 05/05/2022
Member
Jovi Wong, MD, MSc, DPhil
Section: Retina
University of British Columbia
Vancouver , Canada
Term: 05/02/2019 - 05/05/2022
Member
Kevin Chan, PhD
Section: Visual Neuroscience
New York University School of Medicine
New York , N.Y.
Term: 05/07/2021 - 05/09/2024
Member
Helen/Haihan Jiao, PhD
Section: Immunology/Microbiology
University of Melbourne
Melbourne , Australia
Term: 05/07/2021 - 04/27/2024
Member
Jarrod Harman, PhD
Section: Retina
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Shreveport , La.
Term: 05/07/2021 - 04/27/2024
Member
Erika Eggers, PhD
Section: Immunology & Microbiology
University of Arizona - Dept. of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering
Tucson , Ariz.
Term: 05/07/2021 - 04/27/2024
Trustee Liaison
Andrew Taylor, PhD, FARVO
Immunology/Microbiology
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston , Mass.
Term: 05/02/2019 - 05/30/2024
Ex Officio
Maureen G. Maguire, PhD, FARVO
Section: Clinical/Epidemiologic Research
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia , Penn.
Term: 05/07/2021 - 05/09/2022
Ex Officio
Stephen C. Pflugfelder, MD, FARVO
Section: Cornea
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston , Tex.
Term: 05/07/2021 - 05/05/2022
Ex Officio
Justine R. Smith, FRANZCO, PhD, FARVO
Section: Immunology and Microbiology
Flinders University
Adelaide , South Australia
Term: 05/11/2017 - 05/05/2022
Ex Officio
Iris M. Rush, CAE
ARVO
Executive Director
Staff Liaison
Erin Hering