Seven New Members Elected to ASCO Board of Directors and Nominating Committee, Bylaws Amendment Passed

Bruce E. Johnson, MD, FASCO, a long-time member and volunteer, has been elected President of ASCO for the term beginning in June 2017. He will take office as President-Elect during the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago in June 2016. Additionally, four new members were elected to the ASCO Board of Directors, and three new members to the ASCO Nominating Committee. Members also voted in favor of an amendment to the ASCO Bylaws which will increase the eligibility age for Emeritus membership to 70.

“ASCO is the leading organization of oncology professionals in the world and I am honored and proud to serve as its volunteer leader; in fact, I consider it a fulfillment of my most significant professional and academic career goal,” said Dr. Johnson. “My goals include anticipating and responding to the evolving heath care policies, using big data to guide treatment of our patients, and helping to provide the necessary tools for our members to adapt to the professional and financial aspects of oncology practice. I’m looking forward to continuing to have an impact on the future direction of clinical oncology professionals and our patients by serving in this very important role.”

An active ASCO member since 1986, Dr. Johnson is Chief Clinical Research Officer and Institute Physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and the Director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Lung Cancer Program. Dr. Johnson is currently a member of the ASCO Bylaws Committee and has served in numerous volunteer and leadership roles, including the Board of Directors (2008-2011), Chair of the Audit, Cancer Education, and Cancer Communications Committees, and on the Journal of Clinical Oncology Editorial Board. In 2008 he was awarded the Translational Research Professorship from the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO.

Newly Elected ASCO Board Members

ASCO's Board of Directors is comprised of oncology leaders who are elected to positions reflecting various specialties within the oncology field. The following physicians will begin 4-year terms as members of ASCO's Board of Directors starting in June 2016:

Peter C. Adamson, MD, has been elected to a Pediatric Oncologist seat. Dr. Adamson is Chair of the Children's Oncology Group, President of the Children's Oncology Group Foundation, and a Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. An ASCO member since 1992, he has served on the Cancer Research Committee, the Scientific Program Committee, and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Arti Hurria, MD, has been elected to an Undesignated Specialty seat. Dr. Hurria is Director of the Cancer and Aging Research Program, Co-Leader of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, and Associate Professor of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research at City of Hope. Since joining ASCO in 2001, Dr. Hurria has served in leadership roles on several ASCO committees including the Geriatric Oncology Special Interest Group, the Professional Development Committee, and the Cancer Research Committee. Dr. Hurria is also a previous participant in the Leadership Development Program and recipient of the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO's Young Investigator Award and Career Development Award.

Maha H. A. Hussain, MD, FACP, FASCO, has been elected to an Undesignated Specialty seat. She is the Cis-Maisel Professor of Oncology, and Professor of Medicine and Urology at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMCCC). Since joining ASCO in 1990, Dr. Hussain has served on numerous committees and boards, including the Scientific Program, Cancer Education, International Affairs, and Cancer Communications Committees. In addition, she chaired the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium Steering Committee and Program Committee, the Cancer Education Committee, and was Associate Editor for Cancer.Net. She currently serves on the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee.

Jaap Verweij, MD, PhD, has been elected to an International Oncologist seat. Dr. Verweij is a medical oncologist and currently Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Erasmus University and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at Erasmus Medical Center. Since joining ASCO in 1986, Dr. Verweij has served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and as a member of the Scientific Program Committee, Conquer Cancer Foundation Grants Selection Committee, Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Committee, and Cancer Education Committee.

Newly Elected Members of ASCO Nominating Committee

The following physicians will serve a 3-year term on the ASCO Nominating Committee:

Michael B. Atkins, MD, is Deputy Director of the Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vice Chair of the Department of Oncology, William M. Scholl Chair in Medical Oncology, Professor of Oncology and Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, and Director of the Melanoma and Cutaneous Malignancy Program of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Network. Since joining ASCO in 1989, Dr. Atkins has served on the Scientific Program Committee and the Cancer Education Committee. He has been a faculty member at several ASCO meetings and has served on the Journal of Clinical Oncology Editorial Board.

James N. Frame, MD, FACP, has been elected to a designated Community Oncologist seat. Dr. Frame is Medical Director of the Charleston Area Medical Center Cancer Center and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia University School of Medicine—Charleston Division. He retired as Captain, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy Reserves in 2006. Dr. Frame joined ASCO in 1990 and has served in numerous volunteer positions, including leadership roles on the State Affiliate Council and the Practice Guidelines Implementation Network, among others. He is a member of ASCO's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI^®) Certifying Council, Ad Hoc Task Force on Clinical Pathways, and Chemotherapy Safe Handling Work Group.

Joseph A. Sparano, MD, FACP, is Director of Breast Medical Oncology and Associate Chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Oncology at Montefiore Medical Center, as well as Associate Director for Clinical Research at the Albert Einstein Cancer Center and Montefiore-Einstein Center for Caner Care. He also is a Professor of Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. An ASCO member since 1991, Dr. Sparano has served on the Scientific Program Committee and has also served as a Scientific Program Committee Track Leader on the Cancer Education Committee. He was a member of the Best of ASCO^® Planning Committee and has been a faculty member at numerous ASCO meetings. He will serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee in 2018-2019.

Bylaws Amendment Passed

During the recent election, members voted in favor of an amendment to the ASCO Bylaws, which proposed increasing the eligible age for Emeritus membership to 70 (previously 65). This bylaws change became effective December 8, 2015. All other rights and privileges of the Emeritus membership category remain unchanged, and members can still qualify for Emeritus membership status upon retirement or earlier if permanently disabled.