Board Box—December 15

The December meeting of the AAFS Board of Directors was canceled. The holiday season is upon us and many end-of-the-year/marking period tasks require completion, making December a busy month. With that in mind, cancelation of the meeting removes one task from the schedules of the officers, representatives, and staff. However, the Board will continue to handle time-sensitive matters via email. Decisions made by the Board, such as the decision regarding the Confrontation Clause amicus curiae brief that appeared in the December 8 President's Spotlight, will be reflected in the minutes of the next meeting.

Speaking of time-sensitive, there are a couple of time-sensitive AAFS-related matters that I would like to bring to your attention as well. First, please do not forget to renew your 2024 AAFS membership. Renewal will allow you continued access to your AAFS member benefits, such as the Journal of Forensic Sciences and content available at no cost to members on Academy Connect. An additional benefit is the reduced registration rate for the 76th Annual Scientific Conference, which brings me to the second time-sensitive matter. Although the early bird registration rate ended on October 31, you may still take advantage of the reduced member regular registration rate if you register by January 18, 2024. The schedule for the 2024 program currently includes 13 special sessions, 23 workshops, and over 1,000 scientific presentations. You may view the full program via the "Program" tab on the AAFS 2024 Conference page. Be sure to register early to take advantage of the regular registration rate and to have the opportunity to add special functions and workshops before they close. When you register, I hope you will consider including the free screening of the movie Just Mercy on Sunday night and the closing celebration (Party on the Peak) on Friday night.   

On behalf of the AAFS Board of Directors and Staff, I wish you Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year! Stay safe.