October 1 Deadline: Apply for Promotion to an Elevated Membership Status

As you probably know, one joins the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) as an Affiliate or an Associate Member. The AAFS also offers the prospect of promotion, acknowledging your career achievements in the forensic sciences and enhancing your professional profile. The ultimate is to attain the status of Fellow, a title that acknowledges one's "superior efforts toward the work and purposes of the Academy and the forensic sciences." The Jurisprudence Section encourages those who are already Affiliates or Associate Members to consider whether they are eligible for promotion.

AAFS offers two opportunities annually for existing members to apply for promotion to a higher status. We are currently in the Fall Cycle, which opens July 1 and closes October 1. This cycle is open to current members/affiliates who wish to upgrade their membership status. Applicants will be notified of the review decision on approximately April 1.

To learn about the requirements for promotion, go to www.AAFS.org and click the Membership link at the top of the page, then select Membership Requirements from the drop-down menu. In the middle of this webpage are links that open the Academy-wide requirements for each status category. At the bottom of the page is a drop-down menu from which you can select your section (i.e.,Jurisprudence).

Once you have reviewed the AAFS, Section, and status requirements in detail, you are ready to begin the application process. If reference letters are required, ensure those who providing the references are able to do so before the application deadline. To begin your application, the link to the online application portal is on this page: https://www.aafs.org/membership/application-information.

In conclusion, should you become an Associate Member and be promoted to Member and ultimately to Fellow, you will earn the right to proudly display this distinction of being a Fellow of the AAFS on your curriculum vitae and correspondence. This credential will reflect a noteworthy achievement and is a worthy long-term goal. We encourage you to take the next step toward this goal by the October 1 deadline!

1. See the AAFS Bylaws, Section 1(b)1.

2. See the AAFS Policy and Procedure Manual, s. 1.4.4.3.