Committees
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Organizational Chart of ACT Committees
This organizational chart provides insight into the structure of ACT Committees and Subcommittees that all work together to advance the mission of the College. A diverse group of more than 200 ACT members actively participate on 9 Committees and 7 Subcommittees.
As an ACT member, you have real-time access to many details about each of these committees, simply by clicking on the committee box, including:
- Committee purpose and key achievements
- Committee roster
- Committee SOP
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If you find a committee you are interested in joining!Volunteer by August 30 for the new term.Terms begin December 1 each year, but many committees need assistance with projects throughout the year.
Endowment Committee
- Elected Committee
- 3-Year Term
- 3 Elected Members
- Chair, Treasurer
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Endowment Committee meets 3–4 times per year, for 1 hour/meeting. The primary responsibility of the Endowment Committee is to provide fiduciary oversight of the ACT Endowment, and to follow the guidelines described in the Endowment Charter. This includes recommendations to Council regarding investment strategy and any disbursements from the Endowment. The Endowment Committee is also responsible for promoting development of the Endowment amongst ACT membership.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The ACT Endowment saw an increase of over $100,000 from January 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024. A detailed report on the Endowment is published annually. Distributions from the Endowment of up to $32,500 were made in 2024 to help fund ACT awards, including North American Graduate Fellowships, student travel grants, and two merit-based awards: the Furst Award and the Mehendale Award.
Finance Committee
- Elected Committee
- 3-Year Term
- 3 Elected Members
- Chair, Treasurer
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The primary responsibility of the Finance Committee is to provide fiduciary oversight of ACT’s finances, which includes review and submission of recommendations to Council for final approval of all fiscal matters for the College. This includes reviews of the annual budget and financial statements, audit and tax filings, review of investment accounts and investment strategy, and recommendations regarding unique budget requests. The Finance Committee meets approximately 4–5 times per year (1 hour per meeting), with email votes on an ad hoc basis. It would be beneficial for members with a finance/accounting background to consider joining the Finance Committee.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The Finance Committee provides an ongoing assessment of ACT operating revenue and expenses. In 2024, a 2023 financial audit was conducted and approved with no material findings. The Committee reviewed 2025 budget requests and communicated with an investment advisory regarding ACT assets and investment strategy.
Nominating Committee
- Elected Committee
- 2-Year Term
- 4 Elected Members
- Chair, Council Member
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Nominating Committee is responsible for developing the ballot for ACT elected positions. It is also charged with developing initiatives to identify and “grow” candidates for leadership opportunities within ACT.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
In 2024, the Nominating Committee absorbed the Leadership Development Working Group responsibilities, identified and recruited emerging and established leaders from the membership for inclusion in the ballot, disseminated the election results, and updated the Chair/Co-Chair Onboarding Presentation for incoming leaders.
Outreach Committee
- Elected Committee
- 3-Year Term
- 3 Elected Members
- Chair, Council Member
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
- The Outreach Committee is an external-facing committee which acts to optimize two-way outreach with other societies and organizations to further the ACT mission to educate and serve the toxicologist community.
- Evaluating existing and new opportunities for ACT to partner with other organizations;
- Managing ACT’s strategic relationships with external partner organizations (in conjunction with other ACT committees, as necessary); and
- Developing key messages for internal and external audiences to bring awareness regarding the College’s outreach efforts, opportunities, and accomplishments.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The Outreach Committee worked to advance ACT relevance and impact by collaborating with sister societies. Additionally, efforts were made to provide education access to resource-restricted individuals. Bringing awareness of global opportunities and continuing efforts to diversify the membership remained a priority.
Sister Society Liaisons
- Appointed
- 3-Year Term
- Up to 8 Appointed Members
Responsibilities include:
ACT values our collaborative and mutually beneficial partnerships with “sister” societies - national and international organizations with missions similar or complementary to those of ACT. With the help of identified Liaisons, the ACT continues to develop, refine, and optimize our partnerships through collaborative educational courses, scientific sessions, training courses, and general communications.
The main role of a Liaison is to identify, develop, and manage the relationship and exchange between ACT and the sister society to benefit both organizations, their members, and the scientific community. In addition, the Liaison expands the visibility of the College to the other sister societies and ensures mutual support throughout annual meetings or social media announcements.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The ACT Sister Society liaisons attended the Scientific Liaison Coalition (SLC) meetings and provided quarterly reports to the ACT Outreach Committee and Council. The ACT Sister Society liaison to AAALAC International participated in their annual conference with a report summarized and provided to the ACT Outreach Committee and Council.
Program Committee
- Appointed Committee
- 2-Year Term
- 20 Appointed Members
- Chair, President-Elect
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Program Committee is responsible for presentations at the Annual Meeting and include:
- Reviewing all proposals for symposium, workshops and mini symposia;
- Reviewing and approving Exhibitor-Hosted Programs;
- Selecting plenary speakers; and
- Reviewing all submissions and selecting poster presentations at the Annual Meeting.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The Program Committee ensures each year's annual meeting reflects a well-thought-out program covering the interests of ACT membership. In 2024, the Annual Meeting hosted 2 plenary lectures, 22 Symposia/Mini Symposia, Workshops, and Hot Topics, 126 poster abstracts, and 23 Exhibitor-Hosted Programs.
Education Committee
- Elected Committee
- 3-Year Term
- 6 Elected Members
- Chair, Council Member
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Education Committee (EdCom) meets for 1 hour every two weeks, throughout the year. Broadly EdCom develops, coordinates, and disseminates educational offerings for the College; including Annual Meeting CE courses and provides oversight of the webinars, podcasts, eLearning seminars, and the classroom courses. Each elected member serves as a liaison to the supporting subcommittees that meet once or twice a month, focusing on Webinar, Podcast, eLearning, Annual Meeting Continuing Education, and the brick-and-mortar educational courses. Elected members may be expected to spend on average 4 hours a month on EdCom business.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
In 2024, the Education Committee, supported by its Subcommittees, oversaw all educational offerings of the College and ensured that they were current, diverse, accessible, practical, and relevant. Educational content included eight Continuing Education courses at the Annual Meeting and ACT-hosted or co-hosted the following classroom courses: Advanced Comprehensive Toxicology, Toxicology for Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Scientists, and Pathology for Nonpathologists.
Webinar Subcommittee
- Appointed Committee
- 3–Year Term
- Up to 10 Appointed Members
- Appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Webinar Subcommittee facilitates 4–6 free educational opportunities annually through a virtual streaming medium. Committee members are responsible for choosing the yearly webinar topics, identifying speakers, reviewing slides for conformity with ACT standards and copyright restrictions, moderating the webinars and live Q&A sessions, collating attendee survey results, and maintaining the ACT Signature Webinar archive.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The Webinar Subcommittee produces unique webinars that inform the greater toxicology community on innovative and standard practices in the industry and provide career development insights. These webinars are viewed globally by people from a wide variety of educational and vocational backgrounds. In 2024, the Webinar Committee produced three scientific webinars and one career development webinar.
eLearning Subcommittee
- Appointed Committee
- 3–Year Term
- Up to 12 Appointed Members
- Appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The eLearning Subcommittee is responsible for the educational seminars, which cover a wide range of topics from basic and intermediate toxicology training to cutting-edge emerging sciences, presented by subject matter experts.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
In 2024 the eLearning Subcommittee continued its efforts to inform and educate by releasing a new eLearning series on the development of CNS/neurology therapeutics and creating content for the 2025 eLearning series on toxicology studies for eyes, skin and the immune system.
Podcast Subcommittee
- Appointed Committee
- 3–Year Term
- Up to 12 Appointed Members
- Appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Podcast Subcommittee plans and produces 6–8 toxicology focused podcasts/year, which may be informational or scientific.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The Podcast Subcommittee develops interesting and relevant podcast content for ACT members and the public. Topics for 11 podcasts released in 2024 ranged from alternative and nontraditional species to potential health effects of 3D printing emissions and topics designed to support career development.
Awards Committee
- Elected Committee
- 3-Year Term
- 6 Elected Members
- Chair, Council Member
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
- Soliciting members’ nominations and selecting recipients for ACT signature awards, travel grants, and fellowships, as well as honors, with the exception of the ACT Distinguished Fellow (selected by Council) and the President’s Best Paper (selected by the IJT Editorial Board).
- Notifying award recipients and the membership of award recipients.
- Conducting the Furst Award Poster competition.
- Conducting an annual Awards Ceremony.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The Awards Committee reviewed nominations and recommended recipients for five ACT Signature Awards and five travel grants. Recipients were announced and celebrated at the Awards Ceremony at the 2024 Annual Meeting.
Membership Committee
- Elected Committee
- 3-Year Term
- 3 Elected Members
- A member of Council is appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
To review the applications for individual and corporate memberships to ensure that applicants meet the correct requirements for the membership type. The committee also organizes and routes volunteer applicants to available opportunities and discusses ways to enhance the membership proposition. Lastly, the membership committee also interacts with and advises the Early Career Professional Subcommittee. The Membership Committee generally meets monthly for a 1-hour teleconference, with ad hoc work estimated up to 2 hours per month.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
In 2024, the Membership Committee revamped and relaunched the ACT Career Center, improved the process for engaging with ACT volunteers, hosted new member welcome calls, hosted a new member mingle event at the Annual Meeting, reviewed 6 emeritus applications and 150 membership applications, and implemented more inclusive member demographic categories.
Early Career Professional Subcommittee
- Appointed Committee
- 3-Year Term
- 10–12 Appointed Members, plus appointed advisors
- Appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Early Career Professional Subcommittee (ECPSC) consists of early career professionals (ECPs) with less than 10 years of professional experience in toxicology or a related discipline after earning their highest degree. Our mission is to provide resources, education, and engagement opportunities that encourage and facilitate the professional growth and development of early career professionals. These include organizing scientific sessions at the Annual Meeting along with a speed networking event and social events for ECPs, creating webinars and podcasts, and supporting ACT-wide initiatives including the Mentoring Program, ECP communication needs, and improving inclusion within ACT. ECPSC meets monthly for a one-hour teleconference, with ad hoc work each month estimating 2–8 hours per month.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
In 2024, the Early Career Professional Subcommittee advanced cutting-edge science and professional development for early career professionals through podcasts, webinars, and activities to enhance networking, outreach, and mentorship. The Subcommittee endorsed a symposium on AI and machine learning in toxicology, facilitated exclusive opportunities for early career professionals to engage with the Plenary speaker and fostered meaningful connections with experienced leaders through networking, social events, and interactive activities.
Communications Committee
- Appointed Committee
- 3-Year Term
- Up to 16 Appointed Members
- Chair, Council Member
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The Communications Committee meets monthly and is responsible for communication efforts across the ACT communication platforms, overseeing the Newsletter Subcommittee and the Social Media Subcommittee. The Communications Committee also assists with review of the ACT website, maintains the ACT Wikipedia page to ensure content is accurate, and tests the Annual Meeting electronic formats.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
In 2024, the Communications Committee successfully implemented the ACT Strategic Communications plan, completed nine messaging campaigns, and launched an “Ask a Friend” discussion forum. Additionally, it strengthened communication and collaboration across Committees, Subcommittees, Working Groups, and the College, aligning efforts with the College’s goals. The Ask a Friend Forum, a key initiative, created a dynamic space for members to exchange questions and insights, enhancing member engagement and value.
Social Media Subcommittee
- Appointed Committee
- 2-Year Term (extendable option)
- Up to 11 Appointed Members
- Appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
- The Social Media Subcommittee is the social media arm of the Communications Committee and maintains the social media platforms for ACT to enhance the visibility of ACT to the toxicologist community.
- The committee:
- Maintains the ACT social media platforms, primarily LinkedIn and Twitter.
- Plans, produces, and posts to the above-mentioned social media platforms for ACT.
- Facilitates ACT member and social media followers’ network to increase visibility of ACT.
- Identifies, evaluates, and executes new platforms to further expand the online presence of ACT.
- The Social Media Subcommittee makes informational posts focused on the ACT Annual Meetings, events, educational courses, eLearning modules, webinars, awards, nominations, membership, and more to ensure that our members and followers are up to date on everything ACT!
Recent Accomplishments Include:
As of November 2024, the ACT LinkedIn account had an increase in followers by approximately 20% from the previous year. In 2024, the Social Media Subcommittee initiated top performing posts on International Journal of Toxicology article spotlights and FDA guidance updates, as well as real-time posting of content at sister society meetings and the ACT Annual Meeting.
Newsletter Subcommittee
- Appointed Committee
- 3-Year Term
- Up to 10 Appointed Members
- Appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
The newsletter Subcommittee is responsible for generating the quarterly ACT newsletter, ACTimes. Working group members are each responsible for generating one article per quarterly newsletter. Members are also responsible for review of content of the newsletter once it is in its publishable format, as well as incorporating key messages from the Communication Strategy. Newsletter articles consist of a range of topics including recent regulatory events, seminars/webinars, and "It takes a Village" which highlights contributions consistent with multiple efforts. The Newsletter Subcommittee is an exciting way to explore new topics relevant to the ACT audience. Time commitment is several hours per newsletter.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The Newsletter Subcommittee authors, edits, and releases the quarterly ACT newsletter. ACTimes features a message from the ACT President, reports from ACT Council, Committees, and Subcommittees, and articles of interest, such as Drug Watch, Member Spotlight, and It Takes a Village. Release after release, ACTimes educates and informs ACT members about member happenings, and important regulatory changes or novel methodological approaches.
International Journal Toxicology Editorial Board
- Appointed Board
- 3-Year Term
- 45–50 Appointed Members
- Chair, IJT Editor-in-Chief
Responsibilities include:
Provide timely and constructive reviews of manuscripts submitted to International Journal of Toxicology. A subset of the Editorial Board is invited to participate in selection of the Best Paper published in International Journal of Toxicology in the previous calendar year.
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The purpose of the IJT Editorial Board is to provide timely and constructive reviews of manuscripts submitted to IJT. In 2024, there were a total of 389 submissions as of November with an overall acceptance rate of approximately 5%. Twenty of the submissions were Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)-sponsored Supplement issue manuscripts. Overall, thirty-nine countries were represented. IJT relies on its Editorial Board members and approximately 50 ad hoc reviewers.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Subcommittee
- Appointed Committee
- 3-Year Term
- Up to 9 Appointed Members
- Appointed Chair
Committee Roster
Committee SOP
Responsibilities include:
- Support ACT Council’s Strategic Plan to increase membership diversity
- Liaise with ACT Committees to build awareness of DEI considerations and support integration of DEI efforts in their plans
- Contribute to Member Data Surveys to understand ACT’s evolving membership
- Provide recommendations to amplify DEI concepts
- Promote professional development and inclusion of toxicologists globally
- Expand the visibility of ACT’s commitment to DEI
Recent Accomplishments Include:
The DEI Subcommittee updated and expanded ACT member demographic data categories, worked towards the inclusion of DEI framework in Council and Committees' work, supported Outreach Committee educational access initiatives, and published articles in the ACT member newsletter.
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