The Biophysical Society (BPS) announced that Jennifer Pesanelli has been selected as the next Executive Officer of the Society. Current Executive Officer Ro Kampman announced her retirement in June.
“After a six month search for a new Executive Officer that included many talented and extremely qualified candidates, the Biophysical Society has named Jennifer Pesanelli as the new Executive Officer,” said Angela Gronenborn, BPS President. “Jennifer’s wide-ranging experience and skills will continue to move the Society forward with collegiality and vision. We are delighted to welcome her to the BPS.”
Pesanelli joins BPS from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), where she has held a number of positions over the last 20 years. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Executive Director for Operations and Director of Publications. Pesanelli is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and holds a degrees in Journalism and Spanish from the University of Kansas, Lawrence. She is the former president of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP).
“I am excited and honored to serve as the next Executive Officer for the Biophysical Society,” said Pesanelli. “The legacy of Ro Kampman is a strong and successful organization. I look forward to working with the members and staff to build on the great work that has already been done, ensuring continued success and a thriving Biophysical Society.”
BPS’s Council is deeply grateful for the service and dedication of current Executive Officer Ro Kampman. Kampman began her tenure as Executive Officer on January 1, 1998. She came to the Society from the American Society of Cell Biology where she was the Director of Operations and Publications. Under her guidance and leadership, the Society has developed into the largest Biophysical Society in the world. In 1998, when she came to BPS, the Society had just over 4,200 members, compared with the over 8,000 today. Further, the annual meeting in 1998 boasted 2,353 abstracts and 3,204 attendees; whereas in 2018 the meeting hosted 3,918 abstracts and 5,300 attendees.
“Ro leaves the Society in excellent shape,” noted Gronenborn, “and we are extremely grateful for what she has achieved. We embrace the notion that we have to continuously evolve – change is good – and we are confident that Jennifer will be a strong, visionary, and dynamic new Executive Officer to help the Society to move boldly into the future. We wish Ro the best of luck in all her future endeavors.”