SSB December 2025 Newsletter


  • Thank You from the President
  • Call for Nominations
  • Early Evolution Registration for Members Needing Visas
  • 2026 Travel Awardees
  • 2026 Membership Renewal


Thank You from the President

I wanted to take a moment to thank your VP, our president-elect, as well as council and committee members who served in the Society this year! Thank you also to Past President, Dr. Corrie Moreau, for her final year in the presidential line. We have made great progress in collaboration with The Rees Group to meet our organizational and operational goals. I wish you the best for this winter break! See you at the SSB standalone meeting!

Call for Nominations

The Society of Systematic Biologists invites members to nominate candidates (including self-nomination) for several leadership roles in the Society.


The Presidency involves a 3-year commitment (2027-2029), first serving one year as president-elect, then one year as president, then one year as past-president.


Councilors vote on most society initiatives, thus helping drive the future direction of the Society. These positions provide opportunities for in-depth involvement in SSB and often function as a stepping stone to executive positions. This is a very good way for Early Career Researchers to become more involved. (There are separate graduate student representative positions; a call for self-nominations for these will come out separately.)


The Executive Vice President serves a 3-year term (2027-2029). The EVP works behind the scenes to help keep SSB running smoothly. This involves familiarity with the Society’s governance rules, onboarding of new officers, and helping to plan Council meetings, among other responsibilities. The EVP will work closely with, and be supported by TRG, SSB’s professional management association. 


Formal details about the responsibilities of these positions are described in the Society’s constitution here. To nominate someone, contact the chair of the Nominations Committee, Jack Sullivan. If you are nominating someone other than yourself, the committee will verify that the nominee is willing to serve before proceeding with their candidacy. Nominations close Dec 15.

Evolution 2026 Visas

The joint meetings of The Society of Systematic Biologists, the Society for the Study of Evolution, the American Society of Naturalists will be held June 20-24 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Members who need a talk acceptance to obtain visa interviews are welcome to register at this time. See the Evolution Meetings website for more information. Registration for all other members will open in February.

SSB 2026 Travel Awardees

Congratulations to our SSB 2026 Early Career Travel Award recipients! These graduate students have been awarded funds to present at our society’s January 2026 meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. 


  • Jimmy Choi, UC Merced, Graduate Student
  • Alicia Krause, Auburn University, Graduate Student
  • Taís Riberio, University of Maryland College Park, Graduate Student
  • María José Román, University of Florida, Graduate Student
  • Eliza Tarimo, Virginia Tech, Graduate Student
  • Manasee Weerathunga, University of Florida, Graduate Student


Congratulations to all, and keep your eyes open for the announcement of the Evolution 2026 travel award competition! 

2026 Membership Renewal

Don't forget to renew your membership for 2026 to take advantage of all of the benefits of belonging to SSB, like discounted meeting registration, access to Systematic Biology, and much more! Renew now.