Dear KAS Members,
On behalf of the Governing Board, I would like to wish you a Happy New Year! I write to highlight some of our accomplishments in 2025 and some of our plans for 2026.
In November of 2025 the joint
KAS / KJAS meeting at the University of Louisville brought together members from around the Commonwealth. Attendees had the opportunity to explore the great work going on across campus through a Lab Crawl and a visit to the new J.B. Speed School of Engineering’s Student Success & Research Building. We also enjoyed a delicious reception dinner there. We had 653 people register, 407 abstracts and 79 junior academy participants, with special sessions on nuclear energy, aerospace, and federal funding opportunities. Dr. Joel Brown delivered an inspiring talk to a packed audience on how he uses evolutionary biology to tackle cancer. We also congratulated the
University of Louisville Science Policy & Outreach Group for receiving the Excellence in Science Education and Outreach award. Their work is extensive, including running the Louisville Science Pathways program for high school students, and involvement on our Science Policy committee, including securing a Union of Concerned Scientists grant.
See Annual Meeting Photos here.
As in years past, this meeting wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless efforts of the many volunteers from the KAS membership and the University of Louisville. I thank you for your service. I also want to specifically thank Amanda Fuller, our Executive Director, and Melony Stambaugh, our Junior Academy of Science Director, along with our KAS staff for their year-long efforts in planning this joint meeting. We also thank you, our members, for your participation and feedback. We are looking forward to planning the 2026 annual meeting, which will be held at
Murray State University, in the fall. If you would like to get involved in the planning or running of events, please
email me.
While the main event for many members is the annual meeting, our committees on Education & Engagement and Science Policy work throughout the year to advance science education and promote science-based decision making in the Commonwealth. In 2025, the Education and Engagement Committee, chaired by Dr. Ann Kingsolver, worked on a number of initiatives, including revising the Committee’s charter, securing a NSF EPSCoR outreach grant, running a virtual panel for students to explore Diverse STEM Career Pathways in Kentucky, distributing scholarships for children to attend summer camp, and establishing a new KAS Early Career Professional Development Award to help defray professional development expenses.
The Science Policy committee, chaired by Dr. Trent Garrison, also made their mark in 2025. They tracked 107 bills, 18 of which passed, made 18 official KAS policy statements, met with 17 legislators, and sent out action alerts to our KAS membership. We hope you will consider getting involved in these committees in 2026! It is easy to do. Both committees meet monthly on Zoom.
Find more details about getting involved on a KAS Committee
As a new year begins, I also want to pause to recognize the service of outgoing board members. Dr. Noel Novelo, past President, has a deep passion for science education and during his presidency hosted our annual meeting at his home institution, Kentucky State University. During her time as our Biological Sciences Representative, Dr. Melissa Medford, has done double duty, also working tirelessly to oversee our Grants program. I also want to welcome Dr. Ben Brammell as our new Vice-President, and Dr. Joseph Marquardt as our new Biological Sciences Representative. We look forward to seeing how you put your mark on KAS in the coming years as part of the Board.
Meet your KAS Board members here
We look forward to engaging with you, our members, this year. Consider submitting a grant, or a manuscript to our journal; consider giving of your time and expertise on one of our committees or initiatives, such as
Mentor Match; or consider sharing your science by contributing to the weekly radio show and podcast
Bench Talk: The Week in Science.
Explore the
KAS website to find ways to get more involved!
Well wishes for the new year,
Jessica Moon, KAS President
TEM career pathways
