The case for moving ISAC to the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry

Changing names is not something we do very often. However, the ISAC leadership believes that it is time to address the issue of who the members of ISAC are and who they represent. We are proposing to change our name to the International Society for  Advancement of Cytometry. We believe that this is a very good thing for our membership. It will better represent our members to other societies. It will bring many more scientists into our society; many already in it will feel that the primary society that represents their science carries a more appropriate name.

ISAC will still be ISAC – but being called the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry is a very positive move for us. It’s time for this change and your entire executive leadership and council agreed without exception that it was time to make it. I encourage you to vote for this change. Please listen to the video and read the full text on the ISAC website. I encourage discussion on the topic. Please see the rest of this message…

Discuss this article on the forums. (5 posts)

ISAC grew out of the engineering society nearly 30 years ago. It was a new era in cell analysis. New technologies were being developed – the cell sorter developed by Mack Fulwyler in 1965, Lou Kamentsky had developed several advanced instruments for single cell analysis. Wolfgang Gohde was following up ideas developed during a period of interaction with Casperson. Herzenberg was moving rapidly toward bringing cytometry into the world of immunology. Just 30 years ago this past June an organizing committee began the process of forming the Society to drive the field which at the time was heavily focuses on the notion of analytical cytology. The original committee formed in 1977 included Mort Mendelsohn, Myron Melamed, Tom Jovin, Scott Cram, Brian Mayall, Peter Bartels, J. S. Ploem, Mack Fulwyler, Jim Tucker, Klaus Goerttler, Marvin Van Dilla, Paul Mullaney, Leon Wheeless, and Ted Young. The Society was finally incorporated on Oct. 6, 1980 exactly 27 years ago.

The society was originally called the Society for Analytical Cytology or (SAC) and over the years the membership rapidly moved from the 160 foundation members to almost 2000 members by 1999.

Over the years of the Society, many changes have been made. One included changing the name in 1990 from SAC to ISAC - International Society for Analytical Cytology – a recognition that our membership represented over 30 nations. In those days most of the congresses were also advertised as the “Conference on Analytical Cytology”. It had become evident that around half of the membership was outside of North America and the Society was indeed an International Society. That was 17 years ago and the Society has indeed advanced itself to being well and truly international in every detail.

As times change, may of us move from one field to another – some are more focused on research, clinical, service or educational endeavors. We don’t always stay doing one thing over our careers. So too does the Society change. Over the past several years it has become evident to the council of ISAC that our Society is not well understood by many outside and that many within the Society feel that they are not really focused on the area of analytical cytology. More importantly, we believe that the term analytical cytology is generally recognized as a term more reflecting clinical pathology – it does not well represent what our very diverse community of cytometry-related individuals work on.

Recently your council voted unanimously to change the name of the Society to what we believe represents a broader spectrum of our members. After much consideration and discussion we agreed on the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. This name maintains ISAC of course, and yet reflects a Society that while constantly changing, focuses on the future. It also brings the term cytometry into our Society name – so our Journal Cytometry would now reflect our Society’s name finally after all these years.

I know some of you will argue that changing a name is unnecessary. Some will feel that there are more important things for us to do. But ISAC itself is changing. We have a new management organization in FASEB. We have changed the way council operates – your representatives on Council now meet every month of every year they are on council. This is an enormous change. We now have agreed that Education should be a standing committee – raising its importance immensely so much so that we also hired a part time Director of Educational Programs this year. We also hired a full time Executive Director this year to help the Society drive our engaging strategic initiative. Our last congress had excellent science, a record attendance, and was the most financially profitable meeting of the Society. The next congress in Budapest promises to trump the last congress. We have an invigorated and engaged Society. Membership was sliding to a dangerously low number a few years ago. We are back to around 1600 members for the first time in a non congress year since 1999.

Changing our name to the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry is a good thing for our members. It will better represent our members to other societies. It will bring many more scientists into our society and many already in it will feel that the primary society that represents their science, carries a more appropriate name. I am asking your to vote Yes when asked. The vote will be an internet vote – another change in operation – but one that none of you would be surprised at in 2007.

ISAC is still ISAC – but being called the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry is a very positive move for us. Its time for this change and your entire executive leadership and council agreed without exception that it was time to make this change. I encourage you to vote for this change.

I look forward to seeing you all at the next congress in beautiful Budapest, Hungary in May 2008. Thanks for your time and please cast a positive vote.

Discuss this article on the forums. (5 posts)