The 2024 Australian Society for Parasitology Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 28th August 2024 at 445pm (NZST) at The University of Auckland, New Zealand and online by Zoom. ASP members will be sent the Zoom link to register to join the 2024 AGM online. The agenda, minutes and reports for ASP meetings are available on WildApricot / members / resources section. To access them please login to your Wildapricot account and check the members resources or email the Secretary (secretary@parasite.org.au).
The following business will be conducted at the Annual General Meeting of the Society:
• receiving the Society’s financial statement, and audit report, for the last reportable financial year;
• presenting the financial statement and audit report to the meeting for adoption;
• electing members of the Council (see details below);
• appointing an auditor or an accountant for the present financial year;
• announcement of ASP Awards and Prizes;
• receipt of reports from Editors, Convenors, Archivists, Secretariat and subcommittees; and
• review and debate other actions or decisions by the Council.
Every year the Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP) seeks nominations for positions on the ASP Council. To nominate someone you must be a member of the ASP. To be a member of the ASP Council you must be an eligible (under section 61A of the Act) adult and a member of the ASP. Check whether you are a financial member on the ASP membership site (https://asp.wildapricot.org/ ).
The ASP is an inclusive organisation. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, parasitologists of all ages and career stages and LGBQTIA+ people.
The Society is also committed to achieving gender equality across all its Committees including, but not limited to, the ASP Council. The Society recognises and values the wealth of talent, creativity and discoveries achieved by women in parasitology. We acknowledge that women continue to be under-represented in the field, particularly at senior levels. The Society is, therefore, committed to gender equality in our discipline and in the Society. (Read about Gender Equality within the ASP Principles, By-Laws and Guidelines https://www.parasite.org.au/the-society/constitution/).
ASP Council Positions
ASP President
The ASP President is a position of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote 700 volunteer hours of your time to this position for the ASP across a four year period.
The President-Elect shall be elected for a period of one term at the second Annual General Meeting in the term of the preceding President. At the conclusion of this term, the President-Elect will become President, serving two terms as President. At the conclusion of those two terms, the President will become Vice President and serve one term as Vice President.
Here is the position description for the ASP President
ASP Treasurer
Working closely with the ASP Executive and ASP Secretary, the ASP Treasurer is also a position of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote 400 volunteer hours of your time to this position for the ASP across a two year period.
The Treasurer shall be elected for a period of two terms at every second Annual General Meeting.
Position description for the ASP Treasurer
ASP Executive Secretary
Working closely with the ASP Executive and ASP Secretary, the ASP Executive Secretary is also a position of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote 400 volunteer hours of your time to this position for the ASP across a two year period.
The ASP Executive Secretary shall be elected for a period of two terms at every second Annual General Meeting.
Position description for the ASP Executive Secretary
State and Territory representatives, the representative from the Society’s Fellowship and Student representative
State and Territory representatives, the Fellows representative and the Student representative make up the ASP Council, along with the ASP Executive team and vote on decisions that affect the ASP. These are also positions of great responsibility. It is anticipated that you would devote a minimum of 50 volunteer hours of your time per year to this position for the ASP for a 1-3 year period, depending on how many terms you serve.
The State and Territory representatives, the representative from the Society’s Fellowship and Student representative will be elected for a single term and may not serve more than three consecutive terms.
A term is defined by the period elapsing between the termination of one Annual General Meeting and the termination of the next Annual General Meeting.
Position description for the ASP State and Territory Representatives
Position description for the ASP Fellows Representative
Position description for the ASP Student Representative
Rules
A member of the Council must be a member of the Society.
A member of the Society may be appointed to a casual vacancy on the Council under rule 20 “Vacancies on the Council” of the ASP Constitution 2019.
Electing the Council
How do I elect a member of the Council?
Any two members of the Society may nominate another member (the candidate) to serve as a member of the Council;
The nomination must be:
(i) in writing; and
(ii) agreed and endorsed by the candidate and the members who nominated him or her; and
(iii) submitted to the Secretary (secretary@parasite.org.au) at least one month before the Annual General Meeting at which the election is to be held;
How will we vote for the ASP Council positions?
Each member of the Society present and eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting may vote for one candidate for each vacant position on the Council.
What is there are no candidates nominated for a Council position at the AGM?
If, at the start of the meeting, there are not enough candidates nominated, nominations may be taken from the floor of the meeting.
Who can be a candidate?
An adult who is not ineligible to be elected as a member under section 61A of the Queensland (QLD) Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/current/act-1981-074 ).
Remember that a member of the Council must be a member of the Society.
How and when will we know who the candidates are?
A list of the candidate’s names in alphabetical order, with the names of the members who nominated each candidate, will be posted on the ASP website (https://www.parasite.org.au/the-society/ ) at least one week immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting.
What responsibility do the ASP Council Executive have?
The Council Executive must ensure that, before a candidate is elected as a member of the Council, the candidate is advised:
(a) whether or not the Society has public liability insurance; and
(b) if the Society has public liability insurance—the amount of the insurance.
See ASP Constitution 2019 for more detailed information about ASP Council https://www.parasite.org.au/the-society/constitution/
Positions currently vacant
The following nominations for Council representatives will be voted upon at the ASP AGM on Wednesday 28 August 5pm NZST. If, at the start of the meeting, there are not enough candidates nominated for an ASP Council position, nominations may be taken from the floor of the meeting.
Nomination for President-Elect, 2024
The ASP is seeking nominations for the President-Elect, 2024
Danny Wilson is the current ASP President and was elected into the position of President-Elect, 6 July 2022. He was nominated by ASP members Rebecca Traub and Nick Smith.
Treasurer, 2023
Hayley Rugarabamu (nee Bullen) has been elected into the position of Treasurer, 6 September 2023. She was nominated by ASP members Rebecca Traub and Vito Colella.
Executive Secretary, 2023
Ghizal Siddiqui has been elected into the position of Executive Secretary, 6 September 2023. She was nominated by ASP members Rebecca Traub and Vito Colella.
Nomination for Victorian State Representative, 2024
Lucas Huggins has been nominated for the position of Victorian State Representative, 2024. He was nominated by ASP members Sarah Preston and Jill Chmielewski.
Nomination for New South Wales State Representative, 2024
Claire Sayers has been nominated for the position of New South Wales State Representative, 2024. She was nominated by Jake Baum and Michelle Power.
Nomination for Queensland State Representative, 2024
Swaid Abdullah has been nominated for the position of Queensland State Representative, 2024. He was nominated by ASP members Nick Fountain-Jones and Alex Loukas.
Nomination for Northern Territory Representative, 2024
Kamil Braima has been nominated for the position of Northern Territory Representative, 2024. He was nominated by ASP members Narelle Dybing and Brian Cooke.
Nomination for Tasmanian State Representative, 2024
Kate Hutson has been nominated for the position of Tasmanian State Representative, 2024. She was nominated by ASP members Nicholas Fountain-Jones and Elise Ringwaldt.
Nomination for Australian Capital Territory State Representative, 2024
Melanie Rug has been nominated for the position of ACT State Representative, 2024. She was nominated by ASP members Kevin Saliba and Danny Wilson.
Nomination for South Australia State Representative, 2024
Gerrut Norval has been nominated for the position of South Australian State Representative, 2024. He was nominated by ASP members Danny Wilson and Swaid Abdullah.
Nomination for Western Australia State Representative, 2024
Breanna Knight has been nominated for the position of Western Australia State Representative, 2024. She was nominated by ASP Members Narelle Dybing and Ashleigh Peck.
Nomination for ASP Student Representative, 2024
There are two nominations for the position of ASP Student Representative, 2024.
Keng Heng Lai (Chanelle), PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide, has been nominated for the position of ASP Student Representative, 2024 by ASP members Danny Wilson and Jill Chmielewski. Introduction from Chanelle “Hello! My name is Chanelle, and I am currently a 2nd year PhD candidate in the Malaria and Toxoplasma Biology Laboratory at The University of Adelaide. My research mainly focuses on characterising malaria merozoite surface proteins and studying their function and potential as a vaccine candidate. Outside of my research, I indulge in the (Very) occasional karaoke and playing board games! I have been involved in various committees within the university for the last five years, including presidency in multiple clubs for three consecutive years and various social engagement positions. Hence, I am confident that I possess the experience and capabilities required to increase awareness and support for our work and provide representation in favour of fellow student members of the ASP!”
Grace Peters, PhD candidate at UNSW, has been nominated for the position of ASP Student Representative, 2024 by ASP members Nick Smith and Jake Baum. Introduction from Grace “Hi, my name is Gracie. I am a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales, where my research focuses on investigating protective memory T-cell formation in malarial disease, towards next-generation malaria vaccines. My undergraduate degree was completed at the University of Technology Sydney, where I was awarded the Australian Society for Parasitology’s Undergraduate Award and the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. I have previous experience in student engagement, both in employed positions at the University of Technology Sydney as a Faculty of Science ambassador and Accessibility and Disability Support worker; as well as in a volunteer capacity where I served as the senior convenor for the United Nations Youth State Conference, among other large events. I am passionate about science communication and would love the opportunity to promote the work of higher degree research students in the Society as I believe that this is a great way to foster an environment of collaboration at the student level, as well as to support their successes, which often go underacknowledged. I am eager to continue the work of the outgoing ASP Student Representative; to keep growing the student body of the Society, and to continue making it a safe and positive community for HDR students working in parasitology.”
Nomination for ASP Fellows Representative, 2023
Robin Gasser has been nominated for the position of ASP Fellows Representative, 2024. He was nominated by ASP members Danny Wilson and Narelle Dybing. Read about Robin here.
Timeline for next ASP Council Elections
28 February 2024 – Open Applications
28 July 2024 – Close Applications
21 August 2024 – ASP members will be emailed list of nominees for ASP Council positions
28 August 2024 – Elections and announcement of ASP Council
