The Australasian Animal Studies Association held it’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 8 October.  The Committee said farewell to:

Melissa Boyde: AASA membership and the Committee formally extends its thanks to Melissa Boyde for leading the Association during the 2019/2020 year. Melissa has had a long association with AASA, and is one of the driving forces behind the success of the Association.  Melissa is one of the important voices in Australasian Animal Studies, not least because of her role as Chief Editor of the Animal Studies Journal, the journal she founded, which today is one of the most prominent animal studies publications of its kind. Thank you to Melissa for everything you have contributed to AASA. The Association has benefited immensely from your leadership, and we are looking forward to continuing to work with you in future years.

Natasha Fijn was nominated to the AASA Committee as a General Committee member in 2019. The Committee offers its gratitude for Natasha’s contribution to the Association over the last year. In addition to providing input into the governance of AASA, Natasha has been actively involved in shaping some of our future online events, and the Association very much looks forward to continuing to work with Natasha to produce these events.

Gonzalo Villanueva was nominated to treasurer of AASA in 2018 and served on the Committee in that capacity until early 2020. Over that time Gonzalo took on the task of managing the Association’s finances, preparing updates for the Committee and providing the annual financial report to the AGM. The AASA membership and the Committee formally extends its thanks to Gonzalo for his work for AASA.

Sharri Lembryk joined the Committee of AASA in 2018, serving as a General Committee member for a year before taking on the role of Membership Secretary in 2019. In addition, Sharri took on the role as representative of the AASA on the organising committee for the 2021 Sydney Animals in Climate Change Conference during 2019/ 2020. On behalf of the AASA membership and the Committee, thanks is offered to Sharri for her contributions to the Association.

Erin Jones was nominated to the position of General Committee member in 2019, and assisted with governance of the Association over the 2019 / 2020 year.  The AASA membership and the Committee formally extends its thanks to Erin Jones for her contribution to the Association.

Welcome:

We welcomed recent nominees Laura Jean McKay and Agata Mrva-Montoya to the Committee, as well as extending a formal welcome to Peter Chen who joined us as Treasurer/Membership secretary in early 2020.   You can see our current Committee here: https://animalstudies.org.au/about