2187
Vol. 58, Special Issue D
AADR President-Elect Address Responding to the Challenge of Today Marie Nylen National Institute of Dental Research I have been a member of the AADR since 1951 and have seen the Annual Meeting grow from one with fewer than 200 presentations to the present one with 1,364. It is with both pride and excitement that I assume the presidency of the Association at this time, when it has reached a new level of maturity and is claiming its rightful place as the principal spokesperson for dental research in the United States. You may recall that Dr. Ben Hammond in his presidential address last year strongly emphasized that only the dental researcher active in the field can truly speak for dental research. The Association has accepted this challenge and is moving rapidly toward developing the necessary capabilities. A number of important developments have made this possible. The appointment of an Executive Director provided the Association with a person experienced in government activities and dedicated to the advancement of dental research. The admission of Institutional Members provided the Association with funds for new ventures. The move of our headquarters to Washington enabled our Executive Director to monitor closely the many groups that help develop and decide health policy and funding. The dedicated work of the Public Affairs Committee, and especially its chairman, Dr. John Hein, during this past year has laid the foundation on which to build. And last, but not least, in all these endeavors the AADR Council has provided the Board the support it needed. As of today, plans have been formulated for the development of a comprehensive, long-range master plan for dental research and dental research needs. Efforts have been made successfully to represent our needs and viewpoints to various groups and individuals. A special initiative directed to this meeting has provided the press with an informative and comprehensive press kit which has been well-received. I am sure you will agree that progress has been remarkable, but a small group, however dedicated, can do only so much. In order to
respond to the challenge our Association faces, we need the active participation of the entire membership. Those interested in further information are urged to contact the Discussion Center located in the general registration area. Let me add that while initial emphasis is on representation at the national level, it is equally essential to present our message at the state level and to the profession, and it will be important to develop strong lines of two-way communication - between the membership and the Central Office. The Association's ultimate goal is to serve the public, and to accomplish this it must not only secure better support for dental research and do the research, but it must also strive to attract the best talent possible to the field of dental research. In that respect, I am particularly concerned about our apparent inability to attract minorities and women to our group. Recent efforts in this area by two institutes at NIH indicate that there is no lack of qualified candidates. I will therefore on my assumption of the presidency ask the Fellowship Committee of the Association to develop plans for inviting a group of minority and women students to the 1980 Meeting in Los Angeles, to prepare a special symposium for them on opportunities in dental research, to propose means of funding this effort, and to seek commitment from the membership for a number of summer intemships to further promote their interest in dental research. Again I would like to call on the membership to help the committee with advice and suggestions. Eventually, this mechanism may be used to attract promising young researchers from all walks of life to our ranks so that we can continue to advance in our effort to conquer oral and dental disease. In closing, I wish to invite all IADR and AADR members to attend the AADR luncheon on Friday. Dr. John Greene, Deputy Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, will speak on "Directions for Dental Research in the 1980's." Dr. Greene will speak, among other things, about the Government's efforts to develop a multi-year national health research plan and its possible implications for dental research. I look forward to seeing you all at the luncheon and wish you a successful meeting.
Downloaded from jdr.sagepub.com at Univ of Connecticut / Health Center / Library on June 3, 2015 For personal use only. No other uses without permission.
Vol. 58, Special Issue D
AADR President-Elect Address Responding to the Challenge of Today Marie Nylen National Institute of Dental Research I have been a member of the AADR since 1951 and have seen the Annual Meeting grow from one with fewer than 200 presentations to the present one with 1,364. It is with both pride and excitement that I assume the presidency of the Association at this time, when it has reached a new level of maturity and is claiming its rightful place as the principal spokesperson for dental research in the United States. You may recall that Dr. Ben Hammond in his presidential address last year strongly emphasized that only the dental researcher active in the field can truly speak for dental research. The Association has accepted this challenge and is moving rapidly toward developing the necessary capabilities. A number of important developments have made this possible. The appointment of an Executive Director provided the Association with a person experienced in government activities and dedicated to the advancement of dental research. The admission of Institutional Members provided the Association with funds for new ventures. The move of our headquarters to Washington enabled our Executive Director to monitor closely the many groups that help develop and decide health policy and funding. The dedicated work of the Public Affairs Committee, and especially its chairman, Dr. John Hein, during this past year has laid the foundation on which to build. And last, but not least, in all these endeavors the AADR Council has provided the Board the support it needed. As of today, plans have been formulated for the development of a comprehensive, long-range master plan for dental research and dental research needs. Efforts have been made successfully to represent our needs and viewpoints to various groups and individuals. A special initiative directed to this meeting has provided the press with an informative and comprehensive press kit which has been well-received. I am sure you will agree that progress has been remarkable, but a small group, however dedicated, can do only so much. In order to
respond to the challenge our Association faces, we need the active participation of the entire membership. Those interested in further information are urged to contact the Discussion Center located in the general registration area. Let me add that while initial emphasis is on representation at the national level, it is equally essential to present our message at the state level and to the profession, and it will be important to develop strong lines of two-way communication - between the membership and the Central Office. The Association's ultimate goal is to serve the public, and to accomplish this it must not only secure better support for dental research and do the research, but it must also strive to attract the best talent possible to the field of dental research. In that respect, I am particularly concerned about our apparent inability to attract minorities and women to our group. Recent efforts in this area by two institutes at NIH indicate that there is no lack of qualified candidates. I will therefore on my assumption of the presidency ask the Fellowship Committee of the Association to develop plans for inviting a group of minority and women students to the 1980 Meeting in Los Angeles, to prepare a special symposium for them on opportunities in dental research, to propose means of funding this effort, and to seek commitment from the membership for a number of summer intemships to further promote their interest in dental research. Again I would like to call on the membership to help the committee with advice and suggestions. Eventually, this mechanism may be used to attract promising young researchers from all walks of life to our ranks so that we can continue to advance in our effort to conquer oral and dental disease. In closing, I wish to invite all IADR and AADR members to attend the AADR luncheon on Friday. Dr. John Greene, Deputy Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, will speak on "Directions for Dental Research in the 1980's." Dr. Greene will speak, among other things, about the Government's efforts to develop a multi-year national health research plan and its possible implications for dental research. I look forward to seeing you all at the luncheon and wish you a successful meeting.
Downloaded from jdr.sagepub.com at Univ of Connecticut / Health Center / Library on June 3, 2015 For personal use only. No other uses without permission.
