Dear SCDM Friends,

How did it get to be August already? I hope everyone is enjoying their year, whether it is summer or winter by you (hemisphere dependent of course!).  We have much going on in the Society, so read on to see what has been happening!

Board of Trustees Summer Meeting

At the end of July, the SCDM Board of Trustees and Executive Committee met in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, for the Summer Board. As described in the last newsletter, we recently launched the 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, with the focus for the Society is on 3 priorities: education and certification, thought leadership, and partnerships of value.

Day 1 was spent discussing and reviewing the outstanding work the various committees have done in the last few months. We noted the progress made and discussed challenges ahead, all the while assisting with some creative thinking and brainstorming to help those committees overcome them.

Day 2 we looked at our global footprint, where we have had successful regional expansion and where might we want to expand next. We have had much success in China, India, EMEA and Japan, with increases in membership, certifications and attendance at single day events or multi-day conferences.  It’s very exciting to see the passion for our profession expressed in these regions and we are thrilled to be a conduit for the innovation and ongoing discussions.

Also on Day 2 we reviewed the program and details around the Annual Conference (Oct 8-11 in San Diego, CA, USA) and are excited to see the innovative and exciting program developed by the conference co-chairs. We look forward to seeing you there to experience not only the pre-conference workshops and conference content, but to celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the Annual Conference at the Networking Event!  Get ready to get your 90s attire and jam to the beats!

Regional Events

There are many regional events being planned this year, including a single day event in Thane, India (26Aug) and the India Annual Conference (1-2Dec) in Bangalore. Japan is looking to plan their conference at the end of this year as well. We are also excited that there may also be an event in South Africa, which is still in the early planning stages.  Keep an eye on the website as well as your inboxes for additional information about these events and more!

Education and Certification

Work on our strategic priorities continues with a focus on our educational content. We are working to raise existing content and add new content from our recent conferences and published papers. We have started work towards a planned launch of CCDA (Data Associate) certification, and development of a new CCDS (Data Scientist) certification.

Volunteer

There is so much more that is happening in SCDM, but I seem to be out of space! I can’t stress enough how YOU, the members and volunteers, are the cornerstone of the Society.  I again invite you to volunteer and get involved. You are the ones to make this happen. Register online as a volunteer to help us move forward with our strategic plan to make SCDM the leading authority in Clinical Data Sciences.

On behalf of the SCDM Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, thank you for being a part of SCDM and we look forward to your participation in being a part of the exciting future of our industry!

Carol Schaffer
Secretary, SCDM Board of Trustees