The TOS Council met recently to discuss ways to increase the Society’s membership, ideas for improving existing programs, and possible new initiatives to better serve TOS members and the greater oceanographic community. Here are some ways you can become involved in these new initiatives.

Interdisciplinary Meetings – TOS plans to host small-scale, biennial meetings on interdisciplinary topics of interest in leading areas of ocean science, engineering, education, and social sciences. If you are interested in serving on an interim committee to develop the plan for these types of meetings please contact Jenny Ramarui at [email protected]. A report is due to the TOS Council in February 2013.

Information Sharing – The TOS website (http://www.tos.org) has been redesigned with an eye toward easier navigation on tablets as well as computers. Other changes include eliminating the fee for posting job announcements and inviting ocean science community members to submit news items of interest for posting on the website. Visit http://www.tos.org/jobs_funding.html for instructions on posting job announcements, and submit news items to Jenny. The TOS Council would like to increase its engagement with oceanography students and early career scientists. Thus, we are initiating a number of actions to greater involve students in TOS.

Student Member on TOS Council – The addition of a position on the TOS Council for a graduate student has been approved. Self-nominations are welcome, as well as nominations from advisors. To be considered, please submit the following items to Jenny by October 15, 2012: CV or biographical sketch that is 250 words max, statement of interest, and one letter of recommendation.

Student Committee – With a renewed focus on student activities, the Council approved the formation of a student committee. This committee will include five to seven student members for a two-year term. The committee will be tasked with designing programs for mentoring, networking, and creating an online community through topical chats, webinars, as well as maintaining the TOS presence on social media sites. Self-nominations are sought for this committee. Please provide the following items to Jenny by October 15, 2012: CV or biographical sketch that is 250 words max, statement of interest, and one letter of recommendation. The elected student Council member will serve as the chair of this committee.

Early Career Initiatives – TOS plans to hold a Town Hall/Reception at the 2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting focusing on “Where Can Your Oceanography Degree Take You?” If you are interested in serving on the planning committee for this event, please contact Jenny. The Council is dedicated to making TOS the preeminent organization focused solely on oceanography—however, your input is vital in guiding future steps toward fulfilling this mission. These initiatives are a good start toward expanding the services that TOS can provide to its membership. The organization remains flexible and receptive to new ideas, so get involved and get in touch! Let us hear from you about other ideas you may have and how TOS can respond to your needs.

– Mike Roman, TOS President

Roman, M. 2012. From the President: Improving The Oceanography Society. Oceanography 25(3):9, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2012.98.

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