AGM Reports
2023-2024
August 16th 2024
The ASM Vic branch will continue to report to our members via a detailed annual report in lieu of an Annual General Meeting. This report will cover the activities conducted between 2023-2024. Any queries or comments, please send through to vicbranch@theasm.org.au marked “AGM”. We will attempt to post these (and responses as required) in future newsletters.
Finances
In the past year the Victorian branch has increased the number of events we run for our members and are working together to ensure there is at least one event per month. In addition to the regular events that we organise such as news from the hospitals, Nancy Millis awards, trivia and Christmas parties, we have increased the number of awards for ECR’s to provide opportunities for members to attend our ASM national conference, EduCon, CliniCon, as well as AusME and BactPath. In the past year this has increased our spending and is summarized below;
• Catering costs (2023/2024) = $17,872.95
• Awards (2023/2024) = $12,486.63
• Conferences and meetings (2023-2024) = $2,022.76
• Other general expenses (2023/2024) = $716.44
A summary of our financial position is outlined below.
Updates
· The committee has increased with the addition of seven new members; Emily Gulliver (2022), Mikaela Kingston (2022), Zahra Islam (2022), Elena Colombi (2022), Eliza Nikolaou (2023) and Taylor Corocher (2023). We farewelled Elena Colombi after 12 months as she moved to NSW.
· Some of our members have transitioned to an honorary position on the ASM Vic branch committee where they provide professional advice when required, these include Karena Waller, Louise Sonneveld, Pricilla Johanesen and Catherine Satzke. Our honorary members served on the Vic branch committee for several years and have had such a positive impact on ASM and will continue to support the Vic branch when required.
· The Vic branch has worked on events and initiatives in small groups. Thanks to ‘Working Group’ (WG) leads and members in 2023-24. We revisited the working groups and have dissolved professional development, One health and Regional working groups. The events organized by the dissolved working groups will now be divided among individuals on the Vic branch committee. The following working groups continue to work in their small groups;
o Medical Microbiology, Seema Kanade (lead), Sara Sujansky, Mikaela Kingston, Taylor Corocher
o Inclusion and Engagement: Zahra Islam (lead), Harshini Weerasinghe, Sarah Baines, Andrew Greenhill, Chris Stubenrauch
o Communication, with Lauren Zavan, Jane Hawkey and Emily Gulliver
· Our Vic membership has been consistent at around 500 people
Activities
· The medical microbiology working group have organized at least two news from the hospital events twice a year and have been very successful with almost 100 attendees at the events. The events have been held at the Austin Hospital and the Northern Hospital. They have also been sponsored by external organisations.
· Nancy Millis and Vic branch prize award have been organized and held in March each year. In addition, the Vic branch have organized initiatives to fund an ECR to attend the ASM national conference, attend EduCon and CliniCon.
· Sam Manna organised the mentoring program that was rolled out in 2023. This was very successful and connected senior academics with PhD students/ECRs.
· The inclusion and engagement group are newly formed and have been working with the national committee to introduce financial subsidies and initiatives and events to support diversity.
· We have organized our annual trivia night as well as our Christmas party.
· A new event that has been introduced is the microbial mixer where we organize an event for our members to attend and meet other microbiologists within Victoria.
· In place of the one health group, we are organizing events such as pathogen night, we also sponsor MEEM which occurs bi-annually and attracts many microbiologists within Victoria.