2026/03/01 by Verónica A. Segarra, John M. Bates, Prosanta Chakrabarty +9 · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Computer Science · Decision Sciences · #History of Computing Technologies #Twentieth Century Scientific Developments #scientometrics and bibliometrics research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/biosci/biag024
openalex publication_date 2026/03/01 · openalex created_date 2026/03/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Last year marked Scott Glisson’s 30th anniversary at the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). On behalf of the Board of Directors, we wish to acknowledge this tremendous achievement by celebrating his many contributions to AIBS and its constituent scientific communities. AIBS has existed for more than 75 years, and for the last three decades, we have been fortunate to count Scott among our ranks. He has advanced the work of AIBS through many different roles: first joining AIBS as a junior staff member, progressing to Director of the Scientific Peer Advisory and Review Services (SPARS) department—serving in that role for 22 years, and since 2018, as our Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Scott’s direction and vision have positioned AIBS to be a leader in scientific publishing, peer-review services, and science policy. Our growth has benefited from his own professional evolution, as he has been able to leverage his knowledge of our organization to develop a portfolio of work at the forefront of national efforts advancing all facets of the life sciences. Examples from each of these areas include our high-impact journal BioScience, our support of research funding organizations through peer-review and advisory services, and our public policy and advocacy programs, including the annual Congressional Visits Day and Communications Boot Camp for Scientists. Today, AIBS membership is now close to a 100 organizations strong, and comprises a diversity of groups, including academic departments, natural science museums, and scientific societies. Scott’s most instrumental work in his leadership position has been ensuring the vitality of AIBS despite the vicissitudes of uncertain funding environments, impacts of the COVID pandemic, and the transition to operating as a fully distributed organization. A key aspect of his vision for AIBS has been promoting an institute that emphasizes collaboration and coordination of efforts across all departments. Through tenacity, fiscal attentiveness, and agile leadership, Scott has ushered in a significantly diversified client base for SPARS across foundations, government, and academic organizations. He has ensured that AIBS coordinates with membership organizations on federally funded projects to advance the biological sciences through leadership and workforce training for advocacy. Critically, Scott is a thoughtful and caring supervisor who consistently mentors and supports his staff in all aspects of their work, and who engages effectively with the Board of Directors in strategic decision-making and governance. As we approach our 80th anniversary as an organization, AIBS is well positioned to maintain its influential place in the national science and policy landscape. We are grateful for Scott’s innovation in expanding service areas, his vision for sustainable growth, and his willingness to take on the added responsibilities and communication challenges necessary to oversee a fully remote organization and workforce. We celebrate Scott and his contributions and look forward to his continued partnership in the years ahead. We thank AIBS staff for their contributions to this manuscript.