AIHP Board of Directors Holds Annual Meeting

AIHP’s Board of Directors held its annual two-day meeting on June 18-19, 2020.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually. (The Board usually meets in-person at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy, AIHP’s host institution.)

In addition to receiving status reports from Historical Director Lucas Richert, PhD, and Executive Director Dennis Birke, the Board took action on the following matters:

• Awards Program:  The Board gave preliminary approval to changes recommended by a task force that reviewed the Institute’s awards program.  AIHP will shortly announce changes to the George Urdang Medal, the Edward Kremers Award, and the AIHP Glenn Sonnedecker Prize.
• Bylaw Changes:  The Board approved changes to AIHP’s bylaws designed to, among other things, streamline the process for nominating, electing, and installing elected directors. To become effective, the bylaw changes must be approved by AIHP members at the Institute’s Annual Business Meeting, scheduled for November 5, 2020. More information about the bylaw changes will be sent to members in advance of that meeting.
• AIHP’s Academic Journal:  Acting on a set of recommendations developed by Institute staff, the Board approved several measures to revitalize AIHPs’ academic journal, Pharmacy in History. An announcement regarding future plans for the publication will be released in a few weeks. 
• Collections Management Policy: The Board reviewed and approved a new Collections Management Policy for the Institute’s historical collections, archival collections, and artifact collections. The policy establishes guidelines for new acquisitions and improved management of existing collections. 
• Endowed Funds:  The Board approved a set of policies that will govern management of the Institute’s endowed funds, including a new method for calculating annual distributions from the funds for the support of Institute programs and operations.