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**Please Note, This Is Not the Voting Site.**
 

On Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, the Academy fellows in good standing will receive an email from the American Academy of Microbiology with the link to the voting site. If you do not receive this email, check your spam filter. You should ensure your 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and Academy membership dues are current. Only fellows in good standing are eligible to vote. If you renew your 2026 membership after Jan. 15, 2026, and would like to submit your vote, please contact 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Customer Service at service@asmusa.org for assistance.

As a fellow of the Academy, this is your opportunity to choose the next leadership positions for the Academy. We count on your vote to determine who will represent your interests as a fellow and lead the Academy in an exciting direction to help advance the microbial sciences at 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and benefit the Society.

Why Should I Vote?

• I want my profession to witness a positive impact.
• My science and my area of practice need to be represented in the Academy.
• My leaders need to respond actively and quickly.
• It is my right to choose the next Academy Governors and members of the Subcommittee on Elections.
• My voice should be heard and represented.

Which Positions Are up for Election?

What Are the Main Responsibilities of the Elected Positions?

This is your decision, and we ask that you choose the candidates who you think will strongly support 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and the Academy, help us recognize excellence and advance in the microbial sciences. The deadline to vote is March 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Please send questions and concerns regarding the Academy election to Nguyen Nguyen, Ph.D., Director, American Academy of Microbiology.

Governors

Incumbent Candidate for Chair of the Academy Governors Running for 2nd Term

Vanessa Sperandio, Ph.D.

Professor in Infectious Diseases and Chair of Medical Microbiology/Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Candidate Statement

My plans concerning support for the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and the Academy Strategic Plan will continue to focus on the impact of microbial sciences in sustainability and how this leads to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. As the human population grows and encroaches on new territories, changing the footprint of natural resources on planet Earth, we face new challenges related to microbiology. These challenges include novel zoonotic diseases, globalization and our current limited ability to combat them. The COVID-19 pandemic is a classic example of this. There needs to be a better understanding of the impact of human activity on microbial communities in the environment—animal reservoirs of new infectious disease agents, how extended travel mobility and globalization accelerates the spread of epidemics that can quickly become pandemics. Moreover, we need to unravel and harvest the chemical potential of microbial metabolic and small molecule synthetic pathways to develop new anti-microbial therapies and biofuels. This is important due to the looming threat of antibiotic resistance and its profound impact in modern medicine. Basic scientific knowledge of microbial-host interactions drives the development of vaccines and therapeutics. Biofuels can decrease our carbon footprint, mitigating some of the natural disasters caused by climate change. 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and the Academy cover the full umbrella of microbial sciences, and the engagement of this multi-disciplinary community is key to address climate change and its impact on human health.

Incumbent Candidates for Academy Governors Representing Division Group 2 Running for 2nd Term

Suzanne Fleiszig, O.D., Ph.D.

Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Candidate Statement

There is incredible opportunity for the field of microbiology to help solve the world’s biggest problems and to contribute to creating a currently unimaginable bright future. The American Academy of Microbiology is taking tangible steps towards that vision, aligning with my 2 great passions – big picture impactful problem solving and working with other people. Among the most pressing needs of our time is changing the public’s perception of science. This requires rethinking how we go about doing science, not just how we communicate it. Do our short-term goals align with the bigger picture? Can we change how we interact, reduce incentives for competition and instead foster collaboration and selfless generosity? Are we considering all voices? How should we prepare the next generation of scientists? My interest in these and related questions has grown recently through my work with 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and Academy leadership and staff, and they motivated my request to serve on UC Berkeley’s Science@Cal Advisory Council.  I believe that careful consideration of our reward systems is a foundational action we can take to address the above issues, and in my first term as an Academy Governor I led the basic science working group that revised the fellowship election criteria guidelines in that spirit. I am energized to continue to participate in these and other important activities in collaboration with 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ/Academy colleagues in support of our field. I can think of nothing more exciting than continuing to serve the Academy as a Governor at this point in history.

Download Full Biosketch of the Incumbent Academy Governor Representing Division Group 2 running for 2^nd term.

Alfredo Torres, Ph.D.

Herman Barnett Distinguished Professor, University of Texas Medical Branch

Candidate Statement

Two main areas have been the center of my contributions to 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and the Academy: The first one includes the implementation of the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ diversified strategic plan, helping develop clear actions and activities that can empower microbiologists to advance their careers while they serve 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and the Academy. It is no longer a surprise that these actions have been successful while they create a culture of support. Second, my extensive experience in serving 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ at the educational board has let me recommend diverse colloquia topics, as well as establish new programs based on the Academy’s mission and strategic plan.

Download Full Biosketch of the Incumbent Academy Governor Representing Division Group 2 running for 2^nd term.

Candidates for Academy Governors Representing Division Group 3

Matthew DeLisa, Ph.D.

Professor, Cornell University

Candidate Statement

To advance the microbial sciences and foster a culture of excellence in an Academy leadership position, I would dedicate my efforts to 2 strategic priorities that address both scientific innovation and inclusivity. First, I am committed to developing robust mentorship and networking programs designed for early-career researchers, with an emphasis on supporting those from underrepresented backgrounds. By connecting these researchers with experienced mentors and sponsors, we can provide meaningful guidance, support professional development and enhance retention within the field. To this end, I propose creating an online peer-mentoring and social networking site that enables connections between early-career 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ members and senior Academy members and other established microbial scientists worldwide. This site would be a space where members can exchange advice while also offering exclusive resources such as career counseling.

Second, I would prioritize the organization and advocacy of inclusive symposia and workshops. These events would be deliberately curated to showcase the scientific achievements and diverse perspectives of researchers from a broad range of backgrounds. By ensuring that speaker panels, organizing committees and attendees reflect the full breadth of our scientific community, we not only celebrate diverse contributions, but also create platforms where innovative ideas can flourish. Such symposia would foster dialogue and facilitate the integration of varied experiences, resulting in richer scientific discourse and more holistic approaches to addressing grand challenges in general and applied microbiology. Beyond science, these symposia would also create opportunities to advance important topics with broader societal and economic impacts, including science policy, commercialization and entrepreneurship.

Patrick Schloss, Ph.D.

Professor of Microbiome Research, University of Michigan

Candidate Statement

If I am elected to serve the Academy, I will continue to support the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and the Academy Strategic Plan by several means. Frist, as the chair of the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Journals Committee, my election will bring even stronger connections with the Academy. In this role, I ensured that an Academy fellow was selected as editor-in-chief (Marvin Whitely, Ph.D.) and that the Academy was well represented on the search committee. This connection will also be important to help provide a venue for the Academy to help shape the scope of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s journals and science through their impactful reports. Second, I am committed to supporting and mentoring junior scientists and those who come from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in the Academy, and microbiology, in general. I have demonstrated this commitment as Chair of the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Journals Committee and through publishing inclusive diversity with equity, access and accountability-related commentaries and research articles. Finally, my research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning multiple environments from natural to engineered to host-associated, using microbiome research approaches and bioinformatic techniques. This interdisciplinary mindset helps to represent the breadth of microbiology and to think about the complex problems that Academy is interested in addressing. I am captivated by the vision of Academy as the “think tank” of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ. I believe that I have a strong background to help accomplish the 4 objectives laid out in the Academy’s 2021-2025 strategic plan, and to integrate them into the new 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Strategic Roadmap more broadly.

Matthew Sullivan, Ph.D.

Professor, Ohio State University

Candidate Statement

If elected, I would work to advance 3 priority areas. First, I would improve educational and training opportunities in genome-resolved microbiome science. While amplicon-based gene markers are useful for establishing overall descriptive pictures of complex microbial communities, these gene markers evolve too slowly to correlate with fast-evolving genomic traits that dictate microbial roles in ecosystem functioning. As well, genome-resolved data capture microbiome ‘actors’ beyond bacteria and archaea, like viruses and other mobile elements. As a leader in these areas and a representative of other large-scale microbiome consortia/societies, I am well-positioned to help develop 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ-led initiatives in this area. Second, as microbiome data floods public databases, I would identify areas where 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ can enable data-driven discovery through rigorously benchmarked analytics and leveraging my team’s collaborative leadership and experience in machine learning and AI for studying viruses and microbiomes in complex systems. Arguably, data has now scaled to where well-structured and contextualized data-driven scientific advances are at least as important as hypothesis-driven experimental approaches, and 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ could take a lead in establishing rigor and safeguards in this rapidly changing sector that is already transforming microbiology. Third, microbiome science is at a cross-roads where it is often viewed as too reductionist for ecological and evolutionary biology departments and too community- and context-focused for microbiology departments. I would work with 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ microbiome science leaders to establish synergies with existing consortia and guidance for navigating evaluation of interdisciplinary microbiome science and scientists where proposal/paper review and tenure metrics, respectively, are challenged

Karen L. Visick, Ph.D.

Professor, Loyola University Chicago

Candidate Statement

I support the American Academy of Microbiology (Academy) and its core values of excellence, collaboration and impact, and, if elected, I will contribute to the maintenance of those values. The Academy can have a powerful influence on microbiology and microbiologists at all levels and in many different environments. In particular, I feel that a few priorities are most urgent: strong training and mentoring for a new generation of microbiologists to meet the challenges of our time; equitable access to education, employment opportunities and funding for a diverse community of microbiologists and promotion of the critical importance of microbiology to the public, including those who make funding decisions. 

As Chair of the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ Conference on Biofilms, I worked to bring innovative changes to the meeting, including the development of a pre-meeting symposium for trainees and a new imaging workshop. I also worked hard to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment in which diverse attendees could share their science and in which young scientists were supported in their search for training and employment opportunities. I promoted the meeting and its various activities through social media and through newly developed “Biofilminars” (webinars). I will bring the skillset that I developed as chair to bear on the duties and responsibilities of Academy Governor. I will foster inclusion, maintain high standards, help develop meaningful scientific colloquia, contribute my views to the prioritization of scientific areas for the Academy and 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and promote transparency in activities and elections.

Download Full Biosketches for Governor respresenting Division Group 3 Candidates.

Subcommittee on Elections

Candidates for Academy Subcommittee on Elections Representing Division Group 1

Vern B. Carruthers, Ph.D.

Professor, University of Michigan Medical School

Candidate Statement

If elected to the Academy subcommittee on elections, I will draw upon my experience to actively uphold the Academy’s strategic plan by championing inclusive diversity with equity, access and accountability (IDEAA) in all Academy endeavors. I will promote transparent processes for evaluating and electing new fellows, strive to lower barriers to participation and ensure that IDEAA principles are embedded throughout Academy programs and activities. Finally, I will help sustain excellence in the microbial sciences by maintaining high selection standards for fellowships.

Anita Sil

Professor, Chair, University of California San Francisco

Candidate Statement

I am committed to supporting future generations of leaders in microbiology and would take very seriously the mandate to recommend candidates for fellowship in the Academy. As a chair of a microbiology department and co-director of a microbiology program, I am constantly thinking about advances in microbiology and what success looks like for basic microbiologists. After 22 years on the faculty at University of California San Francisco (UCSF), I am well positioned to assess the contributions of potential future fellows. Additionally, I have broad and deep expertise with fungi, which will contribute to the knowledge base within the Subcommittee of Elections.

Download Full Biosketches for Subcommittee on Elections Division Group 1 Candidates.

Candidates for Academy Subcommittee on Elections Representing Division Group 2

Miriam Braunstein, Ph.D.

Professor, Colorado State University

Candidate Statement

If elected to the Subcommittee on Elections for the American Academy of Microbiology (Academy), I will work to promote recognition of leaders in the field of microbiology and the importance of their research. I will also work to ensure a high standard for selection of new Academy fellows and will take into consideration each nominee’s path to achieving their excellence in microbiology. I will also work to ensure that the nomination process for Academy fellows is fair. There are excellent candidates for fellows of Academy that have not been considered previously, due to the nature of the nomination process. In order to be nominated, 3 fellows of the Academy need to submit a nomination on behalf of the nominee. Not all Academy fellows have the time or inclination to initiate this process, and not all candidates have the time or inclination to reach out to a fellow to ask to be nominated. I will support a process of surveying 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ membership across the subdisciplines of microbiology to identify additional candidates for nomination by Academy members.

JoAnne L. Flynn, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Candidate Statement

As a candidate for the subcommittee on elections, I will be proactive in raising awareness among Academy members regarding strategies on identifying microbiologists to nominate—including reaching out to their colleagues at other institutions for suggestions and assisting in the process of nominations. The process of identifying and nominating should be clear and transparent, and relatively easy. I will encourage an inclusive slate of nominees by making clear the Academy’s vision of an inclusive and diverse microbial scientific community, while maintaining a high standard of achievement for those elected to the Academy. This may require clearly stating the standards for Academy election to the nominators and being willing to discuss our expectations. The role of the Academy as a “think tank” requires that the Academy elect creative scientists who are critical thinkers and willing to participate in the work of the Academy. In this role, I am willing to critically review the criteria for Academy membership and evaluate the qualifications of the nominees in a fair, unbiased and inclusive manner.

Manuela Raffatellu, M.D.

Professor, University of California, San Diego

Candidate Statement

Since my election to the Academy in 2019, I have contributed to the Academy's mission, in part, by nominating new outstanding fellows, including women and underrepresented scientists. If elected to serve on the Subcommittee on Elections, I will continue to promote scientific excellence and inclusion in my new role. My expertise in the broad fields of microbial pathogenesis and the host response to infection will help to identify the most deserving colleagues in these areas, and I will encourage their involvement in the nomination process and in leadership roles within the 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and the Academy.

Nina Salama, Ph.D.

Professor, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Candidate Statement

The vision for the Academy outlined in its 2021-2025 strategic plan calls for a strategic role as a think tank within 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ to strengthen scientific credentials, as well as to contribute to efforts to advance the microbial sciences. To serve this vision, the Academy needs to continually recruit new members that embody scientific excellence, creativity and accomplishment. We also need to ensure the new recruits have a demonstrated history of service. Finally, we must empower existing members to deepen their engagement in mentoring and fostering the growth of the Academy and 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s impact. As a member of the Academy Subcommittee on Elections, I will work to recruit and support members with these characteristics using high selection standards, while also welcoming individuals with diverse viewpoints and perspectives.

Download Full Biosketches for Subcommittee on Elections Division Group 2 Candidates.

Candidates for Academy Subcommittee on Elections Representing Division Group 4

Thomas Bernhardt, Ph.D.

Professor, Harvard Medical School

Candidate Statement

I will carefully review and fairly evaluate applications for AAM membership to help select future inductees into the Academy.

John J. Dennehy, Ph.D.

Professor, Queens College CUNY

Candidate Statement

If elected to the Academy Subcommittee on Elections, I will be dedicated to the proactive implementation of the Academy’s Strategic Plan, focusing particularly on the intersection of Strategic Goals 1 and 3. My primary objective will be to ensure our election processes actively champion the Academy's commitment to "inclusive diversity with equity access and accountability (IDEAA)."

A significant barrier to recruiting a diverse body of fellows (Goal 1) is the challenge of identifying outstanding individuals who are hesitant to self-promote or may lack access to established nomination networks. While we must maintain high standards for the Academy fellowship, we risk missing exceptional talent if we rely solely on passive processes. My focus on the subcommittee will be to help reduce barriers for participation by engaging our current fellows in recruitment efforts. This approach directly supports Goal 3: engage fellows as mentors and educators. I will advocate for strategies that encourage fellows to not only mentor early and mid-career microbiologists, but to actively identify and shepherd talented individuals through the nomination process.

By operationalizing the mentorship goals of Goal 3 as a direct pipeline for the IDEAA goals of Goal 1, we create a virtuous cycle. This greater engagement inspires the next generation, increases awareness of the Academy within 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and strengthens our position as 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s honorific "think tank." It ensures the Academy is not just a passive honorific, but also an active force in building a more inclusive and excellent future for our field, ultimately strengthening our collective efforts to advance microbial sciences.

Erin Goley, Ph.D.

Professor, Johns Hopkins University

Candidate Statement

If elected, I will leverage my experiences and values to help identify new Academy members who represent and advance the core values of the Academy and 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ. In particular, I am committed to the ideals of inclusive excellence and providing equitable access to the Academy, the Society and its activities and programs. This requires transparency in the nomination and evaluation process, equitable access to a path to nomination, holistic consideration of a nominee’s contributions to the microbial sciences and how they may embody and advance the core values of the Society, while maintaining the highest standards of excellence. I am eager to work within the Subcommittee on Elections to come up with creative approaches to achieve these goals.

Susan Gottesman, Ph.D.

Chief of Lab, Distinguished Investigator, National Cancer Institute

Candidate Statement

The Subcommittee on Elections has responsibility for making recommendations for election to the American Academy of Microbiology. This is an important recognition for the best of our microbiological colleagues, and, thus, I look forward to ensuring that this is done in a thoughtful, equitable way that recognizes the breadth of microbiological research and service and contributing to evolving the process to make it even better in the future.

Download Full Biosketches for Subcommittee on Elections Division Group 4 Candidates.