The SSE Nominating Committee invites nominations for six Council positions beginning January 2026: President Elect, Non-North American Vice President, Executive Vice President, and three Councilors. Nominations are accepted throughout the year, but only nominations submitted by April 1 will be considered for the 2025 ballot. We welcome self nominations. for descriptions of each position.

A large component of Council business occurs via the messaging platform Slack, and those nominated must be willing to monitor and engage regularly and meaningfully via this platform.

Submit your nomination [1] by April 1.

[2]

PRESIDENT ELECT

The President Elect position makes up the first year of a three-year presidential term. The individual elected to this position spends the first year as President Elect, the second year as President, and the third as Past President. 

Term: January 2026 - December 2028

Responsibilities:

1. Participate as an active member of SSE Council, including attending two Council meetings each year and discussing and voting on various issues via Slack. One Council meeting is held via Zoom in January or February, and the other occurs in two parts at the in-person portion of the annual meeting, typically in June. The meeting registration fee, coach class travel, and up to $500 for accommodations are covered by SSE.


2. Serve on the SSE Executive Committee, with the President, Past President, Executive Vice President, and Secretary. This committee typically meets twice per month (via Zoom), and stays abreast of current issues and opportunities for the Society and generally oversees all activities of the Society.


3. Evaluate papers submitted for the SSE Presidents’ Award for Outstanding Dissertation Paper. This award recognizes an outstanding paper in Evolution or Evolution Letters that is part of the first author’s PhD work.


4. Attend the Joint Council meetings with leaders of SSE, the American Society of Naturalists, and the Society of Systematic Biologists at the annual Evolution meeting.

Full duties of the second and third years of this position, as President and Past President, are outlined on page 3 of the SSE Officers Handbook [3]. 

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

The Executive Vice President (EVP) has the most complex and time-consuming job in the Society. The EVP oversees the majority of Society activities, including business operations, contracts, journals, committee activities, and the Evolution meetings. The EVP coordinates with the Communications Manager, Treasurer, Secretary, committee chairs, and others as needed. The EVP receives a stipend of USD $15,000 per year.

Term: January 2026 - December 2028

Responsibilities:

1. Participate as an active member of SSE Council, including attending two Council meetings each year and discussing and voting on various issues via Slack. One Council meeting is held via Zoom in January or February, and the other occurs in two parts at the in-person portion of the annual meeting, typically in June. The meeting registration fee, coach class travel, and up to $500 for accommodations are covered by SSE.


2. Serve on the SSE Executive Committee with the President, Past President, Executive Vice President, and Secretary. This committee typically meets bi-weekly (via Zoom), and stays abreast of current issues and opportunities for the Society and generally oversees all activities of the Society.


3. Attend the Joint Council meetings with leaders of SSE, the American Society of Naturalists, and the Society of Systematic Biologists at the annual Evolution meeting.


4. Coordinate with the journal Editors-in-Chief and publisher (Oxford University Press) for Evolution and Evolution Letters to address issues that arise in relation to the journals. 


5. Serve as one of two SSE members of the Joint Meeting Committee, which oversees the annual Evolution meeting.


6. Work with the Treasurer to oversee budget allocations and address issues and requests related to SSE finances.


7. Work with the Communications Manager to oversee all SSE award and grant programs.


8. Serve as the primary representative of SSE to all third parties and the primary signatory on any agreements or contracts. 

See a full description of Executive Vice President responsibilities on page 7 of the SSE Officers Handbook [4].

NON-NORTH AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT

The Non-North American Vice President is one of two vice presidents, the other being the North American Vice President. These positions have two-year terms and alternate years in which they are elected.

Term: January 2026 - December 2027

Responsibilities:

1. Chair the International Committee, which administers the International Travel Stipends [5] and International Event Grants [6] and organizes events at the annual Evolution meeting.


2. Conduct two competitions for the Graduate Research Excellence Grants, the R. C. Lewontin Early Award [7] (February application deadline) and the Rosemary Grant Advanced Award [8] (September application deadline). This includes recruiting, organizing, and instructing evaluators to score ~250 applications each round, and working with the SSE Diversity Committee to pursue equity in awarding.


3. Evaluate candidates for the Dobzhansky Prize, which recognizes an outstanding early career researcher (December application deadline).


4. Participate as an active member of SSE Council, including attending two Council meetings each year and discussing and voting on various issues via Slack. One Council meeting is held via Zoom in January or February, and the other occurs in two parts at the in-person portion of the annual Evolution meeting, typically in June. The meeting registration fee, coach class travel, and up to $500 for accommodations are covered by SSE.

 See a full description of the Non-North American Vice President’s duties on page 6 of the SSE Officers Handbook [9].

COUNCILOR

In addition to the three Presidents, Executive Vice President, two Vice Presidents, Treasurer, and Secretary, SSE Council includes nine councilors. Three are elected each year and serve three-year terms. 

Term: January 2026 - December 2028

Responsibilities:

1. Participate as an active member of SSE Council, including attending two Council meetings each year and discussing and voting on various issues via Slack. One Council meeting is held via Zoom in January or February, and the other occurs in two parts at the in-person portion of the annual meeting, typically in June. The meeting registration fee, coach class travel, and up to $500 for accommodations are covered by SSE.


2. Evaluate proposals for the Graduate Research Excellence Grants, the R. C. Lewontin Early Award (February application deadline) and the Rosemary Grant Advanced Award (September application deadline). First and second year councilors evaluate R. C. Lewontin Early Award proposals (typically in March), and third year councilors evaluate Rosemary Grant Advanced Award proposals (typically in October).  


3. Evaluate nominations for the Gould Prize, which recognizes an individual who has advanced the public understanding of evolution and its importance in biology, education, and everyday life. This award now occurs once every three years, with a nomination deadline in January. The next competition will be held in 2026.


4. Serve on other committees according to personal interests and committee needs. Councilors may serve on a variety of SSE Committees, including the Diversity Committee, Education and Outreach Committee, International Committee, Public Policy Committee, and other ad hoc committees.

See a full list of Council member duties on page 17 of the SSE Officers Handbook [10].