ISBA 2004 World Meeting

Minutes of the Board Meeting
May 25, 2004

 

Attending: Jim Berger (president), Jose Bernardo (program council chair), Ed George (past president), Hedibert Lopes (Bulletin editor), Kerrie Mengersen (program council vice-chair and acting secretary), Peter Muller (treasurer); Board members Merlise Clyde, Michael Goldstein, David Higdon, Pilar Iglesias, Sonia Petrone, Christian Robert, Fabrizio Ruggeri, Marina Vannucci
Absent: Alicia Carriquiri (finance committee) through omission

 

Reports of Officers, Committees and Editors

  1. Presidents (Jim and Ed)
    Presented
  2. Treasurer/Finance (Peter and Alicia)
    Presented
    Hired administrative director. Membership 421 in 2004. Balance of accounts reported.
  3. Program Council (Jose)
    Presented
    Upcoming meetings: stochastic processes meeting (June 04), nonparametric Bayes (    Rome, June 04), O’Bayes (Missouri, Jan 05), MCMSki (Italy, Jan 05), 2nd Latin-American meeting (Mexico, Feb 05), Valencia 8 (June 06).
  4. Webmaster (Jim for Mike Evans)
    Presented
    Web is going well. Introductory information about Bayesian analysis is to be introduced on the site.
  5. Bulletin Editor (Hedibert and thanks)
    Presented
    Link of bayes.org website. All issues electronic. Bulletin has a few well established sections. Request for more contributions from senior people on history. Plan for two interviews/year.
    Hedibert thanked for his hard work as Editor.
  6. Publications Committee (Jim for Sid Chib)
    Presented
    Committee chaired by Sid Chib is seeking new editor.

G.     New Journal (Jim for Rob Kass)
Presented
Excellent papers requested. Current focus is on developing submission software.
Action: Jose to discuss with Rob issues relating to citation status of journal.

 

Chapters and Sections

  1. Australian Chapter
    Approved by Executive Committee.
    Kerrie reported on chapter activities and intentions.
  2. Should ISBA have sections? (Slots at world meetings?)
    Discussion of structure, fees, how they are approved and closed, minimum numbers.
    Decision: In principle the Board is in broad agreement with the creation of Sections.
    Action: People nominated to investigate possible Sections: maximum entropy/physical sciences (Jim), biostatistics (Peter), objective Bayes (Dongchu), nonparametrics (Sonia), computational (Chris), foundation (Michael).

Organizational Issues

  1. Creation of a standing Publication Committee (Bylaw change)
  2. Creation of a Chapter/Section Liaison (Bylaw change)
     
  1. Standing and Ad-Hoc Committees

Proposal to Board.

1. Standing Committees are established in the Bylaws.

2. Ad-hoc Committees are established by resolution of the Board, for a task to be done in a specified period of time. Such a resolution specifies the task, the date the Committees’ mandate ends, the number of members and how they are to be appointed, and to whom and when the committee is to report.

3. The President appoints, with advice from the Executive Committee, a Chapter/Section Liaison for a three year term. The role of the Liaison is to obtain annual reports of chapter or section activity and to facilitate formation of new chapters or sections.

4. The Publications Committee shall consist of three people, serving staggered 3 year terms, appointed by the President, with advice of the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Committee will be the individual in the third year of their appointment. The Publications Committee is in charge of replacement of Editors of ISBA publications and initiation of new publications, both upon approval of the Board.

Discussion by Board.

3.   Suggestion of four year terms, 1 year before, 2 years current, 1 year past.
      Query regarding taxation/incorporation status of Chapter/Sections with
      separate accounts.
      Query regarding mechanism for election, creation of bylaws.
Decision: Approved. Detail to be resolved by ISBA President and Chapter/Section Liaison.

4. Suggestion of four people, serving staggered four year terms, Chair will be the individual in the third year of their appointment.
Decision: Approved.

 

Prizes

  1. Mitchell Prize
    Action: President to provide report to Board by email later.
  2. Savage Prize: President selects two members for three year terms, with advice of execs and consent of Board. Ongoing are Pilar Iglesias (2006), Val Johnson (2006), Antonietta Mira (2005), Jim Smith (2005). Propose Giovanni Parmigiani. Merlise Clyde volunteered.
    Decision: Proposals for Giovanni Parmigiani and Merlise Clyde accepted.
  3. Lindley Prize: During 2004, and every two years thereafter, two new ordinary members will be selected, as representatives of two of the Founders not already serving, by the ISBA Board of Directors following consultation with representatives of all Founders. We replace Julia Mortera and Kerrie Mengersen, with Phil Dawid (chair), Jun Liu and Mark Schervish remaining.
    Action: Board to suggest names for Jim to consider and take to representatives of Founders.

    The Lindley prize is for a contributed paper published in the proceedings; but we don’t have a clear ‘proceedings’. In future years we propose that the proceedings be a special issue of Bayesian Analysis.
    Decision: Defer to next meeting at which time the journal will be better established.

 

Future ISBA Meetings

  1. Valencia 8 and ISBA World Meeting 8
    Jose reported on naming of future     Valencia meetings. Proposal to name the biannual meetings the ISBA World meeting and ISBA Valencia meeting respectively.
    Action: Jim and Jose to confirm names and communicate to Board.

    Discussion about publishing the proceedings from ISBA 2004 on the web. Suggestion from Jose to contact     Oxford about publication of proceedings. Concern that authors were not informed of potential publication prior to meetings.
  2.  ISBA 2008
    Meeting proposals requested. Tentative suggestions:     Corsica, Santa Cruz, Australia.
    Action: Program Chair to solicit suggestions for hosting ISBA 2008.
  3. Funding of Chapter and Sponsored/Endorsed Meetings:

                Present Policy: ISBA will not take responsibility for raising money to
                finance Regional meetings. However, ISBA should assist organizing
                committees by officially endorsing proposals for funds where
                necessary.

                Proposal: Conferences are expected to be self-sufficient, but they can
                apply to ISBA for a loan (typically $1000) to initiate activities. Also,
                ISBA should assist organizing committees in officially endorsing
                proposals for funds where necessary.

    Decision: Approved.
    Action: Ed volunteered to write guidelines for funding and disseminate them.
  4. Endorsement requests.
                    Mexico.
                Written information received.
    Decision: Endorsed.

 

Fellows

  1. Should ISBA have Fellows or not?
    Discussed.
    Decision: The consensus of the Board at this time is not to have Fellows.

 

Deceased Members

            Any deceased members besides Seymour Geisser and Juan Ferrandiz?
            No.

 

New Business

Recognition of outstanding young researchers:

Proposal for ISBA medals for young researchers.
Proposal for Medallion talks at ISBA World meetings. Four every two years.
Proposal for Honoured Person at meetings.
Action: Jim, Ed to consider and develop.

 

 

Meeting closed.