SPIROS N. AGATHOS

Professor

Research Group of Bioengineering – Applied Microbiology & Bioprocess Cluster

Earth and Life Institute (ELI)

Faculty of Bioengineering, Agronomy and Environment

Catholic University of Louvain

Place Croix du Sud 2, Box L7.05.19,

B-1348 Louvain-la Neuve, Belgium

Telephone: +32-10-473644 Fax: +32-10-473062 E-Mail:

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EDUCATION

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Ph.D.1983Biochemical Engineering

McGill University M. Eng.1976Chemical Engineering

National Technical University of Athens Dipl. Eng.1973Chemical Engineering

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Oct. 2005 – present / Full Professor, Unit of Bioengineering, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
May 1998 – February 2010 / Head, Unit of Bioengineering, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Oct. 1999- Sept. 2005 / Professor, Unit of Bioengineering, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Sept. 1993 - Sept. 1999 / Associate Professor, Unit of Bioengineering, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
July 1985 - Aug. 1993 / Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, N.J., U.S.A.
Feb. 1983 - June 1985 / Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
July 1982 - Feb. 1983 / Lecturer, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Sept. 1980 – June 1982 / Graduate Tutor, Eliot House, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Sept. 1978 - June 1982 / Teaching Assistant, Graduate Program in Biochemical Engineering, Department of Applied Biological Sciences (formerly, Department of Nutrition & Food Science), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Sept. 1975 - Jan. 1977 / Research Assistant, Naval Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology, Boston City Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Sept. 1973 - June 1975 / Research and Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS

Biotechnology for Sustainability; Biochemical Engineering; Applied and Environmental Microbiology; Enzyme Stability; Fungal, Insect and Mammalian Cell Cultures in Bioreactors; Cell Immobilization; Pollutant Biodegradation

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Keynote Lecture Award, 13th International Biotechnology Symposium (IBS2008), Dalian, China, 2008
  • OpeningKeynote Lecture, 1st (Inaugural) Symposium of Hellenic Scientific Society MicroBioKosmos, Athens, 2008
  • Elected Fellow, Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, 2006 (Honor conferred at Annual Meeting, SIMB, Baltimore, Maryland)
  • Best Paper Award 2006, Bioprocess & Biosystems Engineering journal ofSpringer Verlag
  • Keynote Lecturer on Molecular Engineering and Biology of Invertebrate Cell Cultures,11th International Conference on Invertebrate Cell & Tissue Culture, 2004 World Congress on In Vitro Biology, San Francisco, California, 2004
  • Plenary Lecture Award, International Conference on Bioremediation of Soil and Groundwater, Cracow, Poland, 2004
  • Foreign Orator in Honour of the CNRS Silver Medal Award to Dr. Annie Marc, Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine, Nancy, France, 2003
  • Plenary Lecture & Topic Coordinator Award, 6thInternational Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology (ISEB 2002), Veracruz, Mexico, 2002
  • Keynote Lecture Award, First European Bioremediation Conference, Chania, Greece, 2001
  • National Research and Development Council (CNPq) of Brazil Visiting Lectureship Award, 1992
  • Merit Award from the President of Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey “in Recognition of Service to the University”, 1988
  • Research Initiation Award, National Science Foundation, 1987
  • NATO Science Fellowship, 1978-1981
  • Sigma Xi, MIT Chapter, 1976; Rutgers Chapter, 1987
  • State Scholarship, Greek Scholarship Foundation (IKY), 1969-1973

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

A. Editorial Boards of International Scientific Journals and Volume Series

  • Comprehensive Biotechnology, 2nd Edition (Elsevier)

Editor, Volume 6 (Environmental Biotechnology) 2008 – 2011

  • Biochemical Engineering Journal

Associate Editor, 2008 – present

  • New Biotechnology

Guest Editor, 2012-2013

  • Bioresource Technology

Guest Editor, 2012-2013

  • Enzyme & Microbial Technology

Guest Editor, 2010-2011

  • Biotechnology Advances

Member of Editorial Board, 1999 – present

  • Biotechnology Letters

Member of Editorial Board, 2009 – present

  • Recent Patents on Biotechnology

Member of Editorial Board, 2007 – present

  • Applied Biochemistry & Biotechnology

Member of Editorial Board, 1986 – 2003

  • Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology

Member of Editorial Board, 2001 – 2004

  • Biodegradation

Member of Editorial Board, 1997 – 2002

  • Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Member of Editorial Board, 1993 - 2002

  • Process Biochemistry

Member of Editorial Board, 1998 – 2003 and 2007– 2011

B. Visiting Professorships

  • Université Catholique de Lille, Institut Supérieur d’Agriculture (ISA), International Bioprocess Management (IBM) Programme, Lille, France, November-December 2007
  • Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Department of Chemical Engineering, Barcelona, Spain, May 2006
  • Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Centro de Investigaciones Avanzadas (CINVESTAV), Department of Bioengineering & Biotechnology, Mexico City, Mexico, November 2001
  • Universidad de Córdoba, Department of Food Technology, Córdoba, Spain, May-June 1999
  • Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Department of Chemical Engineering, Quito, Ecuador, May-June 1995
  • Federal University of Sao Carlos; State University of Campinas; University of Sao Paulo: Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Units, Brazil, July- August 1992
  • University of Crete, Department of Biology and FORTH, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Iraklion, Greece, March-April 1987

C. Expert Review and Science Policy

  • Permanent Member, Working Group on Environmental Biotechnology, United States – European Union Task Force on Biotechnology Research, 1997-present
  • Expert on Mandates, Scholarships and Scientific Grant Proposals, National Foundation of Scientific Research of the French Community of Belgium (FNRS), 1994-present
  • External Expert, Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council(BBSRC), United Kingdom, 2012
  • External Expert, Helmholtz-Association of German Research Centres, Bonn, Germany, 2012
  • External Expert, Hellenic Ministry of Education and Lifelong Learning, Directorate General of Research and Technology. Programmes “Thales”, “Archimedes” and “Aristeia”, 2011-2012; Second phase “Aristeia”, 2012-2013
  • Expert, Member or Rapporteur, Review Panels for Project Evaluation and Ad Hoc Panels for Programme Monitoring, 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission, (a) Programme KBBE, (b) Programme ENERGY, (c) PEOPLE-ITN, 2010-2013
  • Member, Quadrennial Visiting Committees of the French Agency for the Evaluation of Research & Higher Education (AERES), Paris, 2008-present: Evaluation ofthe Laboratory of Reactions and Process Engineering (LRGP; UPR CNRS 3349), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France, 2012; Evaluation of Unit of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Chemical & Biochemical Process Engineering (“Institut Pascal”: LASMEA UMR 6602 – LAMI EA 3867 – LGCB EA 3866), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2011; Evaluation of Unit of Microbial Ecology (UMR CNRS 5557 – USC INRA 1193), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Lyon, France, 2010; Evaluation of Laboratory Cluster ‘Villermaux’ [Chemical Engineering Science (LSGC), Physical Chemistry of Reactions (DCPR), Chemical Engineering of Rheologically Complex Media (GEMICO), Thermodynamics of Polyphasic Media (LTMP), Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules (LCPM)], Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Nancy, France, 2008
  • Chair or Member, Evaluation Committees of the Hellenic Quality Assurance & Accreditation Agency (HQAA), Athens, 2010-present: Department ofNatural Resources & Environment, Technological Education Institute of Crete, Chania, June 2012; Department of Environmental & Natural Resources Management, University of Western Greece, Agrinio, April 2012; Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, February2011; Department of Biological Applications & Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, June 2011; Department of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Agricultural University of Athens, October 2011;Department of Computer Science & Biomedical Informatics, University of Central Greece, Lamia, November 2011; Department of Animal Production, Technological Education Institute of Epirus, Arta, December 2011; Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, March 2010; School of Agronomy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, December 2010
  • External Expert, Swiss National Science Foundation, 2009-2010
  • External Expert, Evaluation of Promotion to Associate Professorship, Ben-Gourion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion (Beersheba), Israel, 2009
  • External Expert, Evaluation of Promotion to Full Professorship, Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U. S. A., 2008
  • External Expert, Agency for the Evaluation of Research & Higher Education (AERES), Paris, France, 2008
  • Expert Evaluator, COST Action Office, Federal Department of Home Affairs, Berne, Switzerland, 2008
  • Expert, European Commission, Directorate General Research, Programme Food-Agriculture-Biotechnology on EU-Russia Cooperation in the Seventh Framework Programme, 2006
  • External Reviewer, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF): Faculty Early Career Development Program(CAREER), 2005-2006and 2006-2007; Biochemical & Biomass Engineering Program, 2005-2006
  • International Expert, Curriculum Assessment, Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Xanthi, Greece, 2005
  • External Reviewer, Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 2005
  • External Reviewer, Hellenic Republic Ministry of Development, General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GGET): Program PENED, 2005
  • Member, Working Group on Bioproducts and Bioprocesses, Belgian Interdisciplinary Platform for Industrial Biotechnology (BIPIB), Science Policy -- Belgian Federal Government (BELSPO), 2005
  • External Expert, Evaluation of Promotion to Full Professorship, University of Bologna, Italy, 2005
  • Member, Working Group on Industrial Biotechnology and Sustainable Chemistry, of the Belgian Academy of Science (Group 32 Comité de l’Académie pour les Applications de la Science – CAPAS), 2003-2004
  • International Expert, United States – Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD), Bet-Dagan, Israel, 2003
  • Chairman, International Selection Committee, United States – European Union Exchange Fellowships for Early Career Scientists in Environmental Biotechnology Research, 2003-2005
  • Member, Visiting Evaluation Audit Committee, Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Science (LSGC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Nancy, France, 2003
  • Member, College of Expert Evaluators, Public Federal Service, Brussels Capital Region, 2003-2004
  • External Reviewer, Israel Science Foundation (ISF), Jerusalem, 2002
  • Member, Jury for selection of A.P.E.F.E. posts, French Community of Belgium, Brussels, 1998-1999
  • External Expert, Evaluation of Promotion to Full Professorship, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA, 1998
  • Member, Independent Committee for Annual Programme Monitoring, European Commission, DG XII, Programme ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE, 1997-1998
  • Member, Informal Focus Consultation Panel for New (5th) Framework Programme, European Commission, DG XII, Programme FAIR, 1997
  • Expert, Review Panel for Project Evaluation, 4th Framework Programme of the European Commission, (a) Programme FAIR, (b) Programme BIOTECHNOLOGY, (c) International Science and Technology Cooperation Programme, 1995-1999
  • External Reviewer, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF): Biotechnology Programme, 1990-1993: Division of International Programmes, 1988-1989; Biochemical and Biomass Engineering,1987-1988
  • External Reviewer, International Science Foundation (ISF): Biotechnology Programme for Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, 1992-1993
  • External Reviewer, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada: (a) Operating Grants Programme, 1989-90 and 1992-93; (b) University-Industry Research and Development (CRD) Grants Programme, 1989-90; (c) Strategic Grants Programme in Biotechnology, 1987-88; (d) Grant Selection Committee in Cell Biology & Genetics, 1983-85
  • Review Panel Member, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Grant Selection in Biochemical Engineering and in Biotechnology Programs, 1988
  • External Reviewer, Commission of European Communities, Biotechnology Grants (BAP), 1984
  • Panel Member, Ontario Graduate Scholarship Selection Board, Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, 1985-86
  • External Expert Reviewer of Biotechnology Textbooks and Monographs, Elsevier 2008-2009; CRC Press, 1999; Academic Press, 1993; Academic Press, CRC Press, Hanser Publishers, 1989-1990
  • Regular and Ad Hoc Reviewer for Scientific Journals: Acta Biotechnologica, Annals of New York Academy of Sciences, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering Journal, Biodegradation, Biomolecular Engineering, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Biotechnology Advances, Biotechnology Progress, Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering Science Environmental Science and Technology, International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Journal of Biotechnology, Journal of Chemical Technologyand Biotechnology,Journal of General Microbiology, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, Journal of Molecular Catalysis, Mathematical Population Dynamics, Nature, Process Biochemistry, Spectroscopy Letters.

D. Scientific Planning and Organization

  • ScientificCommittee, 23rd Meeting of the ESACT –European Society for Animal Cell Technology (ESACT 2013) – "Better Cells for Better Health", Lille, France, June 23-26, 2013
  • International Adisory Committee, 15th International Biotechnology Symposium and Exhibition (IBS2012) – "Innovative Biotechnology for a Green World and Beyond", Daegu, South Korea, September 16-21, 2012
  • Scientific Committee Co-Chair, Environmental Microbiology & Biotechnology in the Frame of the Knowledge-Based Bio & Green Economy (EMB2012), Bologna, Italy, April12-14, 2012
  • International Scientific Committee, 5thEuropean Bioremediation Conference, Chania, Crete, Greece, July 4-7, 2011
  • International Scientific Committee, 14th International Biotechnology Symposium and Exhibition (IBS2010) – "Biotechnology for the Sustainability of Human Society", Rimini, Italy, September 14-18, 2010
  • International Scientific Committee, 3rd International Conference on Engineering for Waste and Biomass Valorisation – "WasteEng", Beijing, China, May 17-19, 2010
  • Organizing Committee, 1st Symposium of Hellenic Scientific Society MikroBioKosmos, Athens, Greece, December 12-14, 2008
  • International Scientific Committee, 13th International Biotechnology Symposium & Exhibition (IBS) -- "Biotechnology for the Sustainability of Human Society", Dalian, China, October 12-17, 2008 (coordinator of sessions on Environmental Biotechnology)
  • International Scientific Committee, 4th European Bioremediation Conference, Chania, Crete, Greece, September 3-6, 2008
  • International Advisory/Scientific Committee, Asian Mycology Congress (AMC 2007) and Xth International Marine and Freshwater Mycology Symposium (IMFMS), Penang, Malaysia, December 2-6, 2007
  • Scientific Committee, International Conference on Technologies for Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in the Mediterranean Region (TIWATMED), Jerba, Tunisia, May 24-26, 2007
  • International Advisory Committee, International Conference on Cleaner Technologies and Environmental Management ICCTEM 2007, Pondicherry, India, January 4-6, 2007
  • International Scientific Committee, Third European Bioremediation Conference, Chania, Crete, Greece, July 4-7, 2005
  • Scientific Committee, International Conference on Bioremediation of Soil and Groundwater, Cracow, Poland, September 5-8, 2004
  • International Scientific Committee, 10th International Summer School on Chemical Engineering,Varna, Bulgaria, May 24-31, 2004
  • Organizing Committee, European Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology “ESEB 2004”, Oostende, Belgium, April 25-28, 2004
  • International Scientific Committee, Second European Bioremediation Conference, Chania, Crete, Greece, June 30- July 4, 2003
  • Advisory Committee, 6th International Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology ISEB 2002 and 4th International Symposium on Cleaner Bioprocesses and Sustainable Development, Veracruz, Mexico, June 9-12, 2002
  • International Scientific Committee, 9th International Summer School on Chemical Engineering, Sozopol, Bulgaria, September 14-22, 2001
  • Organizing Committee, 9th World Congress on Anaerobic Gigestion “Anaerobic Digestion 2001 – Anaerobic Conversion forSustainability”, Antwerp, Belgium, September 2-5, 2001
  • International Scientific Committee, First European Bioremediation Conference, Chania, Crete, Greece, July 2-5, 2001
  • International Scientific Committee, 4th Panhellenic Congress on Chemical Engineering, Athens, Greece, May 31-June 2, 2001
  • Organizing Committee, International Congress on Implementation of In-Situ Remediation Techniques, Utrecht, The Netherlands, October 9-10, 2000
  • Organizing Committee, 9th European Congress of Biotechnology (ECB9) and Scientific Coordinator of 20 Sessions in the Symposium on «Biotechnology for the Environment», Brussels, July 11-15, 1999
  • International Scientific Committee, 8th International Summer School on Chemical Engineering, Sozopol, Bulgaria, June 3-9, 1998
  • International Scientific Committee, 2nd Engineering Foundation Conference on Metabolic Engineering («Metabolic Engineering II»), Elmau, Germany, October 25-30, 1998
  • Programme Committee Member and Chairman of Scientific Session on Environmental Applications of Metabolic Engineering, 4th Engineering Foundation Conference on Recombinant DNA Biotechnology («Metabolic Engineering»), Danvers, Massachusetts, October 6-11, 1996
  • International Organizing Committee, 10th International Invertebrate Tissue Culture Conference of 1996 in San Francisco, California, 1995-1996
  • Chairman of Scientific Session on Biodegradation and Bioremediation, International Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology, Boston, Massachusetts, July 15-20, 1996
  • International Organizing Committee, NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Biotechnologies for Radioactive and Toxic Waste Management and Site Restoration: Scientific, Educational, Social, Economic, Business Aspects", Mol, Belgium, Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 1994
  • International Scientific Council, International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS), for the Planning and Organization of the World Congress of Microbiology, Prague, July 1994
  • Moderator, Sixth Annual Mid-Atlantic Biochemical Engineering Consortium (MABEC) Student Symposium, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, March 20, 1992
  • Chairman of Scientific Session on Expression of Proteins by Mammalian and Insect Cells in Culture, Third Engineering Foundation Conference on Cell Culture Engineering (Cell Culture Engineering III), Palm Coast, Florida, February 2-7, 1992
  • Chairman of Scientific Session on Cell Engineering of Yeasts and Molds, Seventh Engineering Foundation Conference on Biochemical Engineering (Biochemical Engineering VII), Santa Barbara, California, March 3-8, 1991
  • Chairman of Scientific Session on Engineering Aspects of Insect Cell Culture Technology, Annual American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, November 11-16, 1990
  • Chairman of Scientific Session on Insect Cell Technologies, Annual AIChE Meeting, Washington, DC, November 27-December 2, 1988
  • Chairman of Scientific Session on Bioreactors for Higher Eukaryotic Systems, Biochemical Engineering VI, Santa Barbara, California, October 2-7, 1988
  • Chairman of Scientific Session on Antibiotic Fementations, Annual AIChE Meeting, San Francisco, California, November 25-30, 1984

UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES AND ACTIVITIES

  • Principal Investigator, Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Pole of Applied Microbiology (ELIM) Member of the Board, Catholic University of Louvain, 2009-present
  • Member, University-wide Commission on Environment and Sustainability, Catholic University of Louvain, 2003-2010
  • Member, Working Group on Cell Therapy under the coordination of the Pro-Rector for Medical Sciences, Catholic University of Louvain, 2003-2004
  • Principal Investigator and founding member, Institute of Life Sciences (Institut des Sciences de la Vie – ISV), Catholic University of Louvain, 1998-present
  • Chairman, Unit of Bioengineering, Faculty of Bioengineering, Agronomy & Environment, Catholic University of Louvain, 1998-2010
  • Member, Department of Applied Chemistry & Bioindustry Board, Faculty of Bioengineering, Agronomy & Environment, Catholic University of Louvain, 1996-2009
  • Member, Faculty of Applied Sciences (Engineering) Committee on Chemical Engineering Diploma, Catholic University of Louvain, 1997-present
  • Member, Interfaculty Group on Process Engineering Curriculum, Faculty of Applied Sciences (Engineering) and Faculty of Bioengineering, Agronomy and Environment, 1999-2004
  • Member, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Committee on Teaching, Catholic University of Louvain, 1996-2000
  • Member, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Committee on Advanced Degrees (Diplômes d'Etudes Approfondies), Catholic University of Louvain, 1995-1999
  • Member, Faculty Search Committee for Academic Position in Environmental Bioengineering, Catholic University of Louvain, 1997-1998; 1998-1999
  • Member, Faculty Search Committee for Academic Position in Molecular Biology of Microorganisms, Catholic University of Louvain, 1995
  • Member, Faculty Committee on Environment and Society, Catholic University of Louvain, 1993-1994
  • Founding Director, Certificate Program in Biotechnology, Rutgers University, 1986-1993
  • Chairman, Curriculum Committee, NIH Training Program in Biotechnology, Rutgers University and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 1989-1993
  • Member, Search Committee for Biotechnology Faculty, Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, 1986-1987
  • Advisor, Cell and Cell Products Fermentation Facility (Pilot Plant), New Jersey Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), 1986-1993
  • Member, Graduate Program in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University, 1986-1993
  • Member, Graduate Program in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers University, 1988-1993
  • Member, Laboratory Directors Council, Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, 1989-1993
  • Member, Seminars and Programs Committee, College of Engineering, Rutgers University, 1991-1993
  • Member, Library Committee, College of Engineering, Rutgers University, 1991-1993
  • Member, Committee on Committees, College of Engineering, Rutgers University, 1989-1991
  • Member, University Hearing Board, College of Engineering, Rutgers University, 1986-1989
  • Member, Health and Safety Committee, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Western Ontario, 1984-1985
  • Member, Sector Planning Committee, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Western Ontario, 1983-1985

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP