COMMITTEE LEADERSHIPVOLUNTEERS SUSTAIN THE AAOThe American Academy of Osteopathy is grateful for the unselfish service of volunteer leaders who help the Academy fulfill its mission of delivering programs and services to member physicians. The AAO has been blessed with outstanding leaders who have guided the organization into a position of prominence within the osteopathic medical profession. They welcome the participation of all members who may wish to volunteer their time and talent to serve on AAO committees and task forces in promoting the organization’s success. Service on a committee provides the opportunity to have a voice in the organization, allows the Academy to represent your interests, as well as create policies and standards that help set the agenda for the profession. AAO members are welcome to audit any committee meeting, with courtesy advance notice to the chair and staff to ensure adequate guest seating. AAO 2025-26 President Stefan Hagopian, DO, FAAO invites interested members to contact him about potential service. Proposed committee appointments are presented to the Board of Trustees for its approval. Please review the following descriptions of the committees for areas of interest and responsibilities. You must be an Academy member in good standing to serve on an AAO committee and members may serve on up to three committees simultaneously. If you have an interest in serving on an AAO committee, please download and complete the committee application form (PDF format).
The AAO maintains the following committees. If a committee name has an underline, you may click on it to view a description of the committee and its expectations for members.
COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONSThe Academy’s Manual of Procedures designates the primary charge of the Awards Committee is to annually solicit nominations of candidates for the following AAO awards: the AAO’s Academy Award, the Andrew Taylor Still Medallion of Honor; the Thomas L. Northup Annual Lecturer; the Harold A. Blood, DO, FAAO, Memorial Lecturer; the AAO Resident of the Year. The committee also coordinates with other committees for the following awards: Membership Committee for the Honorary Life Membership Award; and Education Committee for the Anne Wales, DO, Award for Excellence in Education of Osteopathic Clinicians. The committee then distills members’ suggestions into formal award nominations for action by the AAO Boards of Governors and Trustees. Meets virtually 3-4 times a year between August and February. The Bylaws Committee maintains the Academy’s Constitution and Bylaws and may both originate and research amendments for the AAO leadership. The committee consists of a chair and at least two AAO members with no limitation in number of members. The committee presents bylaw changes involving procedures to the Board of Trustees and those involving policy to the Board of Governors. In either case, the AAO must publish proposed AAO bylaw amendments at least 30 days prior to the annual business meeting of the membership and obtain a two-thirds affirmative vote of the members in attendance. Meets virtually 1-2 times a year between August and March, as necessary to review governance documentation. The Education Committee’s charge is to develop and implement all of the Academy’s educational programs, and review applications for conjoint programs with component societies and other AOA affiliated organizations. The group continually searches for new faculty and programming to meet members’ needs. The Education Committee consists of at-large members who serve staggered three-year terms, and several positions with specific appointments, e.g., AAO program chair of the AOA OMED conference, AAO Convocation program chair and a SAAO Advisors Committee liaison, as well a liaison representative from the Board of Trustees. The AAO president-elect has the privilege of appointing the AAO Convocation program chair, with the committee nominating the AAO program chair of the AOA OMED conference. Each year the committee has 3 in-person meetings: a short meeting at the AAO Convocation, and 2 weekend meetings (February 1 day and August 2 day) at the AAO office in Indianapolis, with additional virtual meetings as needed. Members receive reimbursement for expenses only at the weekend meetings in Indianapolis. The Investment Committee consists of a chair and at least five members, including the AAO secretary-treasurer. The committee oversees the management of AAO’s portfolio of investments, ensuring that the manner of such investments will produce the maximum benefit for the Academy and provide the organization with sufficient funds to maintain financial operations. The committee reviews monthly investment reports, meeting virtually in August with an annual in-person meeting at the AAO Convocation with the Academy’s investment management firm. LOUISA BURNS OSTEOPATHIC RESEARCH COMMITTEE The Louisa Burns Osteopathic Research Committee (LBORC) focuses on clinical research involving health care outcomes in the practice of osteopathic manipulative medicine. The committee reviews and recommends Academy funding from the AAO’s various funds designated for clinical research projects and it sponsors the annual LBORC/NUFA research poster presentation and research training workshop. The committee consists of a chair and members serving staggered three-year terms. The LBORC meets virtually 2-3 times a year, and in person at the AAO Convocation. The Research Poster Presentation Subcommittee and the Grant Review Subcommittees meet virtually 2-6 times a year, as needed, to fulfill the charge of this committee. The Membership Committee’s charge is to oversee a continuous program designed to increase and retain members in the Academy which includes the development and notification of member services across the Academy’s various avenues of communication. The committee also works to retain and build AAO membership by contacting potential members, assessing new member applications, evaluating members’ requests for change to membership status, and reviewing written requests for the reduction of fees. The Academy’s Manual of Procedures designates that the committee include a chair, a vice chair, a SAAO Advisor Committee liaison and liaisons from the Resident American Academy of Osteopathy (RAAO) and the Student American Academy of Osteopathy (SAAO), as well as members needed to fulfill the duties of the committee. This committee meets virtually 3 times per year (September, January and March), with task groups meeting virtually as needed to complete assigned tasks. OSTEOPATHIC EDUCATION SERVICE COMMITTEE Every AAO member retains the skills for volunteer service on the Osteopathic Education Service (OES) Committee, which is composed of a chair, a vice chair and members who are dedicated to providing OMT demonstrations. The primary charge to this group is to organize and conduct osteopathic education workshops at the AOA OMED conference, the AAO Convocation and at the AOA House of Delegates meeting for members of the profession participating in those meetings. These duties represent an awesome task, one which depends heavily on daily volunteers outside the committee itself. They also support state osteopathic associations in conducting similar workshops at their conferences. Members of this committee are required to provide hands-on education during at least one OES event a year. This committee meets virtually in October with an in-person meeting at the Convocation venue. Members are expected to attend and volunteer at either OMED or Convocation annually, but preferably both events. The Academy’s Manual of Procedures designates that the Publications Committee develop a program aimed at discovering, stimulating, and assisting potential authors to provide suitable material for publication. There is no limit to the number of people who may serve on this committee, as members are encouraged to be reviewers for potential publications presented to the committee. The Editor-in-Chief and the Associate Editor of The AAO Journal serve in an ex-officio capacity on the Publications Committee, which enables them to seek the counsel of the group as they fulfill their respective duties. This committee meets virtually up to 3 times a year (generally September, November, and January) or as needed. All members are also AAOJ peer reviewers with an expectation of 2-3 peer reviews per year (earning 3 hours 1B CME per completed review).
SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS Members of these committees are selected to serve based on their qualifications in meeting the charge of that committee. AAO members are welcome to submit a committee application in consideration of appointment to a committee. Committee on Fellowship in the AAO Members must be a Fellow of the American Academy of Osteopathy (FAAO) to serve. Postdoctoral Training Committee Members of this committee are actively involved in postgraduate training, preferably at the program director level. Members of this committee are the Student American Academy of Osteopathy (SAAO) Chapter faculty advisors. Chapter faculty advisors must be active AAO members. |
