I’m going to be direct with you, because that’s what this community deserves. ARPAS lost many of its members during the pandemic era. We have an ongoing program to recruit lapsed members, and we’re seeing results. But, the real future of ARPAS doesn’t lie in what is behind us. It lies in faculty and graduate students who are ready to step up.

Right now, only 185 faculty and 86 graduate students are ARPAS members. Those numbers should concern every one of us. Faculty set the tone for their departments. When faculty are ARPAS members, their students follow. When students join, they carry professional competency and a culture of integrity into their careers. That pipeline matters more than any single recruitment effort we can run from headquarters.

So, we’ve been listening and making changes. We created the aPAS program for full-time PhD faculty, eliminating the exam requirement. The most common reason faculty give me for not joining is that they won’t take the exam, and the next question I hear is: “What’s in it for me?” Here’s my answer: it’s what you do for the field. If you’re not a member, your graduate students probably won’t be either. This needs to be part of their professional development from day one.

For graduate students, the ARPAS Foundation covers first-time exam fees, with free retakes within 90 days. Our electronic exam system lets anyone test anytime, anywhere with a suitable internet connection. We know students have full plates, so the best approach is to bring the exam to them.

That’s exactly what our new pizza‑lunch initiative does. Group exam sessions within departments turn certification into a shared experience. Michigan State University pioneered this under the leadership of Renee Harbowy, who led 11 fellow graduate students to take the exam. What are graduate student dues after that? Just ten dollars a year.

ARPAS was built by animal science professors who believed professional standards matter. That belief hasn’t changed. What has changed is how easy we’ve made it to act on it.

We’re working through our affiliate member societies to identify faculty who aren’t currently members, and I’ve personally sent requests to US and Canadian animal science department heads asking them to lead the way with their faculty and students.

But, this can’t just come from headquarters. It has to come from you. Talk to your colleagues. Encourage your students. Help us spread the word about membership and our group exams for students. ARPAS is about promoting professional competency and a culture of integrity. That mission is worth fighting for.

And on a positive note: Novonesis is a new ARPAS sponsor for 2026, a reminder that our mission continues to attract partners who see value in what this community stands for. Thank you to every one of the sponsors that help us continue our work as a community.