SIIM Inducts New Fellows, Elects Officers at Annual Meeting

July 13, 2009 - The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) recently welcomed the newest members of the College of SIIM Fellows. They are James Anthony Seibert, Ph.D.; and Byrn Williamson Jr., M.D. The two were introduced by Steven C. Horii, M.D., president of the College of SIIM Fellows, during the Society's annual business meeting in conjunction with its annual meeting in Charlotte, N.C.

James Anthony Seibert, Ph.D., has been a faculty member in radiology at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif., since January 1983. He has been active in the medical physics community at the local, national and international levels. He has contributed significant research efforts to the field of radiology for work in digital radiography and digital mammography, and has made important contributions to the literature. He has also performed outstanding service as a teacher of radiological physics for radiology residents, radiologists, and medical physics, and is known as a prolific writer and a superb teacher.

Dr. Seibert has been directly involved in imaging informatics since the early 1990s at UC Davis, through the practice of diagnostic imaging physics and implementation of digital radiography, a key image acquisition modality for a Picture Archiving and Communications System. He has been active in numerous societies in addition to SIIM, including the AAPM, ACR, RSNA, IEEE, and the American Board of Radiology.

Tony Seibert has been involved in many SIIM/SCAR initiatives and programs over the past several years, including the initial participation as a co-chair in the development of joint guidelines by SIIM/SCAR and the American College of Radiology; assisting in the initial organization of efforts to develop standardized methods for digital mammography acquisition, interpretation, and workflow at the SIIM/SCAR annual meeting; and as the chair of the committee for organizing the imaging informatics certification process, ultimately culminating in the development and founding of the American Board of Imaging Informatics, where he is currently a member of the board of trustees.

He is a former chair of SIIM/SCAR, having served during the 25th anniversary of the society, and led the transition from SCAR to SIIM and the establishment of the SIIM headquarters. He currently serves as chair of the SIIM content and publications committee, participates on the program committee and TRIP subcommittee, and has recently been appointed as a trustee of the American Board of Imaging Informatics as a representative for SIIM.

Byrn Williamson Jr., M.D. has played a significant role in the growth, importance, and impact of SIIM. He is Associate Professor of Radiology (emeritus) at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and, as a practicing radiologist for more than 30 years, he experienced the digital imaging revolution in radiology first-hand.

He first became involved with SIIM/SCAR in 1997 as a member of the organizing committee for the SCAR 1997 meeting hosted by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. While it was a time of uncertainty for the SCAR meeting, the meeting was quite successful in terms of attendance, quality of presentations, and number of exhibitors, as well as financially. The experience with SCAR 1997 led Dr. Williamson to lead the effort to organize a standing Annual Meeting Program Committee, and he chaired this committee until 2004. During that time, meeting attendance and exhibit booth space increased dramatically. At the same time, the high quality of the meeting led to recognition of SIIM/SCAR as the premier organization with expertise in RIS, PACS and other electronic imaging applications.

Dr. Williamson became chair of SIIM/SCAR in 1998, and began a process to increase individual involvement in society activities. He helped organize the framework in which multiple committees were established to carry out the activities of the society and define duties and appoint members. This effectively broadened participation in the society, with work performed by the committees under the leadership of the board.

He also helped form the SIIM/SCAR grant program and was the founding chair of the subcommittee in 2001. He has been editor of SIIM News since 2003, is current chair of the finance and administration committee, and a participant in numerous other committees.

SIIM members also elected new board members at the annual membership business meeting in Charlotte, NC. They are:

Chair Elect:
Elizabeth A. Krupinski, Ph.D., FSIIM (Term: 7/1/09-6/30/10)

Treasurer:
Christopher D. Meenan (Term: 7/1/09-6/30/12)

Directors-at-Large:
Charles E. Kahn, M.D., MS (Term: 7/1/09-6/30/12)
James T. Whitfill, M.D. (Term: 7/1/09-6/30/12)

Bradley J. Erickson, M.D., Ph.D., FSIIM, continues a two-year term as SIIM Chair and J. Raymond Geis, M.D., continues his term as Secretary. The previously elected directors-at-large for 2009-2010 include Scott Griffin, BSRT(R), CIIP; Daniel L. Rubin, M.D., MS; Eliot L. Siegel, M.D., FSIIM; David L. Weiss, M.D.; and Carter H. Yates.

For more information: www.siimweb.org/fellows