President's Slate
November 2025

Happy National Science Diving Month!

We’re quickly approaching National Science Diving Day (NSSD), and we’d love to highlight you! The deadline for submissions is today, so don’t miss the chance-send in your science now!
NSSD is a time to celebrate and showcase the incredible diversity within our community and the wide range of scientific diving practices represented. Please take a moment to select or capture photos and videos that illustrate a day in the life of a scientific diver or DSO. Submit your media to [email protected] today. Our social media team will feature your submissions during the week of 22 November, and the post with the most engagement will win an AAUS swag bag—so send us your best work!

Just before NSSD celebrations kick off, many AAUS members will be attending DEMA and the ADPA Symposium. A big thank you to Andrew Solomon, President of ADPA, for inviting AAUS BOD members to participate. DEMA offers a fantastic opportunity to network and share updates with the wider diving community. I’m looking forward to attending and hope to see many of you there!

As we enter November, we’re also entering the season of giving. Recent tax changes may affect charitable donations—if you’re considering contributing to the AAUS Foundation or another organization, please see the article below for details.

This past month, the AAUS Board of Directors met in person for a two-day meeting, focusing on preparations for next spring’s strategic planning session. Part of that preparation includes developing a survey to gather member feedback on AAUS’s goals and priorities for the next five years. The survey will be arriving in your inbox soon—please take a few minutes to share your thoughts, as your input will help shape the future of the Academy.

Finally, it’s with deep sadness that I share the passing of Michael Menduno, a valued member of our community. Michael participated in the AAUS Spring Symposium’s Oxygen Toxicity Workshop and was a dedicated supporter of scientific diving. I had the privilege of knowing him for many years through the technical diving community, and he will be greatly missed.

Jess Keller

AAUS President