Beyond that, we need to think about how we in the profession can focus our efforts on what we do best. For the ACR, that involves advocacy on important policy issues, including how the ACR can help reform some of the burdens and barriers to care. There are barriers in our academic centers, too, and one is the increasing overhead costs of doing research and fellowship training. In both cases, we have to streamline our processes so we can really devote our energies to the right things and not get burned out.
TR: What else would you like to share about yourself that might be interesting for ACR/ARP members?
Dr. Saag: I am an optimist. I’m an optimist about political divisions—both in the country and in other organizations—and I think we can come together more around many things we agree upon. I’m optimistic when we write research grants, even those that are really long shots. I’m optimistic that we can return to normalcy after COVID-19. Overall, I’m the kind of person who hangs in there until the very end and believes the outcome is generally going to be good.
I’ll be bringing that optimism with me to my new position as ACR president and will work very hard for the organization to do everything I can to try to achieve the very best outcomes.
Leslie Mertz, PhD, is a freelance science journalist based in northern Michigan.