About AED Committee Service
About AED Committee Service
Committee volunteers are the lifeblood of the Academy for Eating Disorders, and our committees are a crucial part of our success. Committee volunteers serve three-year terms, during which they have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded professionals and contribute their expertise to advance our mission. Our committees meet monthly via Zoom, making it convenient for members across the globe to connect and engage with their peers. Meeting times are arranged to accommodate the majority of committee members, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to participate. Outside of regular meetings, the time commitment varies depending on the projects a committee is undertaking, but typically does not exceed several hours per month. Each committee is led by two co-chairs who are selected from among interested committee members. Committee membership is an excellent way to take an active role in the organization and gain valuable leadership experience. Several members of AED's leadership started as committee members, demonstrating the importance of this role in developing future leaders in the field of eating disorders. Join our community of passionate volunteers and help us make a difference!
The call for volunteers opens in the early spring each year and is publicized via email, social media, and AED's online communities. Volunteer terms begin and end at AED's ICED conference. Applicants will be able to apply to up to three committees that align with their interests and will need to submit their CV along with a letter of interest for each committee. Volunteers must be (or be willing to become) AED members and maintain their membership throughout their volunteer term.
2026-2027 Standing Committees
2026 ICED Scientific Program Committee
Co-Chair: Tiffany Brown
Co-Chair: Alexandra Dingemans
Board Liaison: Jason Lavender
2027 ICED Scientific Program Committee
Co-Chair: Kyle Ganson
Co-Chair: Rachel Presskreischer
Board Liaison: Jason Lavender
Advocacy & Communication Committee
The AED Advocacy and Communications Committee identify and work on projects that support greater awareness and education about eating disorders through a variety of mediums, including written press releases and AED-supported statements, letter-writing to organizations and individuals, and collaboration with organizations that have similar goals.
Co-Chair: Jenny Loudon
Board Liaison: Cristina Segura-Garcia
Awards and Scientific Review Committee
Through the generosity of AED members and individuals and families within our community, a number of grants and scholarships are given on a yearly basis to members of the Academy. The Awards and Scientific Review Committee selects these recipients who are subsequently honored at the International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED).
Co-Chair: Isabel Krug
Co-Chair: Catherine Walker
Board Liaison: Leslie Sim
Clinical Standards of Care Committee
Co-Chair: Allison Nitsch
Co-Chair: Therese Waterhous
Board Liaison: Jennifer Wildes
Engagement Advisory Committee
The Engagement Advisory Committee is responsible for helping move both our organization and our field in the direction of being more diverse, equitable, and inclusive and strengthening our organization’s policies, initiatives, and programs.
Co-Chair: Madalaine Romito
Co-Chair: Karen Mitchell
Board Liaison: Karen Jennings-Mathis
Educational Programming Committee
The Educational Programming Committee organizes several education-related initiatives within AED, primarily the development and management of the AED webinar series. With the support of the AED staff, the EPC regularly engages with IJED article authors and colleagues around the world to develop and offer evidence-based educational content.
Co-Chair: Althea Bardin
Co-Chair: Peiyi Wang
Board Liaison: Jennifer Wildes
Ethics Committee
Chair: Katharine Loeb
Board Liaison: Leslie Sim
Experts by Experience Committee
The Experts by Experience (ExE) Committee is comprised of individual AED members whose lives have been directly impacted by eating disorders (EDs). Committee members include individuals with a personal ED history as well as those who have experience as a parent, sibling, child, spouse or other person who cares for and/or about someone with an ED. The committee values inclusivity and diversity. Members come from a variety of backgrounds and serve in many different roles as professionals and advocates within the ED field along with many other roles in fields not related to EDs. We identify as experts by virtue of direct lived experience rather than by training although many members are also professionals within the ED field.
Purpose (Mission): To integrate lived experience with research and clinical practice to better meet the needs of individuals directly impacted by eating disorders. Through collaboration with other professionals in the field we intend to build understanding, reduce stigma and discrimination, and promote inclusivity and diversity through our work. This collaboration will elevate the quality and relevance of research and clinical treatments available for those with EDs and are in keeping with AED’s stated mission, vision, and purpose.
Co-Chair: Sandi James
Board Liaison: Erin Harrop
Fellows Committee
The AED awards Fellow status to recognize distinguished contributions made by AED members in the field of eating disorders. Each year, the Fellows Committee (consisting of 3-5 Fellows of AED) reviews applications to become a Fellow and selects those AED members whose distinguished contribution is to be recognized in this way. In addition, members of the Fellows Committee organize the Meet the Expert event held annually at the International Conference for Eating Disorders and participate if they are available.
Co-Chair: Jennifer Couturier
Co-Chair: Gina Dimitropoulos
Board Liaison: Leslie Sim
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee assists with preparation of the annual budget and advises the Board of Directors concerning its approval. The committee also advises the Board of Directors on the investment of the financial reserve and on fiscal matters throughout the year.
Chair: Janet Lydecker
Board Liaison: Rebecka Peebles
Forum (Newsletter) Committee
The Forum Committee is responsible for producing AED's quarterly newsletter.
Editor: Andie Chilson
Board Liaison: Cristina Segura-Garcia
Member Retention/Recruitment Committee
The MRRC is an active committee that generates initiatives to better serve the needs of AED members. We host the annual Mentor/Mentee event at ICED, engage with members via surveys and other activities to ensure that members needs are being met. We also work with other AED committees on various projects and tasks throughout the year.
Co-Chair: Samantha Hahn
Co-Chair: Danyale McCurdy-McKinnon
Board Liaison: Marita Cooper
Nominations Committee
Chair/Board Liaison: Unna Danner
Online and Social Media Committee
The AED Online and Social Media Committee (OSMC) supports the marketing and communication functions of the AED by providing in-field expertise on major marketing campaigns and by communicating mission-relevant information to membership and the general public through online and social media posts. The committee also supports the AED management in website updates and redesign, as well as monitoring and managing communications in the AED Online Community.
Co-Chair: Hilary Stein
Board Liaison: Anna Karam Jones
Partnership, Chapter & Affiliate Committee
Co-Chair: Karin Waldherr
Board Liaison: Cristina Segura- Garcia
Research-Practice Committee
The Research Practice Committee focuses on fostering the connection between eating disorders research and practice, and works via sub-committees and projects such as Forum Articles, Guest Blogging for AED website, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Promotion, and the ICED Research Practice Global Think Tank session.
Co-Chair: Kristen Anderson
Co-Chair: Sarah Altman
Board Liaison: Jennifer Wildes
Special Interest Groups Oversight Committee
The Special Interest Groups (SIG) Oversight Committee (SOC) supports the (approximately 30) AED SIGs throughout the year and at the annual conference. We help SIG co-chairs organize ICED SIG Discussion Panels, SIG meetings, and other virtual events to engage SIG members effectively.
Co-Chair: Anita Federici
Co-Chair: Marissa Adams
Board Liaison: Marita Cooper
