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The Online Newsletter of the
Board on International Scientific Organizations
Issue #12, Winter 2005
Dear Readers:
Our board members and staff join me in wishing you a happy and peaceful New Year. Due to our international interests and our personal relationships with researchers around the world, we are particularly overwhelmed by the devastation caused by the tsunami and extend our deepest sympathy to the victims from every country affected. We are encouraging all of our national committees to find ways that their expertise in science, technology, and medicine can be of assistance in dealing with near- and long-term recovery and in disaster mitigation and avoidance in the future. Their efforts will be coordinated with those of our international partners, such as the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), the InterAcademy Panel, and the International Council for Science.
In other news, our readers will find that we have many events planned around the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). We welcome the opportunity to meet our committee members from around the country and our visitors from overseas at this conference, which is taking place in Washington, D.C. this week. We are also looking ahead to a very busy year in terms of union general assemblies and congresses. Staff and national committees will be preparing to participate in nine general assemblies, from China, to India, to South Africa – and several points in between. We give a hearty welcome to the delegates coming to the International Union of Physiological Sciences Congress in San Diego in March and to the Joint Congresses of the Three Divisions of the International Union of Microbiological Societies in San Francisco in July.
Once again, our best wishes for 2005.
Wendy D. White
Director, BISO
BISO Briefs
BISO Welcomes New Program Officer
Kathie Bailey Mathae will join BISO staff on February 22 to manage six of the committees in mathematics and physical sciences. Prior to joining BISO, Kathie served as Federal Relations Officer at the Association of American Universities (AAU). Her most recent responsibilities at AAU were visa policy and diversity issues, as well as funding and policy issues related to NSF and NASA. Ms. Bailey Mathae received a BA from Milligan College, and a JD from Tulane University.
Kathie replaces Tamae Maeda Wong, who is now a senior program officer with the National Materials Advisory Board, part of the National Research Council's Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences.
BISO Organizes Seminar with IFS Director at the National Academies
On the afternoon of Tuesday, February 22, BISO will be hosting a seminar with Michael Ståhl, the Director of the International Foundation for Science (IFS). Dr. Ståhl, along with several IFS staff members, will be in Washington, D.C. to attend the AAAS annual meeting (17-21 February) and to promote the Foundation. IFS is a non-governmental organization with 135 affiliated organizations in 86 countries. Its mission is to facilitate research in developing countries (primarily through grant programs) in the area of sustainable management of natural resources. The IFS receives funding from governmental and non-governmental sources, as well as national and international organizations. Currently, it does not receive funding from organizations or agencies in the United States. BISO Director and IFS Trustee, Wendy White, is hosting this seminar at the National Academies to help facilitate interaction between U.S. researchers and the IFS. The seminar is open to the public and is a great opportunity to learn more about IFS and explore opportunities to support young researchers (particularly those returning to their home countries after graduate studies abroad). The seminar will take place from 2-4:30 at the Keck Center of the National Academies, Room 101. To register contact Pamela Gamble at pgamble@nas.edu or at 202-334-2688.
Achenbach Awarded National Medal of Technology
On February 15, 2005 President Bush announced that Jan Achenbach of Northwestern University, was one of the 2003 National Medal of Technology recipients. Achenbach is a member of the national committee for theoretical and applied mechanics (USNC/TAM) as well as a member of both the NAS and NAE.
NSF Press Release
White House Press Release
National Medal of Technology
TWAS Name Change
The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), has changed its name to the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World. The acronym will remain the same.
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NAS Elects New President
Atmospheric chemist Ralph J. Cicerone, chancellor of the University of California's Irvine campus, has been elected the 21st president of the National Academy of Sciences. Biologist Barbara A. Schaal of Washington University, St. Louis, was elected vice president. Four new governing council members were also elected. The terms of all those elected begin July 1. Cicerone will serve a six-year term, Schaal a four-year term, and the new councilors three years.
Press Release.
Nature Article Highlights IIASA Scholarship Program
Each Year BISO's U.S. Committee for IIASA offers grants for 6-10 advanced graduate students from U.S. universities to take part in IIASA's Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP). While there, they join a group of about fifty students from around the world, each of whom undertakes three months of research with scientists at IIASA on a project relating to the Institute's work on environmental, technological, and economic aspects of global change. Nature Magazine recently featured an article by a U.S. recipient of the award, Sarah Staveteig, on her YSSP experience. Moreover, Sarah's exceptional work with the World Population Program led the IIASA administration to award her a Peccei Scholarship which provides financial support for an additional three-month period of research at IIASA.
This year IIASA received an impressive 44 applications from U.S. students for 2005 YSSP. |
Union News
Position Paper on Year of Planet Earth
The U.S. and the United Kingdom national committees for the International Union of the Geological Sciences jointly submitted a position paper on the International Year of Planet Earth to the Union. The paper supports the initiative and outlines concerns needed to be addressed. The full paper may be found here.
Soil Science Congress
The 18th World Congress of Soil Science will be held in Philadelphia, PA, July 9-15, 2006. The second announcement is now available with registration and abstract submission information.
Capacity Building
Arab Science and Technology Network for Women Established
In a meeting in Bahrain in February, USNC/IUGS member Dr. Farouk El-Baz, participated in the founding of the Arab Science and Technology Network for Women. The network, in cooperation with UNESCO, is a pan-Arab organization seeking to promote the role of women. Future plans for the network include development of an Arab women's information database, a directory, a Web site, and publications on job training and research opportunities.
USNC/IUPAC Reaches Out to Young Chemists
In an effort to connect to younger chemists, the national committee for IUPAC is jointly hosting a reception with the Young Chemists Committee of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The reception will be held Sunday, March 13 during the ACS national meeting in San Diego and is open to the public. The committee also administers the Young Observer travel grant program which enables young scientists to travel and participate in the biennial IUPAC Congresses. Applications are still being accepted until February 15, 2005 for the next Congress which takes place in Beijing, China, August 2005. For more information on the reception or travel grant program, please contact Valerie Theberge at vtheberge@nas.edu.
IIASA Reception at the Austrian Embassy
The U.S. Committee for the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) will collaborate with the Austrian Embassy’s Office of Science and Technology to host a reception to honor the Institute during the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Washington . The reception is being co-sponsored by the AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy, and is an effort to increase knowledge and understanding of IIASA in the American science and policy communities. The reception will be held at the Embassy of Austria on Saturday, February 19, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., and all members of the BISO community with an interest in IIASA are most welcome to attend. For more information please contact Amy Franklin afranklin@nas.edu.
USNC/URSI Student Awards
At the 2005 National Radio Science Meeting held in Boulder, Colorado, in January, the annual USNC/URSI student paper competition awarded three graduate students for the best presentations. First prize went to Ms. Reyhan Baktur, Clemson University; second prize to Mr. DaHan Liao, University of Michigan; and third prize to Mr. Heng Yang, Pennsylvania State University. In addition, approximately 60 students were awarded travel grants to assist their attendance at the meeting.
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Scientific and Technological Issues
USNC/IUPAC Activities at ACS National Meeting
In an effort to reach out to the U.S. chemical community and to gain wider exposure for the Union, the national committee for IUPAC is involved with several exciting events during the upcoming American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting. The ACS meeting will take place in San Diego, March 13-17 bringing together thousands of chemists and chemical engineers from around the world. On Monday, March 14, from 8-10pm, the committee will be displaying material at SciMix- a one-night poster session. On Tuesday morning, March 15, Mike Jaffe, the national committee chair, will be speaking at a symposium on the dynamic field of nanotechnology. The symposium, “Working in Nanotechnology: What Does it Take?” will discuss how a strong grounding in chemistry can be key to a successful career in nanotechnology and to a successful scientific career in general.
In addition to these events, on Sunday, March 13 the USNC will be holding a committee meeting in the morning and hosting a reception with the ACS Young Chemists Committee in the evening. See Capacity Building in this issue of BISO news for further information or contact Valerie Theberge vtheberge@nas.edu.
IUTAM Symposia and Summer Schools – Call for Papers
Proposals are now being accepted from U.S. authors and institutions to host the 2008 and 2009 International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) Symposia and Summer Schools. IUTAM Symposia are a valuable opportunity to pull together a select group of scientists to further develop a particular field of study. The IUTAM Summer Schools promote development in new or emerging fields through a series of lectures. U.S. bids and questions may be sent to national committee secretary Carl T. Herakovich. The national committee screens all U.S. submissions and forwards them with recommendations to the IUTAM General Assembly where the list of IUTAM-sponsored Symposia and Summer Schools is decided every two years. Further information about IUTAM can be found at: http://www.iutam.net/.
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Membership News
We would like to welcome the following members to the national committee network:
Donald Backer, University of California, Berkeley, USNC/URSI
Robert Bau, University of Southern California, USNC/Cr
Jennifer T. Bernhard, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USNC/URSI
Paul A. Bernhardt, Naval research Laboratory, USNC/URSI
Christine Borgman, University of California, Los Angeles, USNC/CODATA
A. Welford Castleman Jr. Pennsylvania State University, USNC/Cr
Julia Y. Chan, Louisiana State University, USNC/Cr
Carol A. Christian, Space Telescope Science Institute, USNC/IAU
Richard Doviak, NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, USNC/URSI
Nader Engheta, University of Pennsylvania, USNC/URSI
Sandra M. Faber, University of California, Santa Cruz, USNC/IAU
Robert L. Gardner, consultant, USNC/URSI
Andrea Ghez, University of California, Los Angeles, USNC/IAU
John A. Graham, Carnegie Institute of Washington, USNC/IAU
Edward F. Guinan, Villanova University, USNC/IAU
Susan C. Hagness, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USNC/URSI
Jacqueline N. Hewitt, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USNC/URSI
David Hysell, Cornell University, USNC/URSI
Tatsuo Itoh, University of California, Los Angeles, USNC/URSI
Steven C. Reising, Colorado State University, USNC/URSI
Miriam Rossi, Vassar College, USNC/Cr
Thomas B. Senior, University of Michigan, USNC/URSI
Edgeworth R. Westwater, CIRES/NOAA ETL, USNC/URSI
We would also like to thank those members who have recently completed their service:
Ronald J. Allen, Space Telescope Science Institute, USNC/IAU
Augustine Banyaga, Pennsylvania State University, USNC/Math
Amalia Barrios, SPAWAR at San Diego, USNC/URSI
Lawrence D. Brown, The Wharton School, USNC/Math
Lloyd S. Cluff, Pacific Gas & Electric, Co, USNC/IUGS
Mary E. Collins, University of Florida, USNC/SS
Raymond E. Davis, University of Texas, USNC/Cr
W. Gary Ernst, Stanford University, USNC/IUGS
Anthony C. Fraser-Smith, Stanford University, USNC/URSI
Wilford R. Gardner, University of California, Berkeley, USNC/SS
Robert Glaeser, University of California, Berkeley, USNC/IUPAB
Kensal van Holde, Oregon State University, USNC/IUPAB
Barbara L. Keyfitz, University of Houston, USNC/Math
William Klemperer, Harvard University, USNC/Cr
Joseph J. Kohn, Princeton University, USNC/Math
Charles J. Lada, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, USNC/IAU
Arlo U. Landolt, Louisiana State University, USNC/IAU
Donald J. Lewis, University of Michigan, USNC/Math
Richard A. McCray, University of Colorado, USNC/IAU
Marilyn Olmstead, University of California, Davis, USNC/Cr
Marc Parlange, Johns Hopkins University and EPFL, Switzerland, USNC/SS
Catherine A. Pilachowski, Indiana University, USNC/IAU
Vera C. Rubin, Carnegie Institute of Washington, USNC/IAU
Nadrian C. Seeman, New York University, USNC/Cr
Michael S. Shur, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USNC/URSI
Gilbert Strang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USNC/Math
John Swets, BBN Technologies, USNC/IUPsyS
Larry Woodfork, Consulting Geologist, USNC/IUGS
We would like to announce the following changes in committee leadership:
Salah Baouendi of the University of California, San Diego is chair of USNC/Math replacing Gilbert Strang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
On the USNC/IAU, John P. Huchra of the Harvard-Smithsonian center for Astrophysics replaces Morton S. Roberts, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, as chair. Roger A. Chevalier, University of Virginia, takes over from Huchra as vice chair. John A. Graham, Carnegie Institute of Washington, is the new committee secretary as Arlo Landolt, Louisiana State University, rotates off the committee.
Nicholas Lancaster of the Desert Research Institute is the new co-chair of the USNC/INQUA.
Ligia Toro de Stefani, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, Los Angeles is chair of the USNC/IUPAB replacing Stephen White, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine.
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