2013 Assembly of Society Officers

Presentations, panel discussion

Is our community losing ground on diversity? Recent data show that graduation rates of US physics and astronomy bachelor’s are at an all-time high in the US. But what is happening in terms of the Hispanic Americans and African Americans among undergraduates in physics, astronomy, geosciences and allied fields? At the 2012 Assembly, we learned about how the trend at the state-level to cancel or consolidate small undergraduate degree programs was having a disproportionally large impact on minority students/institutions. In this session will we consider this more closely, and hear about some of the barriers to increasing minority representation in the physical sciences. The panelists will also identify opportunities and strategies that support diversity in physical science education.

Chair: Toni Sauncy, director, Society of Physics Students; (on leave from Angelo State University) [ presentation ]

• Roman Czujko, director, Statistical Research Center [ presentation ]
  
• Ramon Lopez, physics professor, University of Texas at Arlington
  [ presentation ]
  
• Willie Rockward, physics professor, Morehouse College [ presentation ]

Presentations, panel discussion, breakout groups

Advancing diversity in the education of STEM fields, in the federal workforce and in fields that feed/support federally funded research are important objectives for several government agencies. This session will look at STEM diversity programs of the NSF, NIH, and the DOE. The panel discussion is meant to be a constructive dialogue among those agencies and the professional societies present about how we can better coordinate efforts to more effectively address diversity issues.

Chair: Jim Stith, vice-president emeritus, AIP

• Claudia Rankins, program officer, National Science Foundation
  [ presentation ]
• Dot Harris, director, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, Department of Energy
• Marlene Kaplan, deputy director of Education and director of EPP, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  [ presentation ]

Presentations, panel discussion

Over the past year, there have been major developments in the area of public access in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and in the United States. We will hear from a member of the Finch Commission who informed the latest policy developments in the U.K., and about the most recent actions taken by U.S. federal agencies that define a path forward to grow access to scholarly publications.

Chair: Fred Dylla, executive director and CEO, American Institute of Physics

• Brian Hitson, associate director of Administration and Information Services at the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (DOE-OSTI) [ presentation ]
• Graham Taylor, consultant, The Long Game (Publishing: Analysis & Solutions) [ presentation ]
• Joe Serene, treasurer/publisher, American Physical Society [ presentation ]

Presentations, panel discussion

In this session, past Science Policy Fellows will outline policy efforts behind the issues that they are currently working to address, and how progress (or lack thereof) has affected science and the society in general. The panelists will explore the distinctive impact of the Science Policy Fellowship program through illustrative examples drawn from their own experiences in a range of policy settings. They will discuss their involvement with policy makers and how their science background has influenced the process.

Chair: Charles Schmid, executive director, Acoustical Society of America

• Jonna Hamilton, 2006-07 AIP Congressional fellow, vice president for policy at Securing America’s Energy Future.
• Mark Goodman, 1992-1993 Congressional Fellow, technical advisor, US State Department
• John Veysey, science policy analyst, National Science Board, NSF