Report of the Committee on Lectureships
for the Year ending June 30, 2002
I. INTRODUCTION
It is my pleasure to report to you that the Sigma Xi Lectureship Program continues to be one of our Society's most successful endeavors, providing outstanding lecturers to chapters and their host institutions. The lectureship program offers an opportunity for outreach to the broader community interested in science while contributing to the strength of the host chapters' programmatic endeavors.
II. THE SIGMA XI DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS
The 30 Distinguished Lecturers for 2002-2003 address subjects and issues including science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, the history of science and technology, science philosophy and education. This year I am pleased to announce that the American Meteorological Society and the Society for Risk Analysis have each nominated a lecturer and provided funding for subsidies to chapters.
The list of 2002-2003 Distinguished Lecturers, along with brief biographies and information about lecture titles and audiences, was included in the January-February 2002 issue of American Scientist. The Lectureship Committee faces the task of achieving a "balanced" assemblage of lecturers. The balance addresses not only discipline, but geography, gender and ethnicity as well. These secondary criteria are added to our primary responsibility to offer as lecturers outstanding research scientists and engineers who can deliver a stimulating and effective lecture to an audience representing a broad range of disciplines.
Researchers interested in being appointed a Distinguished Lecturer should send a short biography, a Curricula Vitae, three letters of support from colleagues that have heard lectures given by the researcher with at least two letters from colleagues at different institutions, two or three titles of lectures and ideally a video or audio recording of a lecture to the Committee on Lectureships, 99 Alexander Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
III. LECTURESHIP SUBSIDY PROGRAM
Sigma Xi continues to provide modest subsidies for chapters to participate in the Sigma Xi Distinguished Lectureship Program. Because funds available for subsidies are not adequate to meet the demand, the Committee on Lectureships gives priority to those chapters that can demonstrate the greatest potential benefit and the greatest need. This is determined from information supplied on subsidy applications and in reports from previously subsidized visits. Each chapter that receives a subsidy is required to submit a report which is reviewed by the Committee. For the fiscal year 2001-2002, $22,750 in subsidies was awarded to 52 chapters.
IV. GUIDE FOR LECTURERS AND HOSTS
A pamphlet is available from Sigma Xi Administrative Offices that provides guidelines for both the Distinguished Lecturers and their host chapters. The guide is available on the Web site.
V. THE COMMITTEE
The Committee meets each April to review subsidy applications and to identify new Distinguished Lecturers. I express my sincere appreciation to those who served so ably on this Committee. The members of the Committee for the year ending 30 June 2002 were:
Rama Bansil (Physics)
Fan Chung Graham (Mathematics)
Josh Dranoff (Engineering)
John W. Prados (Engineering)
Frank Talamantes (Biology, Medicine)
Myron F. Uman (Engineering)
John Watson (Biochemistry, Medicine)
The Committee is very interested in comments and suggestions. Please forward your comments to the new Chair of the Committee, John Watson or to Lisa Rhoades, Manager, Chapter Programs for Sigma Xi.
Sincerely,
William A. Lester, Jr. (Chemistry), Chair, Committee on Lectureships
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