Report of the Committee on Regions
for the Year ending June 30, 2002

The Regional Directors who served on the 2001-2002 Committee on Regions were:
Chair: Arthur M. Geller, University of Tennessee, Memphis (Southeast Region)
James F. Baur, Science Solutions, Inc. (Southwest Region)
Howard Ceri, University of Calgary (Northwest Region)
C. Clifton Chancey, University of Northern Iowa (North Central Region)
Christopher S. Lange, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn (Northeast Region)
Richard W. LoPinto, Fairleigh Dickinson University (Mid-Atlantic Region)
Staff Contact: Evan R. Ferguson, Sigma Xi Headquarters

The Committee on Regions consists of the 6 elected Regional Directors who represent the regional chapters on the Board of Directors. The Associate Regional Directors (ARD) are invited to attend the meetings of the Committee on Regions. The Committee met twice at the 2001 Annual Meeting. The Regional Directors serve on the Board of Directors, and assist in the coordination of national and regional programs, and help plan and coordinate the three regional sessions at the Annual Meeting.

The year 2001-2002 was an important transition year for Sigma Xi and for the Committee on Regions. A search for a new Executive Director was held, and the transition to a regions plus constituency group governance structure was completed. As part of this change the number of Regional Directors was reduced from twelve to six, and the position of Associate Regional Director was established. The relationship between the regional directors and the associate directors still needs to be better defined along with their duties. Unfortunately few of the ARD's are able to attend the annual meeting, or attend the Committee on Regions meetings.

Loss of members continues to be a major concern of most of the regional directors, along with the relationship between Headquarters and the chapters and members. Because of the concern four of the six regional directors volunteered to serve on the Executive Directors Search Committee. This committee recommended Dr. Pat Scully, who was eventually approved by the Board. During the year, the regional directors reviewed all Chapter Activity Reports, and recommended outstanding chapters and activities to the Committee on Qualifications and Membership, participated in the selection of the winner of Young Investigator Award, and worked with individual chapters and members. Several Regional Directors also served on other committees such as Qualifications and Membership.

The Committee met twice at the Annual Meeting. A key function of the Regional Directors is to organize and lead the 3 regional sessions at the annual meeting. These sessions are designed to provide time for the members to discuss and understand issues before the Assembly of Delegates, and to give delegates an opportunity to discuss issues of interest.

Following the second meeting of the Regional Directors, the Directors recommended that Dr. Howard Ceri serve as Chair of the Committee for the year beginning July 1, 2002, and that Dr. Christopher Lange represent the Regional Directors on the Executive Committee for the year effective July 1, 2002.

Respectively submitted,
Arthur M. Geller, Ph.D.

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