Report of the Committee on Lectureships
for the Year ending June 30, 2003

I. INTRODUCTION
It is my pleasure to report that the Sigma Xi Lectureship Program continues to be one of our Society's most successful endeavors. It provides outstanding lecturers to chapters, their host institutions and offers an opportunity for outreach to the broader community interested in science while strengthening the host chapters' programmatic endeavors.

II. THE SIGMA XI DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS
The 30 Distinguished Lecturers for 2003-2004 will address subjects and issues including science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, the history of science and technology, science philosophy and education. This year the Committee is pleased to announce that both the American Meteorological Society, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Society for Risk Analysis have nominated a lecturer who was selected for the pool of Distinguished Lecturers. Further, these professional societies have provided funding to subsidize Sigma Xi chapters.

The list of 2003-2004 Distinguished Lecturers, along with their brief biographies, information about lecture titles and target audiences, was included in the January-February 2003 issue of American Scientist. The Lectureship Committee is keenly aware of the need to achieve a "balanced" assemblage of lecturers. This "balance" represents an effort to address not only discipline, but geographic, gender and ethnic plurality. These additional criteria enhance our primary responsibility to offer, as lecturers, outstanding research scientists and engineers who can deliver stimulating and effective lectures to a broad audience representing a wide range of disciplines.

III. LECTURESHIP SUBSIDY PROGRAM
Sigma Xi continues to provide modest subsidies for chapters to participate in its Distinguished Lectureship Program. Since the allocation of subsidy funds available are not adequate to meet demand, the Lectureship Committee gives priority to those chapters that demonstrate the greatest need and potential to benefit from Sigma Xi support. This decision is determined from information supplied on a standard subsidy application and in Chapter reports related to previous subsidization(s). For fiscal year 2002-2003, a total of $23,050 in subsidies was awarded to 59 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 Lectureship Committee meets each April to review subsidy applications and to identify new Distinguished Lecturers. My sincere appreciation is expressed to the members who have/continue to serve, so ably, on this Committee. The members of the Committee for the year ending 30 June 2003 were:

(Chair) John Watson, (Biochemistry, Medicine)
Rama Bansil (Physics)
Victor McCrary (Computer Science, Engineering)
Dave Campbell (Biology, Education)
John Prados (Engineering)
Daryl Lund (Agriculture, Soil Science)
Frank Talamantes (Biology)
Cora Marrett (Sociology)
Myron Uman (Engineering, Physical Sciences)

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