Report of the International Committee
for the Year ending June 30, 2007

Introduction
The Sigma Xi International Committee has taken a strong stand on the urgency of expanding Sigma Xi's international focus. The 2006-2007 year saw an improvement in some ways. The International Committee and the Canadian/International Constituency are developing a close working relationship, partly as a result of the implementation of the policy change adopted by the Board of Governors in November 2004, whereby the Chairman of the International Committee serves as a voting member of the Canadian/International Constituency. The election of International Committee member Antonio Pita as Director of the Canadian/International Constituency also has furthered a close collaboration. However the Committee feels that the current structure is still somewhat contrived, and has made some recommendations for changes (see below).

New Chapters/Partners
A new Iberian (Spain/Portugal) Chapter was installed October 26, 2006. They are currently working on the development of a number of programs, and show much enthusiasm. As with many international chapters, there are local and regional issues to address. There are several pending initiatives for international chapters or partners.

Beyond sponsoring and encouraging new chapters/partners, it is clear that a more long-term sustained support (not financial) is needed to ensure the viability and vitality of chapters. In the absence of travel funds, it is hard to provide useful mentoring, which would be best done on a face-to-face basis.

Committee Meetings
The Committee held two meetings during the year, one by teleconference and one face-to-face at the Sigma Xi Center. A brief summery of the proceedings follows:

August 22, 2006 Teleconference
This meeting was informal, and dedicated primarily to assessing our progress with respect to goals established over the past two years. The meeting served to introduce the new members of the Committee, to update Committee members about the current state of the Organization, and to discuss possible short-term actions.

February 27-28, 2007 Meeting at the Sigma Xi Center, Research Triangle Park, NC The Committee developed a number of substantive recommendations during this meeting. These recommendations were presented to the Board of Governors in April, 2007, but have not yet been formally addressed by the Board. We respectfully, request that the Board take formal action on these recommendations at the November 2007 Annual Meeting. One substantive recommendation is to effect a major change in the regional structure, and establish nine regions: six in the United States, one in Canada, one in Europe, and one global region. A mechanism is proposed to allow for the establishment of additional regions when the required number of chapters has been formed. Since Canada would be its own region, the Canadian/International Constituency would be dissolved. Such a structure will treat international regions on a par with United States regions, and will present a more international visage. Furthermore, regional Directors will provide improved leadership for and communication with International Chapters/Partners, and will also assist in recruiting new members.

The International Committee also recommends that the Annual Meeting format and venues be revised. The current Annual Meeting will only be held on a biennial basis, referred to as the Global Meeting. In alternate years, only regional meetings will be held. The venues, formats and logistics for the individual regional meetings are to be determined and implemented by the regions themselves. Hence, there should be little to no additional workload for Sigma Xi headquarters staff.

The Board of Directors meetings would be held in conjunction with each global meeting and on a rotating basis in off-years in various regions. The Global Meetings themselves will also rotate among the regions.

Changes to the American Scientist are recommended, although these need to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, in terms of temporal schedule. The magazine is currently of such high quality and reputation that the Committee recognizes that it would be disastrous to impact it in a negative way. Any change must be very carefully crafted. However, it is the Organization's most visible product, and it must change, and its title must be globally inclusive of Sigma Xi is to achieve its vision to be the global honor society of science and engineering. An online international magazine, having significant overlap with American Scientist content and new opportunities for peer reviewed research manuscript publications from developing countries, also was recommended. A newly established Sigma Xi volunteer editorial advisory board should be established to assist with this new Sigma Xi on-line product.

Developing a strategy for Assuring a Globally Engaged US Scientific and Engineering Workforce Planning Document

While not an activity of the International Committee, this clearly is part of Sigma Xi's international activities during the year. International Committee Chairman Vera Alexander and Committee member Gretchen Kalonji served on the steering committee for a workshop developed by Sigma Xi and sponsored by the National Science Foundation to develop a strategy for assuring a globally engaged US scientific and engineering workforce.

The rationale is that our scientists and engineers must be able to work with researchers around the world, so that they can tap into and actively participate in the creation of new knowledge and innovation wherever and whenever it is occurring.

The three-day workshop was held at the National Science Foundation facilities in Arlington, Virginia in September 2006. Sigma Xi brought together 79 researchers, educators and industry representatives, along with 40 National Science Foundation staff. A 67-page report called "Embracing Globalization: Meeting the Challenges to U.S. Scientists and Engineers" Is published online at www.sigmaxi.org by Sigma Xi,

The Sigma Xi Annual Meeting
International Committee members Michael Crosby and Antonio Pita took the initiative to host a forum at the Annual Meeting. The discussions formed the basis for many of the recommendations that emerged at the February 2007 committee meeting. One recurring question that the Committee has posed on many occasions over the last two years relates to the Annual Meeting format and venue, and whether this meeting could be held outside the United Sates.

The rationale and purpose for the forum were as follows:

An Open Forum Discussion Hosted by the Canadian/International Constituency Group and Sigma Xi's International Committee
Saturday November 4th: 11:00 to 12:15

Increasing Sigma Xi's Visibility in the World
The U.S. National Science Board (NSB) is currently examining the role of the U.S. Government in supporting international science and engineering (S&E) research partnerships and how such partnerships might be used to achieve benefits beyond just doing "good" science. As an "international" interdisciplinary honorary S&E research society, Sigma Xi is uniquely positioned to facilitate international partnerships, but has not aggressively pursued its advantage in this role. To meaningfully contribute to NSB's deliberations, Sigma Xi needs to develop a consensus on the Society's position on this important issue. The purpose of this round table forum is to discuss the degree to which our Society is truly positioned to support the interests of international science and engineering activities. Although Sigma Xi has endeavored to build its international membership, only a few active international Chapters and Partners presently exist. Should Sigma Xi aggressively expand its international efforts to increase its presence in the global scientific and engineering community? If so, how should its efforts be directed? How can Sigma Xi become a driving force in promoting international S&E partnerships? This round table discussion will serve as an open forum to: Discuss the value of international S&E partnerships, with particular focus on the appropriate role of the U.S. Government in supporting such efforts, and Gather suggestions as to how to establish and nurture international Sigma Xi Chapters/Partners and how to engage them in promoting international S&E partnerships.

Panelists: Antonio Pita - Director, Canadian/International Constituency Group
Michael Crosby - Acting Chairman, Sigma Xi International Committee Executive Director, U.S. National Science Board

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