2012 Assembly of Delegates:
Nominees for President

Fiscal Year 2014: July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014

Linda K. Meadows

Vice President, Research Foundation
Assistant Vice President for Research
Retired

Chapter Affiliation: The Ohio State University

Biographical Information: Dr. Meadows received her doctorate degree from The Ohio State University, where her research was focused on cognition and the problem-solving strategies of young children. In particular she was interested in the concepts underlying video game logic and its programming. Dr. Meadows was also drawn to policy making in the research arena and traveled frequently to Washington, D.C., to participate in federal agency forums. As her experiences widened to include private sector for-profit and not-for-profit research funding, she established a career in research administration.

Dr. Meadows was vice president of the university's Research Foundation, which administers nearly one billion dollars in research funds. She led research development and management initiatives, overseeing systems implementation, regulatory compliance and the creation of a variety of models to provide resources to researchers at both the proposal and award stage. She was a team leader on many technology transfer projects and contributed substantially to the evolvement of industry/research models.

Dr. Meadows also served as Assistant Vice President for Research, with responsibility for undergraduate research recognition, research communications and the interdisciplinary centers that reported centrally (Mapping, Cognitive Science, Byrd Polar and Materials). She also supported the interdisciplinary research grants program and the small grants program, along with the Graduate Research Forum, the Undergraduate Research Forum, State Science Fair, Science Olympiad and Ohio Women in Science projects.

During her tenure she was elected to chair the Midwest Region of the National Council of University Research Administrators and headed a Federal Demonstration Project, sponsored by the National Academies, to develop just-in-time proposals for federal funding. She maintained a strong presence in Washington, D.C., especially at the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, where she joined advisory committee meetings and met frequently with program managers. She developed expertise in private foundation funding and guided many proposals to success.

Dr. Meadows also facilitated substantial science education initiatives. These included the National Center on Science Teaching and Learning, The Eisenhower Center and Project Discovery, which she worked on with Nobel Prize winner Dr. Kenneth Wilson. She helped launch university funding for research seminars for undergraduate students and won a Battelle Science and Technology award for her efforts in promoting the public understanding of science.

Candidate's Statement:

I don't have a history with Sigma Xi that goes back to student days but ever since receiving my honor I have served the organization with a profound respect. I was president of the Ohio State University chapter. I have served on the Member and Qualifications Committee, the Awards Committee and the Grants-in-Aid of Research (GIAR) committee. As Director of the North Central Region (two terms), I served on the Board and from August 2007 to April 2008 I stood in as Executive Director while we conducted a national search.

I am truly in awe at what Sigma Xi has accomplished and what it continues to achieve. One of Sigma Xi's great strengths is its service to the research community as a crosswalk of multidisciplinary discourse. Everyone is invited to enter the conversation through diverse portals, from American Scientist to campus seminars. Everyone is inclusive—undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, senior investigators, young investigators—a rich array of perspectives find a voice in Sigma Xi. Another hallmark of the Society is the grants-in-aid research program, providing young researchers a cornerstone as they build their careers.

Over the past decade we have discussed with grave concern as well as enthusiastic re-visioning, a continuing decline in membership. We have deliberated about what it is that defines Sigma Xi and distinguishes it from other professional societies and we have labored mightily to put into high relief its value added, such that membership is treasured for the honor it represents and renewal of membership each year speaks to how meaningful the organization is to its members.

Because we are so diverse, it is a challenge to narrow that sine qua non to one dimension. What is the most important to one constituency is not as urgent to another. However, we are all agreed that nurturance of the next generation and recognition of our peers for their tireless contributions to research and scholarship are worthy of our commitment to this venerable organization.

Let us continue to mine the gems of technology as we create new spaces for the celebration of all we hold high as our north star and let us continue to find ways to give researchers a voice. Sigma Xi is a standard bearer. It is a flag bearer. Let us resolve together to maintain its proud legacy and lift it ever higher.

While standing in as Executive Director of Sigma Xi, I had the great privilege to meet with the Science Advisor to the President of the United States. He explained why he thinks so highly of Sigma Xi: our emphasis on ethics and on the public understanding of science, our understanding of the science of science policy-making, our notable American Scientist magazine and our commitment to recognizing both emergent and established researchers.

We are chapter based. Some chapters are very visible and active while others are dormant or have scaled back on their role in their science and engineering community. But the chapters are radiant centers that represent our highest achievements and our highest hopes for the future. At the same time, the members at large proportion of membership has seen dramatic increases and has put the spotlight on the essence of this noble society. Further, international membership continues to light up the Sigma Xi grid, positioning us for the global convergence of critical issues in science and engineering, mathematics and technology.

There is a wealth of resources within Sigma Xi. Let us energize it with bold flashes of creativity and innovation and let us cherish all that it unfailingly offers us year after year of faithful dedication to our common cause.

Interview with Linda Meadows:

Antonio Pita-Szczesniewski
Director International Liaison Office, Switzerland
Tecnologico de Monterrey

Chapter Affiliation: Swiss Chapter

Candidate's Statement: We are presently living in a Global World where the dynamics of our common and professional lives are completely different from what they were a number of years ago.  It is true that Sigma Xi has enjoyed a rich history of scientific leadership, but if it wants to continue doing so, it can’t remain static and indifferent but must pay attention and deliver the value that our members demand. Since value is a function of the ever expanding choices that our members encounter, it will always be relative and shifting, so Sigma Xi must innovate and evolve to a new dynamic model that addresses the main issues that are relevant to its members in this day and age by engaging in value actions that are crucial for the professional success of its members. Thus the option of not changing is in reality not an option, not if we want to reverse the alarming decline in the membership that we have seen over the last decade.

How are we going to increase membership? How are we going to deliver results? How are we going to continue to grow in this time of unpredictable change and take charge of change rather than just react to it? These are the basic questions that we have to ask ourselves but if we don’t ask the questions, then we don’t know if they even need an answer. The best approach to being successful today is to make sure that Sigma Xi is positioned to be successful tomorrow. Since trying to stay current in today’s world favors concentrating on improvements and tomorrow demands seeking something different, Sigma Xi’s offer has to be different and focus its innovative approach on extending its dimensions of value so that it can transform itself as part of everyday business as usual.

Two of the programs were we have improved our position and had great success are the one that fosters the participation in science and engineering of high school students, and the one that fosters research among college students. Here we not only score the highest percentage of our new initiates on a yearly basis, but we also unfortunately score the highest percentage in the drop-out of our members. Thus, we have certainly improved our today but we need to be different in our tomorrow and handle a new perspective in order to address the critical issues that this young generation faces by providing the value propositions that they require in this global competitive world.

By the same token, Sigma Xi has not taken full advantage of its World membership to expand its horizons and grow internationally. This implies that it is not taking full advantage of what constitutes a Global Interdisciplinary Society and if elected, I would certainly work to change this situation and move the Society forward toward truly becoming “THE” Honor Society.

In summary, I want to help Sigma Xi review and make the necessary changes required to thrive in fostering Companionship in Zealous Research within the present highly competitive worldwide environment. It is true that our members are extremely busy, have diverse interests, needs, and expectations and that there are significant generational differences among them. However, Sigma Xi can reinvent itself and develop a unique strategy in order to approach these challenges with a new, fresh and differentiated perspective that will distinguish it from similar societies. I firmly believe that this will allow it to respond and deliver the proper present value and return on investment that each member makes in order to be a part of our Society.

I want to work towards and see Sigma Xi as a truly reinvented, dynamic and growing worldwide organization that is excellently moving forward because it:

• offers a significant value proposition to its members
• has a streamlined and professional leadership at the Board Level that does not in any way constitute a centralized power house.
• has highly respected and actively engaged Chapters on a worldwide basis
• makes use of its unique trait of the worldwide Interdisciplinary nature of its members and is internationally recognized as a Scientific Research organization that:
• has an active advocacy policy on crucial world issues
• has unique and highly regarded publications on Science and Scientific Research
• is concentrating its efforts in a few highly significant and specialized programs for its members
• has fully incorporated the use of Information and Communication Technology and backs, as well as accompanies, the evolution of the value content required by its members.
• handles Interdisciplinary and International Research Conferences of significance
• recognizes its worldwide diversity by fostering dynamic Regional Research Conferences that address the issues of each region

In order to achieve these results, I also offer an approach to leadership that is dynamic in the sense that I want to meet and propose solutions to the changing needs that an association like Sigma Xi faces, especially as technology and global societal issues evolve and bring new challenges to the professional lives of our members. My past and present international leadership positions in the academic and industrial research arenas has given me the experience required to develop differentiating strategies for innovation, as well as in their implementation. This has made me very much aware of the importance of involving our stakeholders for the successful implementation of the designed strategies. Moving forward by active participation and engagement is my model, not ruling by decree. Networking also has a very important function in my concept of leadership and in this regard, searching for and contacting other key people for information, feedback or support, is key for moving important issues forward.

Sigma Xi faces an Imperative for Change that is extremely urgent in order to make the Society Relevant to its members. I also strongly feel that my past experience and present position allows me to leverage the necessary resources to fulfill these objectives. Thus, if elected, I will strive to lead the Society meet this challenge by working with the Board, Executive Staff, and its members in order to place the building blocks that are necessary to consolidate and accomplish the required changes.

Interview with Antonio Pita-Szczesniewski:

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: PAST ACTIVITIES: Founder, Member, President, Secretary & Treasurer of the Tecnológico de Monterrey Chapter (1972-2002). Member of Southwest Regional Committee on Nominations (2001-2003). Director of Southwest Region (1988-2001). Member of National Committee on Nominations (2001-2003), Member of International Committee (2001-2007), Member of Committee on Awards (2006-2012), Director of Canadian/International Constituency Group (2006-2012). Board Member (2006-2012), Executive Board Member (2010-2012). PRESENT ACTIVITIES: Member Committee of Publications and Communications (2011 to present), Chair International Committee (2007 to present), President of Swiss Chapter (2006 to present)

Biographical Information: Married, 4 children. BES in Civil Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University (1960); Master’s (1962) and PhD (1967) in Solid and Fluid Mechanics from the University of Iowa. Worked for 15 years as a full time professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, and won various awards for excellence in teaching and research, co-authored a book on new educational methodologies and published 13 articles in journals. In 1979 he joined the Corporate R&D Center of Vitro, a large Mexican Multinational Glass company and in 1987 he became the Director of this center until, upon his recommendation, it was decentralized in 1991. He was later Director of Technology for one of Vitro’s divisions (1991-1998), Senior Researcher of strategic projects for Vitro’s Corporate Technology Unit (1998-2002) and Director of R&D for Vitro Europa (2002-2003), a new Research and Technology Development facility that Vitro established in Fribourg, Switzerland. He has written numerous specialized technical reports and holds 3 worldwide patents on glass forming and melting processes. He retired from Vitro at the end of 2003 but continues to reside in Switzerland, working for Cemex Research Group AG, a research center which is a subsidiary of CEMEX, a large Mexican Multinational Cement company, where he consults on Technology Management and also acts as a strategic liaison for the development of research projects with European universities or centers of private and public research. He is also Director of the Swiss liaison office for the Vice President of International Affairs of the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey. In this capacity he manages the existing International Exchange Agreements that the institution has with many European Universities in Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Scandinavian Countries and is also engaged in the creation of new strategic collaborations in all fields of education and research.

Back to top | Privacy Policy | Copyright ©2013. All Rights Reserved.