2003 Assembly of Delegates:
North Central Regional Director

November 13-16, 2003
Hyatt Regency Los Angeles at Macy's Plaza
Los Angeles, California

In conjunction with the Sigma Xi Forum, Science and Engineering: Keys to International Understanding>, November 12-13
And the Sigma Xi Student Research Conference, November 14-15

Name: Kenneth Lionel Brown

Present Position: Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Organization: Hope College

Address: 35 East 12th Street
Holland MI 49423
USA

Telephone: 616-395-7173
Fax: 616-395-7118 E-mail: brownk@hope.edu

Chapter Affiliation: Hope College

Candidate's Statement: As a member of Sigma Xi for the last 4 years, and now as an officer in the Hope College Chapter, I have noticed many positive changes in the area of student research. Since this period, I have become interested in the North Central Region activities to promote more collaborative research between major research and undergraduate institutions. Sigma Xi's presence on Hope College has encouraged and facilitated more intensive, interdisciplinary research. This office will provide me with the resources and necessary tools to ensure that institutions in this region will make full use of the benefits of Sigma Xi in promoting more interdisciplinary research between schools.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: Sigma Xi: Oklahoma State University, 1998; Hope College Chapter member, 1999; Secretary, Hope College Sgma Xi Chapter, Present-2002; Delegate to Annual Meeting, 2002; Member of Phi Lambda Upsilon; Member of the American Chemical Society. Science Director of LEAP (Learning Enhancement Achievement Program).

Biographical Information: Horacio A. Mottola, Analytical Chemistry: Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, 1999; B.S. Chemistry, Oral Roberts University, 1993. Employment: Hope College, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Present-1999; Dowell Schlumberger, Research Associate, Tulsa, OK, 1994-1995; Lab One Analytical, Analytical Chemist, 1994-1993, Tulsa, OK. Current research involves the preparation and characterization of chemically modified electrodes; electropolymerization reactions of metal phthalocyanines; development of chemiluminescence sensors and biosensors using polymeric thin films.

Name: Linda Kay Meadows

Present Position: Assistant Vice President for Research
Organization: The Ohio State University

Address: The Ohio State University
208 Bricker Hall
190 North Oval Mall
Columbus, Ohio 43210
USA

Telephone: 614-459-8726
E-mail: meadows.1@osu.edu

Chapter Affiliation: Ohio State University

Candidate's Statement: What distinguishes Sigma Xi as a professional organization? Most respondents would say its multidisciplinary character. Many would point to its growing influence in science education and undergraduate research. Others would identify its unique grants program for students and its strong support of teachers. Sigma Xi is positioned to unite many constituencies in the advancement of research as a learning tool. It also looks to enlarging its membership and developing its leadership, especially the local unit boards, to meet the challenges of the times. The North Central Geographic Region can serve as a model for developing strategic partnerships in diverse settings. It has been my privilege to lead my university's strategic planning for research, to help establish a technology transfer office, to work on a statewide science education program to develop teacher leaders, with Nobel Laureate Ken Wilson, to champion and help seed interdisciplinary centers, and to promote undergraduate research. From these experiences I have been trained in and learned about human resource development, visioning, collaboration, setting action agendas and following though on tasks. It is my hope to offer my experience and acquired skills to the region. I would like for us to be known for significant accomplishments - ones we identify together. They may include redefining the roles or involvement of the chapter boards, increasing membership, hosting international scholars and students, developing position papers, testifying in Congress, creating new alliances with industry, creatively involving students and teachers, expanding the grants program, or taking up an important issue like postdoctoral appointments. The list is suggestive only but it does serve to underscore the need to focus and achieve results. It would be my great honor to take these next steps with you.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: I am Co-Principal Investigator of a Battelle funded grant on behalf of OSU Sigma Xi to organize seminars by prominent researchers for freshmen. I have invested funding in the preparation of special research courses for freshmen. Our Chapter works closely with teachers to provide real time assistance to them, offers grants in aid to undergraduate and graduate students, and serves as a body of judges for our State Science Day. Our Board now consists of several deans from various science and engineering colleges on campus. I have organized and hosted the university wide undergraduate research forum for several years, initiated an undergraduate research journal, published a magazine type university research report, co-sponsored the Ohio Women in Science annual conference at Ohio State, and helped secure large scale grants and contracts for science education.

Biographical Information: I have been regional chairperson of the National Council of University Research Administrators and served as fast track proposal task force chair for the Federal Demonstration Project. I have received funding for studies of women and minority scholarship as a function of research grants, and to give national workshops on writing for research and publication. I teach a doctoral seminar on research methodology and just completed a freshman engineering honors course. I have been Vice President of Research and Development of Ohio State's Research Foundation and Assistant Vice President for Research, responsible for interdisciplinary research centers reporting centrally (Materials, Mapping, Byrd Polar, Cognitive Science) and for undergraduate research. I have a Ph.D. from Ohio State. I taught one year in Japan and also coordinated an Ohio business delegation to several countries, representing net-shape manufacturing. I have participated in the NAS study of the postdoc experience on U.S. campuses, in advisory committee meeting of NSF, NIH, and the U.S. Department of Education and in the Big Ten (plus Chicago and Penn State) coordinating council.

Name: Deborah D. Ross

Present Position: Full Professor
Organization: Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

Address: 2101 Coliseum Blvd
Department of Biology
Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
USA

Telephone: 260-481-5703
Fax: 260-481-6087 E-mail: ross@ipfw.edu

Chapter Affiliation: Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

Candidate's Statement: As an officer of our local chapter of Sigma Xi, I have spent most of my time encouraging research at I.P.F.W., a branch campus of both Indiana Univ. and Purdue Univ. When I arrived at I.P.F.W. in 1985, there were few graduate students and little in the way of institutional resources to support research. I saw membership in the fledgling Sigma Xi club to be a means to recognize achievements in research. Recently, however, I have come to believe that the major issue limiting the growth of science in the U.S.A. is not too few young scientists nor too little government support of research, but rather the scientific literacy of the general population. In a recent science literacy survey, only 11% of respondents could provide a correct definition of a molecule, only 22% knew what DNA was, 39% replied that lasers work by focusing sound waves and 48% could not provide the correct definition of a year. Although Sigma Xi's role in encouraging research should not be neglected, I would like to see increasing emphasis placed on improving the scientific literacy of the general public.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: I joined Sigma Xi in 1986, shortly after my arrival as an Assistant Professor at Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ. Fort Wayne. I was elected President-Elect in 1992 and assumed responsibilities of President in 1993. From 1994-2002, I served the chapter as Secretary. My major responsibilities have been in identifying newly arrived faculty as potential members of Sigma Xi and assisting the President in organizing our annual brown bag lunch series, in which faculty at I.P.F.W. give informal talks about their research. I also assist in organizing the annual banquet at which researchers (faculty and students) as well as university teachers are recognized. When I was President-Elect, I attended the annual meeting as our chapter representative. I have subsequently attended several times since then when the President-Elect was unable to attend (1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2001). Consequently, I have a good idea of how business is conducted at the annual meeting.

Biographical Information: My educational experiences have been varied: I received a B.Sc. Hons. degree from University College of North Wales in the UK., a Masters degree in Agronomy from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Rutgers University. The common thread running through these experiences was an interest in environmental microbiology and more particularly, the biodegradation of pollutants such as pesticides and crude oil. I had the opportunity to apply this knowledge as a regulatory scientist in the Environmental Safety Division of Procter and Gamble, where I worked for 8 years. I have continued my research in environmental microbiology at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, where I have taught courses in general biology, microbiology and toxicology, developed an externally-funded research program and mentored undergraduate and graduate students. This past academic year I was promoted to Full Professor. I have served as Division Chair of the Applied and Environmental Microbiology Division of the American Society for Microbiology. I serve as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Exploratory Research. In addition, I have reviewed grants on an ad hoc basis for the Indiana-Illinois Sea Grant program, NSF, Department of State-Civilian Research and Development Foundation, etc. I serve as a reviewer for Applied and Environmental Biotechnology and Biotechnology Progress.