2007 Assembly of Delegates:
Research & Doctoral Constituency Associate Director

2008 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference

November 20-23, 2008
Marriott Renaissance Hotel
Washington, D.C.

Name: Michael P. Polis

Present Position: Professor of Engineering and Interim Chair of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Organization: Oakland University

Address: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Rm. 642 SEB
Oakland University
Rochester, MI 48309-4478
United States

Telephone: 248-370-2743
E-mail: polis@oakland.edu

Chapter Affiliation: Oakland University Chapter

Candidate's Statement: I view Sigma Xi as a very prestigeous organization that should do more to help the public better understand scientific issues facing society. We live in a time when science appears to be misunderstood and viewed with scepticism by a significant portion of the general public. Questions are being raised about such important issues as stem cell research, global warming, and evolution. Sigma Xi is in a unique position to play a leading role in educating the public on science. The prestige of Sigma Xi can be used to raise the level of scientific awareness by helping to articulate why the scientific method is important, and how it allows problems to be understood in a rational way.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: I have been a member of Sigma Xi since 1973. I was the Oakland University Chapter National delegate to the 2004 and 2007 Annual Meetings, and serve as Secretary of the Oakland University Chapter. From 2004-2006 I served as a Member of the North Central Region's nominating committee. I am a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Distinguished Member of the IEEE Control Systems Society.

Biographical Information: Dr. Polis received the B.S.E.E. Degree from the University of Florida, and the M.S.E.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University, in 1966, 1968, and 1972, respectively. From 1972 to 1983 he was a faculty member in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. From 1983 to 1987 he was Director of the Systems Theory and Operations Research Program at the National Science Foundation. In 1987 he joined the faculty of Wayne State University as chair of the Department Electrical and Computer Engineering. From1993 to 2001 he was Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, Oakland University. From 2001 to 2007 he returned to the faculty of the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering. Since 2007 he has held the position of Interim Chair of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Oakland. His research interests are in optimization, transportation systems and the identification, estimation and control of distributed parameter systems. Dr. Polis is active in the IEEE Control Systems Society; he is currently Associate Editor for Book Reviews of the IEEE Control Systems Magazine, he has been an elected member of the Board of Governors (1998 - 2000), Editor for Conference Publications (1992 - 1993), Vice President Membership Activities (1990 - 1991), Associate Editor At Large for the IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control (1989 - 1992), and General Chairman of the 27th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control.

Name: Robert Zand

Present Position: Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Macromolcular Science & Engineering
Organization: University of Michigan

Address: Biophysics Research Division
University of Michigan
930 North University Avenue
Ann Arbor MI 48109-1055
United States

Telephone: 734-764-5138
E-mail: rzand@umich.edu

Chapter Affiliation: University of Michigan Chapter

Candidate's Statement: I have been an active Sigma Xi Member since I was elected to the Society. I have been active in the Society's governance and programs for over 35 years and helped to introduce new programs and rejuvenate and modify older programs that were no longer as exciting and relevant as when they were instituted. My reason and concern for running for the office of Associate Director of the R&D consortium of Sigma Xi is that the major and most pressing problem faced by Sigma Xi is the drop in membership of over 125,000 active members, to less than 60,000. That problem is not being addressed in a way that has, at least, the promise of being able to turn things around. Unless Sigma Xi can increase its membership to a critical mass, it cannot continue to function as an organization that provides leadership and direction for researchers both nationally and internationally. The governing body of the Society needs to know what those selected for membership want and need in order for them to remain as active as active and participating members . What Sigma Xi represented and provided it members and the research community 50 years ago is no longer significant and valid today. The need of members at major research universities are very different from the needs of members at baccalaureate and comprehensive colleges. What do students and faculty want Sigma Xi to provide in order for them to accept and retain membership. What those requirements are they must be accommodate in concert with the needs and promise of what undergraduate and graduate students perceive as the benefits that Sigma Xi offers them. Whatever those perceptions and needs , they must be accommodated if we have a hope of increasing and retaining membership. If elected i will work towards Sigma Xi's recognition of those needs and connect them to and couple them to increasing the membership of the Society.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: I have served two terms as the north Central Regional director, and two terms as a director at large, I have served as a member of the executive Committee, the Membership committee, the Awards Committee, the Search Committee for the Executive Director that chose Pat Sculley. I have served on a number of committees of the Society's operations.

Biographical Information: I am a professor of Biological Chemistry in the Department of Biochemistry at the Univ. of Michigan Medical School. I am a Professor of Macromolecular Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering and I am a Research Professor of Biophysics in the College of LS&A.I received my Ph.D in Chemistry from Brandeis University and did post-doctoral studies at the Department of Biological Chemistry at Harvard medical School. I have been a visiting professor at the Escola Palista de Medicina in Sao Pauo, Brazil, a visiting scientist at IVIC in Caracas, Venezuela. I have served on various study sections at NIH.