August 2008
Sigma Xi Emeritus Member Newsletter
Emeritus Member eBlast is a monthly companion to the twice-yearly printed Emeritus Member News. We always welcome your contributions. And many thanks if you have elected to receive Emeritus Member News as an e-mailed PDF to help us save a few trees! You can make this request by e-mailing development@sigmaxi.org.
N.B.: Dates in parenthesis after Members' names denotes their year of induction into Sigma Xi.
IN THIS ISSUE
SIGMA XI FORMS ALLIANCE WITH UTEK's TEKSCOUT SERVICES
Sigma Xi and UTEK Corporation, a leading innovation services company, have entered into an alliance to bring together UTEK's TekScout service and Sigma Xi's membership.
TekScout is an online open innovation network, which brings together independent scientists and engineers from across the world to solve R&D challenges focused in the areas of life science, physical science, chemistry, engineering and design, math and computer science, and renewable energy and sustainable product design.
These challenges are posted in an online forum by large corporations who seek outside expertise. Through this open innovation process, companies are able to drive product development faster, less expensively and more effectively than they might be able to do using only internal resources. Sigma Xi scientists and engineers who solve these challenges earn financial rewards and industry recognition.
More information about how active (dues-paid) Sigma Xi members can sign up to be a TekExpert is available in the Members Only section of our Web site: www.sigmaxi.org/member/membersonly/UTEK.php
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HELP CELEBRATE THE NATIONAL YEAR OF SCIENCE 2009
"How are you celebrating?" That's the question scientists are being asked around the country. And it's the slogan for the Year of Science 2009, a year-long celebration of science and its role in society. Initiated by the American Institute of Biological Sciences and managed by its Coalition for the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS), the Year of Science 2009 is beginning to catch on.
Why 2009? The year coincides with a number of important science-related anniversaries including the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. Among his other claims to fame, Lincoln founded the National Academy of Sciences and signed the Morrill Act which created the land grant system of agricultural colleges.
Sigma Xi is one of more than 250 participating organizations that have signed on to COPUS, a grassroots organization that includes universities, museums, corporations and non-profits. Organizers have allocated a specific discipline to each month, to represent the full range of scientific endeavor. Review the COPUS Web site at www.copusproject.org for more information on how you can get involved in the coalition and the Year of Science 2009. Then you'll have an answer when someone asks, "How are you celebrating?"
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SIGN UP ON THE NEW AMERICAN SCIENTIST WEB SITE
Sign up today to gain full access to American Scientist's new Web site. You must register to take advantage of all the new features and options, even if you were already registered on the former site. Visit the Welcome area to get started: http://www.americanscientist.org/about/page/welcome It only takes a minute.
To assist you through the sign-up and subsequent login procedures, here's a PDF that we hope will be helpful: http://www.sigmaxi.org/amscionline/login.pdf
Some of the new offerings include RSS feeds, comment sections for articles, e-alerts on new postings of interest, a library to store favorite articles and more. Take a few minutes to check out the new features and services at: http://www.americanscientist.org
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SIGMA XI AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE OCTOBER 1
October 1 is the nomination deadline for prestigious annual Sigma Xi awards that recognize excellence in research and communication. For award guidelines, a list of past recipients and other information, visit: http://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/prizes/index.shtml.
The William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement honors important contributions to research and the ability to communicate complex ideas to others. The John P. McGovern Science and Society Award honors those who have made outstanding contributions to science and society. The Walston Chubb Award for Innovation honors and promotes creativity among scientists and engineers. The Young Investigator Award recognizes outstanding researchers early in their careers. Honorary Membership is bestowed on those not otherwise eligible for membership in Sigma Xi, who have served science, or the Society, in a manner or to a degree that merits such recognition. The newly established Evan Ferguson Award, named in memory of Sigma Xi's longtime deputy director, honors service to the Society.
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SIGMA XI'S WATER BLOG-A CALL FOR PAPERS
Don't forget Sigma Xi's blog devoted to water issues: http://water.sigmaxi.org/. If you have a background in water research, please share your expertise by writing a white paper (1,000 words) that we can post on the Sigma Xi Web site and possibly disseminate to other audiences. A list of suggested topics, author guidelines and deadline information is available online: http://water.sigmaxi.org/?page_id=68
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EMERITUS PIPELINE ONLINE
The newly launched Emeritus Pipeline provides an interactive online forum for our emeriti members. Join in the conversation! And by all means let us know if we can improve the Emeritus Pipeline in any way by sending your suggestions to development@sigmaxi.org.
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SIGMA XI MOURNS LONGTIME MEMBER MICHAEL E. DEBAKEY
In memory of celebrated heart surgeon Michael DeBakey, an active member of Sigma Xi for 73 years, we have posted a profile of him online that we published in Sigma Xi Today in 2005. Among his many honors, DeBakey was awarded Sigma Xi's William Procter Prize. He died July 11 in Houston at age 99. See our profile of him here: http://www.sigmaxi.org/about/news/JA-05SXTdebakey.pdf
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES
Philip L. Carl (SX 1968) is looking for emeritus Sigma Xi members who are interested in teaching science and technology courses through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. This program was formerly known as the Duke Institute for Learning in Retirement. "Our mission is to present non-credit courses for retirees," Carl says. "These are typically from six to 11 weeks and are offered in the fall, winter and spring semesters. There are no tests, grades or educational requirements. We constantly need to find new teachers for our courses. It occurred to me that many emeritus Sigma Xi members would make good teachers. There is no pay, since this is an all volunteer program, but it is a rewarding experience." Visit http://www.learnmore.duke.edu/olli/ for more information. The Duke program is part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Network, a group of more than 100 lifelong learning institutes funded by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Contact Philip Carl at pcarl@bellsouth.net.
Do you know of similar programs or other volunteer opportunities in your geographic area? Let us know! We'll pass along the information in future Emeritus Member eBlasts.
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EMERITUS MEMBERS' NEWS
Werner Glass (SX 1953) reports that he came in third in the Senior Division at the 2008 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Brooklyn, New York. "Bronze this year-going for gold," he says. This year's tournament had nearly 800 contestants, mostly from the U.S. but also some from overseas. The annual tournament is organized and hosted by Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor of the New York Times. The competition was the subject of the movie Wordplay.
Frank R. Tangherlini (SX 1956) writes: "Since I retired from teaching physics and the history and philosophy of science at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. in 1994, I have continued my research in cosmology, relativity, dimensionality of space and to some extent the history and philosophy of science. Also I have continued to urge the complete conversion of the U.S. to the metric system, arguing that the lengthening of our high school, college and university football fields to 100 meters would be an important step in this direction. My most recent publications (2008) are two letters in Physics Today, one in April, and a later one in June, the former dealing with cybernetics and Norbert Wiener, and the latter with the anticipation of Copernicus by Aristarchus of Samos. In addition, there is a more technical publication in Physica Scripta, 77 (065008) entitled 'Canonical Commutation Relations and Special Relativity.' There is a reference in it to my Stanford Ph.D. thesis of 1958; The Velocity of Light in Uniformly Moving Frames. So, half a century later, I am still wrestling with the subject and finding new results. Needless to say I am grateful that at my age (84) I can still pursue these subjects. I recall that when I was in the fifth and sixth grades growing up in Boston, I was interested in satellites, rocket ships, light beams and the like. Also later, while studying chemistry in high school, I was fascinated by atoms and theorized about them, and my fascination increased in college learning about the Schrödinger equation. I also recall reading about Einstein's special theory of relativity and feeling I would like to know more about the historical background, and so this may have helped to stimulate some of my later work on this subject as well as lead me into the study of general relativity."
Beverly Hills, California, clinical psychologist Louise Evans (SX 1952), a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology, has been appointed by the American Biographical Institute (ABI) as a Founding Member of its International Women's Review Board. She will serve as an advisor representing the U.S. to recommend women worldwide for recognition whose achievements excel and inspire others. The ABI is a biographical reference publisher with more than 200 separate titles in print over the past 41 years. Evans' biography is included in numerous ABI titles and will be forthcoming in 2000 Outstanding Scientists of the 21st Century (2009), Great Women of the 21st Century, International Profiles of Accomplished Leaders (inaugural edition) and International Who's Who of Business and Professional Women (10th anniversary commemorative edition). She is the recipient of many honors, including awards from Northwestern University's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and Purdue University, where she earned both her master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology. Purdue awarded her one of its first five Citizenship Awards in 1975, as well as its Distinguished Alumni and Old Masters awards, both in 1993. Evans is a fellow of 15 professional scientific organizations and societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Academy of Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association, American Psychological Society and the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health.
Katherine Crater (SX 1942) of Berkeley, California, writes that as an 87-year-old emeritus member she was dissatisfied with her accomplishments and seized on the idea of writing poetry. "Writing now occupies me almost daily, and I try different styles and forms of verse. My first poems were written at age 80, and I only wish that I had not waited so long to start!"
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OTHER SIGMA XI MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
Robotic pioneer Yoky Matsuoka (SX 2001) at the University of Washington in Seattle was the subject of a recent NOVA episode on public television. She is a leading researcher in neurobotics, an emerging field that combines neuroscience with building robots. Her lab is working to develop advanced artificial hands and other body parts that will one day use signals directly from the brain to enhance the motor skills of those who have suffered amputation, spinal cord damage and other traumatic injuries.
In the July/August issue of the Columbia Journalism Review, veteran science reporter Cristine Russell (SX 1987) outlines a strategy for deciphering the exceedingly complex subject of global climate change, in terms of what is happening, what will happen and what to do about it. Her feature is accompanied by a Web-only sidebar with links to "all the climate sites journalists need to know."
Christopher John Rourk (SX 1992) has been elected president of the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth. Its mission is to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations and encourage international understanding in the region.
Stephen H. Cobb (SX 1988) has been named dean of the College of Science, Engineering & Technology at Murray State University.
George Timothy Flowers (SX 1987) has been named dean of the Graduate School at Auburn University.
Joseph M. DeSimone (SX 1986) has won the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's 2008 Lemelson Prize. DeSimone is a chemistry professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and also teaches chemical engineering at N.C. State University. In the past five years, most of his work in the field of polymers has focused on medical devices. That includes a stent that keeps blocked arteries open and then dissolves to prevent scarring, and bacteria-shaped vessels that can slip inside tumor cells to deliver therapeutic drugs.
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RETIRED AND FEELING ISOLATED?
In response to that question, the wife of an emeritus member writes that they have never relied on a college town for intellectual stimulation, since they have never lived in an area that offered a strong science department. American Scientist, Physics Today, New Scientist and other publications keep them engaged and informed, along with occasional lectures at a local university.
We've heard from other members who felt isolated following retirement. We would like to hear from you. Please e-mail your responses to development@sigmaxi.org.
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WHAT WAS YOUR SPARK?
We've gotten a great response to our request for anecdotes about what initially sparked your interest in science or engineering. It may have happened in childhood, in high school or even during your undergraduate days. If you haven't gotten around to sending in a contribution, please do so. We'd like to share these inspiring stories with Sigma Xi members, teachers, parents and grandparents, and maybe help generate our own sparks in the next generation of researchers.
The third version of What Was Your Spark? is now available at:
http://www.sigmaxi.org/member/newsletters/spark-ver3.pdf
Please send your stories, to: development@sigmaxi.org
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WHAT'S YOUR NEWS?
We always welcome your contributions to the monthly eNewsletters. Send your newsletter contributions to: development@sigmaxi.org
Interim Editor: Charles Blackburn
cblackburn@sigmaxi.org
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