Richard Spontak

Research & Doctoral Universities Constituency Group

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Statement

I am a proud Member of Sigma Xi and consider my affiliation with Sigma Xi and for all it stands to be a career-long milestone. The organization epitomizes the ideals of science, as well as the accompanying moral and ethical issues. In this day and age, its righteous activities are necessary, and members need to be strongly supportive. Some topics that are close to my heart are in need of additional and immediate attention, in which case I have decided to run for a Member position on the Board of Directors for the Research and Doctoral University Constituency.

When highly respected universities came under political attack this year, my faith in the government-university partnership sank to a depth I've never known before. How could students, especially international graduate students, be made to pay the price for political whims? This was and remains unquestionably wrong. This nation…our nation…has, for a very long time, shone brightly as a beacon of hope for students, especially those pursuing careers in the sciences and engineering, beckoning from around the world. While we can all maintain and respect our political differences, students should never be pawns in a national game of no-win chess.

As a member of the Board of Directors for the Research and Doctoral University Constituency, I would like to learn more about what Sigma Xi is currently doing to work with and protect international graduate students and what the society can do. I would like to explore opportunities to join with other learned societies (e.g., the American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS) and the National Academies for this purpose, as well as the possibility of lobbying for the research funds frozen by the government but so desperately needed by Research and Doctoral Universities across the country.

Like many of the members of Sigma Xi, I have repeatedly grumbled about these issues without finding a way to do something about them. I feel that election to the Board of Directors for the Research and Doctoral University Constituency will provide me with the chance to do so, providing new insights and expertise to get into the game and stop watching it from the sidelines. We simply cannot sacrifice the next generation of scientists and engineers because of flimsy and misdirected political actions. The technological prowess of this country has been enabled by its scientists and engineers, and Sigma Xi is uniquely positioned to have a tremendous voice of influence through its interdisciplinary membership.

As an elected Member of the Sigma Xi Board of Directors for the Research and Doctoral University Constituency, I intend to support this Constituency and the students involved, and identify ways to build a coalition to protect our Research and Doctoral Universities, as well as the graduate students enrolled therein, and ensure that these institutions continue to offer rigorous and thought-provoking science instruction to all their students.

Richard Spontak

Background Information

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