APS Division of Astrophysics

2005 Executive Committee Meeting

Minutes

Saturday, April 16, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Marriott Meeting Room 8

Attending: Beacom, Boggs, Centrella, Holt, Gehrels, Kolb, Leising, Ryan, Sadoulet, Strohmayer,

Guests: Franz, Lubell, McIlrath

1. Welcome and Introductions: Holt

2. APS Finances and Publications: Tom McIlrath
Society is financially healthy, as are publications. Prices actually went down last year; slight increase planned this year. New physics education research journal to debut this year. Still seeing a huge increase in submissions from Asia.

3. APS Council: Kolb
Council also finds society healthy. Finally it seems the visa situation for foreign students and post docs has greatly improved. Over 90% now get responses within 30 days. Having significant demonstrated ties at home seem to be a key to success.

4. Secretary/Treasurer's Report: Leising

a. 2004 Meeting Minutes – minutes submitted

b. Election – online election again, participation down to 18% from 25% last year. Gehrels, Centrella, Ma, Strohmayer, Dermer elected.

c. Financial Report – regular expenditures such as printing, mailing, etc. continue to drop. Essentially all our costs are associated with April meeting. Although our balance prior to this meeting is again higher than last year, we are supporting some 26 students at $600 to attend this meeting. That will effectively cause our balance to go down for the first time in many years.

d. Membership Status – up slightly to 1789 (4.1% of total APS.)

5. Student Travel Grants: Leising – see above. Contacts to Forum on Graduate Student Affairs seemed to bear fruit. Also direct contacts to advisors who have brought students in the past, brought in a few. We turned down a few non-astro abstracts; perhaps this should be reconsidered.

6. Fellowship Status: Ryan
We have lists and have identified many extremely deserving candidates. Jim will lead the effort to get colleagues of those to put together nominations. This committee might consider writing some letters itself.

7. 2005 APS April meeting -- status and lessons: Sadoulet
Many great sessions realized here. Recommendation is to start early. Still unknowns, especially late sessions organized by other groups will intrude. Improving meeting organizing software promises to help.

8. 2006 APS April meeting planning: Ryan
Will start now to make alliances with other divisions and get exec committee members to take over some. Input is solicited from all quarters.

9. The future of DAP: Holt
From membership input it seems clear that DAP connections to cosmology and gravitation are strong, and this meeting could even be THE regular meeting for those communities. It is clear to all that a youth movement is absolutely necessary for future health of DAP. This discussion should continue.

10. Physics in Washington: Lubell
The budget situation in Washington is dire, with most of the deficit resulting from tax cuts. Even with huge financing from social security, many cuts are on the table (~20% of discretionary funding target.) Science might fare slightly better. NASA situation is grim. Some have described a wholesale reduction in work force as corporate welfare for aerospace interests. The future of US science is right now in the hands of the most powerful members of congress. Writing letters now is extremely important. It is clear that the future economic competitiveness of the US is at stake right now. See the report at www.futureofinnovation.org

11. New Activities: all
APS April Meeting Long-Range Task Force – should have DAP member (Joan and John will consider.)

19 April 2005 -- M. Leising