Minutes:

APS Division of Astrophysics Executive Committee Meeting

Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 6:30 pm (dinner meeting)

Hyatt Fiesta 4

Attending: Chuck Dermer, Susan Lamb, Chryssa Kouveliotou,

Virginia Trimble, Steve Holt, Mark Leising, Mel Ulmer, Brenda

Dingus, Josh Frieman, Elena Aprile, Judy Franz (APS), Michael

Lubell (APS), Alice Harding (AAS/HEAD)

Absent: J. Hewitt, J. Primack

1. Welcome and Introductions: Dermer

2. Secretary/Treasurer’s Report: Leising

· 2001 Meeting Minutes Approved

· Election Results (See handout)

· Financial Report (See handout)

Summary: 2001 budget essentially balanced

· Membership Status Report (handout)

Summary: no significant change

· Will ask for approval of electronic elections at Business meeting
(bylaw change proposed to membership in newsletter)

3. Student Grants and Student Presentation Prizes: Lamb, Trimble

· judging continues; winners (probably one grad oral, one grad poster, one undergrad) will be announced at Business meeting.

· ten student travel grants offered (usually $500 each) most (maybe all) are here at meeting

ACTION: Leising - find and give travel forms

4. Council Report: Trimble

· APS Prizes : now $1.2M required to establish one

· APS Elections : ZERO DAP candidates this year!

ACTION: ALL - provide nominations of more better candidates

· Council plans(?) to offer 1/2 price APS membership to AAS members

· Encourage Dept. Chairs to meet with AAPT 7-9 June in College Park

· Two new topical groups encouraged (incl. counter-terrorism)

·

5. Fellowships Status: Lamb

· Eight DAP nominees all selected for fellowship (see handout: only Simon Swordy is actually at this meeting.)

ACTION: Leising - mail pins and certificates to others

· We should be proactive in suggesting DAP members for nomination to fellowship. It seems some exceedingly worthy DAP members have never been nominated.

ACTION: Lamb - obtain and email lists of DAP non-fellow members.

6. View from Washington, DC: Lubell

· science clearly not a priority of new administration (overall 1.5% cuts suggested)

· little communication between administration and science organizations and societies

· president’s science advisor “demoted”

· physical scienced budgets weakened relative to others

· support on Capitol Hill is strong, however

· you (we) can and should write letters. Good evidence that even of order fifteen letters to a representative can have a significant impact (and results)

ACTION: ALL - use electronic letter writing stations set up here at meeting to send letters. Encourage others.

7. Joint HEAD/APS meeting: Lamb and Harding

Overall, meeting seems to be a great success for astrophysics and its visibility. Posters not well-attended.

· need online registration for non-APS-members

· need “student presenter” box on abstract form

· should have more overall organization of schedule, to avoid obvious conflicts and allow for time for posters.

· Hotel prices are extremely high (compared to AAS meeting in same place six weeks later.) APS should consult with Dianne Alexander for help with negotiations.

8. New Initiatives: Leising

· we basically run one meeting and attend to membership, election, and awards. Should we do more? We have funds.

ACTION: ALL - discuss suggestions by email

· organize and fund our own public lecture? Conflict with APS?

9. 2003 DAP/APS meeting: Kouveliotou

April 2003 -- Philadelphia, we can organize six invited sessions

ACTION: ALL - suggestions (and volunteers) to Chryssa

10. Items from APS: Judy Franz

· APS very satisfied with joint meeting (continue every 4.5 years)

· possibility of adding $1 to all division dues for APS (why? we ask)

11. Future Student Travel and Prizes

· communicate more directly with student organizations?

(dept chairs, SPS chapters, posters)

· different approach to prizes desired?

ACTION: Holt - investigate benefits of more numerous prizes of smaller amounts

· Organize “Student astrophysics” sessions?

Mark Leising

20 April 2002