Northwest Section 2008 Meeting

The annual meeting of the Northwest Section was held under sunny skies in beautiful Portland, OR on May 15-17, 2008. We express our appreciation to Barbara Roberts, Thomas Olsen, and the Lewis & Clark physics department for organizing a well-run meeting. Special thanks also go to the Program Committee and its Chair, Kara Keeter, for organizing a thought-provoking scientific program.

Nurturing Young Scientists

A major emphasis for APS sections is to encourage young scientists to engage in professional discourse with their colleagues. Science is a learning community and it is never too early in one’s career to network with colleagues in the profession. To this end, the Northwest Section works very hard to make our meetings friendly to young people on a small budget. We rotate meeting locations to bring meetings to the different regions of the Northwest in an attempt to keep travel costs down. Most years we are able to find dormitory housing to reduce the daily cost of attendance. Our executive council works closely with the organizing committees to keep the registration fees as low as possible. Campus deans and departments contribute to the meeting both in cash and in kind to keep costs low. We are tight with meeting budgets to ensure that we provide an affordable forum for postdocs and students and for those with small grant support to have a chance to attend, network with colleagues and show their stuff.

To further encourage student participation at the annual meeting, we subsidize student registrations and banquet fees at the annual meeting. Welcoming undergraduate physicists is especially important to continue to keep our field strong. Undergraduate student members of the Section also receive free registration and are eligible for travel grants to attend the annual meeting.

Mark Your Calendars: The University of British Columbia Will Host Northwest Section Annual Meeting in May 14-16, 2009

The Northwest Section will return to the the site of its inaugural meeting, on its tenth anniversary, at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, BC. The local organizing committee, consisting of Janis McKenna, Mark Halpern, Jacob Cosman, and Erich Vogt, is putting together what promises to a memorable meeting. Program Chair, Michael Miller is working to keep up our tradition of great scientific programs. The conference website is currently under construction. As usual, the annual meeting covers the broad sweep of physics. Contributed talks from all areas of physics are welcome.

Working for Strong Support for Science

Each February, representatives from the Northwest Section visited Congress to inform legislators from the Northwest about the importance of science to the health of their districts, their state and the nation. In these meetings, members of Congress were thanked for past actions supporting science budgets, but were also made aware of specific actions they could take to increase support for science. The APS Office of Public Affairs provides important support for this effort. They provide good coaching on the practicalities of communicating with members of the House and Senate. On the day of the visits, folders for each visit are provided that are tailored for each member of Congress, identifying key information and requested actions. APS also provides a folder on each member, detailing that member’s positions on science support and providing talking points that were tailored to that member.

These visits and the ensuing follow-up phone calls and e-mails have real positive effects, increasing support from Members of Congress for science funding following our visits. Representatives of the executive committee will return to the Capitol again each February to encourage continuing support for science.

Current Officers of the Section Need to Hear From You

Northwest Section officers handle many items of business for the members. The Executive Committee meets face to face at the annual meeting, but we conduct business electronically throughout the year. Input from the membership is always welcome. To send a message to the officers, please e-mail me at tolsen@aip.org and I will share your thoughts with the other officers. Your current officers are:

Kara Keeter, Chair
Michael Miller, Chair Elect
Jennifer Heath, Vice Chair
Ernest Henley, Past Chair
Thomas Olsen, Secretary/Treasurer
Mary Alberg, Member-at-Large
Ray Beausoleil, Member-at-Large
Mark Beck, Member-at-Large
John Orrell, Member-at-Large