Franz to Step Down as APS Executive Officer; Search Committee Seeks Her Successor

Judy R. Franz has been the Executive Officer of APS since 1994. In April of 2009 she will have completed her third 5-year term, and she has announced her intention to step down at that time.

According to the APS constitution, the Executive Officer serves as the principal administrator of the Society, and has primary responsibility for the Society’s meetings. During Franz’s tenure, among many other accomplishments, APS  membership and meeting attendance have grown, programs in education and informing the public have been established, and the APS presence in Washington has been greatly enhanced.

Under Franz's leadership APS celebrated its centennial in 1999, and the World Year of Physics in 2005. In addition, as one of the 3 operating officers, she has worked with the Treasurer, who oversees the Society's finances and acts as publisher, and with the Editor-in-Chief, who runs the Society's journals, to manage the day-to-day operation of the Society.

APS President Arthur Bienenstock has appointed a search committee to evaluate nominations and applications for Franz’s replacement. Kate Kirby of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics will serve as Chair. Joining her on the committee will be Curt Callan of Princeton, Jerry Friedman of MIT, Allen Goldman of the University of Minnesota, Anthony Johnson of the University of Maryland (Baltimore County), George Trilling of Berkeley, and Stefan Zollner of Freescale Semiconductor. Friedman and Trilling are past APS Presidents; Callan is the current APS vice-President.

The search committee begins its work in August, with the goal of forwarding a list of candidates to the APS Executive Board in early 2009. According to Kirby, the committee encourages suggestions from both the membership as well as the staff of APS as to highly qualified individuals whom they should consider for this position.

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