May-June 2012 · Volume 21, Number 3

Member Print From the President Subscriptions

eginning with the July–August 2012 Honor the Past and Look to the Future issue of American Scientist, Sigma Xi his has been an exciting year at Sigma Xi—from a celebration Bmembers will receive the digital edition of our 125th anniversary to the election in which, for the first of the magazine as part of their membership Ttime, all members had a vote. I am both thrilled and honored benefits. Members (dues-paid) may continue to have experienced these milestones while serving as the Society’s president. As part of Sigma Xi’s 125th festivities, we celebrated not only the rich history and to receive print issues at a reduced one- significant impact of our Society but also generations of members and the chapters that year subscription price of $20.00 plus the together are the essential elements for success in furthering our mission. We invited appropriate postage depending upon the our members and chapter leaders to identify the Society’s outstanding “fresh faces” location of the mailing address: and “distinguished members,” and the response was remarkable. These exceptional members were acknowledged in American Scientist, and their profiles are posted on U.S. $20.00 the Sigma Xi website. We also invited younger members to interview more established Canada $20.00 (+ 8.00) = $28.00 members—exploring the passions and achievements in their research careers. Their Int'l $20.00 (+ 16.00) = $36.00 reflections were colorful and inspiring, and represented the best aspects of our Society. We also implemented steps to create a history book of our first 125 years—from There are several easy ways to subscribe to the our founding at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a few students to print edition of the magazine: the international honor society of 50,000 members that we are today. With the help of our widespread network of chapters, Sigma Xi has, since its founding, launched a • Website: Log on to our website at great number of initiatives, programs and benefits to serve our members and educate https://ecom.sigmaxi.org/amsci.php to the public at large. One of the clear messages that emerges from our history is that the founding values of our Society continue to be our core values: honor, ethics, order your subscription. Remember that collaboration, mentorship and integrity. you will need to include your member Indeed, the Society encouraged its members to think deeply about research integrity number in order to receive the one-year in 2011. Following on the ethics theme of our 2011 Annual Meeting, each issue of member subscription price of $20.00 plus American Scientist included a column on ethics in scientific publication. The essays appropriate postage. were compiled into the booklet For the Record, which was distributed at our annual meeting and can be downloaded as a PDF from the Sigma Xi website. This volume is • Telephone: Call us at 800-243-6534 or the third in our series of ethics booklets, which also include Honor in Science and The 919-549-4691 to order with a credit card. Responsible Researcher. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. As our mission states, Sigma Xi is an honor society of leading research scientists and engineers focused on improving the human condition. It has become clearer and clearer eastern time, Monday–Friday. that that goal is rarely accomplished by the lone researcher. Sigma Xi has long sought • Dues Notice: Include the additional to foster collaboration among scientists of different disciplines, and the Sigma Xi white $20.00 plus any necessary postage ($8.00 paper “Team Science: Heaving Walls & Melding Silos” (included in the November– December 2011 issue of American Scientist) articulated the potential of team science to for Canada and $16.00 for any other solve the complex problems that society faces. American Scientist has always included international address) with your dues articles that reflect interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research, but this white paper payment. Please indicate you are ordering a was the first in what will become a series of articles through which Sigma Xi will print subscription with the extra payment. promote team science in its flagship publication. Finally, I was delighted to be part of Sigma Xi’s first all-member leadership election. • Mail: Mail your request for a print During the 2010 Annual Meeting, the bylaws were amended so that the election of subscription with your check or credit card Society officers, directors, associate directors and members of nomination committees number and expiration date to would be open to all active (dues-paying) members and associate members. Previously, only the designated chapter delegates who attended the annual meetings were allowed Sigma Xi to vote. The first all-member voting occurred right after the 2011 Annual Meeting, and Member Print Subscriptions more than 5,500 members participated. For a first-time electronic ballot, the turnout P.O. Box 13982 was very impressive—a testament to the interest and involvement of our membership. I thank all of my fellow members for giving me this opportunity to serve as your Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 president for the past year. Although we accomplished an enormous amount, we have Questions? Please call 800-243-6534, much more to achieve. I know that I leave this Society in the very capable “global hands” of our international members and chapters, along with our incoming president, 919-549-4691 or send an e-mail to Kelly O. Sullivan. [email protected]. • Michael Crosby www.sigmaxi.org 2012 May-June 269 Marye Anne Fox to Receive 2012 McGovern Award

enowned that promotes innovation through university- for Research in 1994. During the same chemist and industry partnerships. During Fox’s tenure, period, she served on the National Science Radministrator the campus supported 62 start-up companies Board; as its vice chair, she helped convince Marye Anne Fox and founded a magnet middle school as well congress in 1995 to rethink the National believes in changing as a biotechnology training facility. Science Foundation’s budget, turning a careers every 10 years “As the first woman to serve as the proposed cut into a 7 percent increase. or so. “You have to be chancellor of North Carolina State These and other wide-ranging inventive and inspired,” University, Dr. Fox also served as a role accomplishments have been recognized she says. “You give model for woman researchers and, indeed, through Fox’s election to membership in your best contributions women in general,” a colleague noted in the National Academy of Sciences and in the first half or two-thirds of any period.” nominating Fox for the McGovern Award. the American Philosophical Society, and That approach has worked for Fox, who is the Fox began her career as a chemist, to fellowships in the American Academy recipient of Sigma Xi’s 2012 John P. McGovern coauthoring her first peer-reviewed of Arts and Sciences and the American Science and Society Award. Each year, the publication in 1971, based on work she Association for the Advancement of award honors a prominent spokesperson for conducted as an undergraduate. She was Science. She has been a member of Sigma the public understanding and appreciation of drawn to the field by “the idea of making Xi since 1998, and served as president of science—a role Fox has adopted throughout molecules that never existed before and the society from 2001 to 2002. In 2010, her varied career. studying their properties,” she says. Fox received the National Medal of Science, Fox currently serves as chancellor and After completing her Ph.D. in chemistry the highest honor bestowed by the United distinguished professor of chemistry at the at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, States government on scientists, engineers University of California San Diego, where and a postdoc at the University of Maryland, and inventors. she has supervised one of the university’s Fox developed an independent research Fox plans to make her next career move largest periods of growth. Since her program as faculty at the University of Texas in June 2012, when she will step down appointment as chancellor in 2004, the at Austin. Her work, in the field of physical as chancellor of the UC San Diego. Her university achieved an ambitious $1 billion organic chemistry, focused on how light next target: “Science education in the campaign goal, established new research and activates organic molecules—especially those United States is increasingly challenged,” partnership ventures and increased student on surfaces—making them conductive. The she says. “We don’t have a good platform enrollment by about 5,000. results have led directly to improvements on which to build interrelationships Before accepting her appointment at San in applications such as solar cells and self- between scientists and science educators.” Diego, Fox served for six years as chancellor cleaning hospital paints. In the spirit of keeping her ideas fresh and and distinguished university professor of Fox’s administrative career also began inspired, she plans to not only resume her chemistry at North Carolina State University. at the University of Texas, where she was chemistry research, but also address science There she oversaw expansion of the appointed Waggoner Regents Chair in education—from kindergarten through university’s Centennial Campus, a facility Chemistry in 1991 and Vice President college—on a national level. •

Procter Prize Grant Awarded to Behtash Behin-Aein

nyone whose laptop gets too Aein says. Not only is it inefficient, it risks With his adviser hot to hold has encountered the melting the computer chips themselves. and colleagues, Aproblem of the leaky transistor. At Globalfoundries, a company that Behin-Aein played a These minute switches, of which there are manufactures chips, Behin-Aein is a key role in proposing millions in any laptop or smart phone, “computational theory guy,” he says. Using an all-spin logic lose energy as heat. That’s the issue that models and simulations, he develops better device. Unlike drives the research of Behtash Behin-Aein, transistors by varying their structure and today’s devices, a senior engineer at Globalfoundries in composition. You won’t find evidence which perform Sunnyvale, California, and the winner of his work in your next laptop, but he operations by switching the charge of of Sigma Xi’s $5,000 2011 Procter Prize expects his results to make a difference in transistors using charge currents, an all-spin Grant-in-Aid of Research. five to ten years. device would switch the polarization of “Thirty years ago, you could put Behin-Aein’s Ph.D. research, which he magnets using spin currents. A computer 5,000 switches on a chip,” Behin-Aein completed in 2010 at Purdue University based on these devices should be more says. “Now we can put 2 billion.” The in Indiana, was even more futuristic. As efficient—and generate less heat—than miniaturization of transistors contributes part of the university-industry consortium one based on transistors. to the increasing power and complexity of known as the Nanoelectronics Research Behin-Aein was selected for the Procter electronics, but each imperfect switch still Initiative, Behin-Aein joined in the search Prize Grant by his Ph.D. adviser Supriyo loses heat. “The power dissipation problem for “the next switch”—technology that Datta, a physicist, engineer, and winner of is bothering us more and more,” Behin- could supplant the transistor entirely. Sigma Xi’s 2011 Procter Prize. •

270 Thomas Acker Becomes 2012-2013 President-elect

President emeritus of Wheeling Jesuit named Wheeling Jesuit University, University, Thomas Acker (SX 1959) it was the only higher-education received his Ph.D. from Stanford institution in West Virginia listed in University in 1961 before being ordained the top category in any classification as a Jesuit priest. In 2010, he was elected by U.S. News and World Report. president of Sigma Xi’s Greenbrier Valley U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Chapter and and last year was voted encouraged Acker to relocate to president-elect designee of the Society. He southern West Virginia, one of the is a Collaborating Scientist at the Center poorest and educationally starved for Conservation Biology in Stanford regions of the country. He became University's Department of Biology. CEO of Forward Southern West The following article is based on his Thomas Acker laughing with James Baur, past-president, Virginia and Chairman and CEO of candidate’s statement and a telephone at the 2011 Annual Meeting. The Higher Education Foundation. In interview. these roles he built a new public higher zealous research as our motto proclaims.” homas Acker education campus and convinced four And he continues that he means not just says that human public college presidents to take up cooperation with Sigma Xi members, but environments educational residence. “In addition T with all scientists and engineers. of need and struggle we obtained 30 million dollars of are his calling. He has “I think about all that the late Norman (major grants) for a health clinic in an extensive background and success Borlaug accomplished. No one specialty rural West Virginia and a transportation in managing growth and revitalization can make it work. You need multiple center in Beckley. projects. partners to bring scientific discoveries to “Over the years I oversaw successful action. It could be a good focus for Sigma “Sigma Xi must recognize the capital campaigns and raised more than Xi—to develop active partnerships for the continuously evolving atmosphere in 250 million dollars. My developed style betterment of people and the planet.” which science and engineering research of deep personal participation and active is supported and conducted and must His appointment years ago to Nepal as a solicitation of willing coworkers has refocus to remain viable and relevant and Fulbright Professor led him into working been successful in the chapter and all reach 150 years in 2036,” he says. with struggling groups. He was asked by my previous management assignments. the vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University These leadership and management posts Coordinated science and engineering are to recast the higher education biology have prepared me for an imminent new the stuff of Sigma Xi. “The community curriculum for the country and convince assignment, which is to help energize of scientists needs Sigma Xi as a leading the professors to adopt and embrace the the faith and hope of the community in promoter for a robust and coordinated improved program. “This project required Youngstown, Ohio, a city still reeling from science and engineering approach to the three creative and persuasive years,” Acker the loss of its steel industry.” world’s myriad technical needs,” he notes. says, “and became the successful front What of Sigma Xi’s future? “Sigma Xi “I know of no other similar scientific runner for similar academic shifts in other must clearly redefine and state its niche, organization that fits this role so aptly,” disciplines in Nepal.” address retention, grow in membership he continues. “The Society’s members, so When he accepted the post of president of and resolve its financial burden. The key diverse in disciplines, gender, age, culture, Wheeling College, most people assumed to success is to complete a few critical tasks career stage and accumulated knowledge, he was there to close the institution. well, not advance many issues half way. present a unique resource of understanding Enrollment was plummeting, the and influence.” “I want to work with the Society leadership buildings were decaying and the school and staff,” he continues, “to focus Acker says his background has prepared had a deficit budget and no endowment. consistently for three years at a time on him to implement a continuing effort to He left after 18 progressive years with the essential features for vibrant growth. It is refocus and evolve Sigma Xi in the shifting highest enrollment in the school’s history, important for Sigma Xi to prosper. Together and challenging science environment. The seven new buildings and eight buildings we can energize a key association in service world today doesn’t have the resources rebuilt, positive budgets for 17 years and to our members’ nations and to our planet to compete. “We need to build a spirit an endowment of 18 million dollars. Now through the coordinated communities of of cooperation—to be companions in science and engineering.” • www.sigmaxi.org 2012 May-June 271 National Academy of Engineering Elects 34 Sigma Xi Members

hirty-four Sigma Xi members were among Steven M. Gorelick (SX 1980), Cyrus F. Babatunde A. Ogunnaike (SX 2005), interim the 66 new members and ten foreign Tolman Professor, department of environmental dean; William L. Friend Chair of Chemical Tassociates elected in February to the earth system science, Stanford University. Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark. National Academy of Engineering. For optimization techniques and transport For advances in process systems, process models for groundwater and remediation of engineering practice, and systems engineering New Members contaminated aquifers. education. Richard Hogg (SX 1971), professor emeritus Leonard Pinchuk (SX 1979), cofounder, Michael I. Baskes (SX 1966), adjunct professor, of mineral processing and geoenvironmental president, and chief executive officer, Innovia department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Pennsylvania State University. For LLC and Related Companies, Miami, Florida. engineering, University of California, San Diego. contributions to the science and engineering For development of biomedical polymeric For contributions to the embedded atom method of coagulation and flocculation in particulate materials for angioplasty balloons, drug-eluting for predicting the structure and properties of systems. stents, and other devices. metals and alloys. Ray R. Irani (SX 1957), executive chairman, Andrea Prosperetti (SX 1973), Charles A. Barbara D. Boyan (SX 1987), professor; Price Occidental Petroleum Corp., Los Angeles, Miller, Jr. Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Gilbert Jr. Chair in Tissue Engineering; associate California. For leadership in the petrochemical Johns Hopkins University. For contributions dean for research, College of Engineering, industry and processes for applications of to the fundamentals and applications of Georgia Institute of Technology. For engineering particulate systems. multiphase flows. implant technologies for bone and cartilage repair. James W. Jones (SX 1978), distinguished Scott J. Shenker (SX 1978), professor, Max William Carbon (SX 1944), professor professor, department of agricultural and electrical engineering and computer science emeritus of nuclear engineering, University biological engineering, University of Florida. department, University of California, Berkeley. of Wisconsin, Madison. For establishing For contributions to understanding climate For contributions to Internet design and engineering educational programs for nuclear change, environmental impacts, and sustainable architecture. reactor design and safety. agricultural systems. Christine A. Shoemaker (SX 1971), Jared L. Cohon (SX 1988), president and Mujid S. Kazimi (SX 1971), TEPCO Professor of Joseph P. Ripley Professor of Engineering, professor of civil and environmental engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Cornell University. For development of Carnegie Mellon University. For contributions Technology. For contributions to technologies for decision-making optimization algorithms for to environmental systems analysis and national the nuclear fuel cycle and reactor safety. environmental and water resources problems. policy and leadership in higher education. Richard Wilker Korsmeyer (SX 1982), senior Robert E. Skelton (SX 1974), Daniel L. James J. Coleman (SX 1975), Intel Alumni research fellow and head of business development Alspach Professor of Dynamic Systems and Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer and licensing for pharmaceutical sciences, Controls (emeritus) and director, Structural Engineering, professor of materials science and Pfizer Inc., New London, Connecticut. For Systems and Control Laboratory, University engineering, and director of the Semiconductor contributions to drug delivery formulations and of California, San Diego. For contributions Laser Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana- medical devices. to robust control, system identification, and Champaign. For contributions to semiconductor Helmut Krawinkler (SX 1978), John A. Blume methodology for control-structure interaction. lasers and photonic materials. Professor Emeritus of Engineering, Stanford David A. Stahl (SX 1977), professor, Louis Anthony (Tony) Cox Jr. (SX 1985), University. For development of performance- department of civil and environmental president, Cox Associates, Denver, Colorado. based earthquake engineering procedures for engineering, University of Washington, Seattle. For applications of operations research and risk evaluating and rehabilitating buildings. For application of molecular microbial ecology analysis to significant national problems. Henrique S. Malvar (SX 1986), chief scientist to environmental engineering. Supriyo Datta (SX 2011), Thomas Duncan and distinguished engineer, Microsoft Research, Michael S. Waterman (SX 1966), University Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Redmond, Washington. For contributions to Professor, USC Associates Chair in Natural Computer Engineering, Purdue University. multiresolution signal processing and multimedia Sciences, and professor of biological sciences, For quantum transport modeling in nanoscale signal compression and standards. computer science, and mathematics, University electronic devices. Tobin J. Marks (SX 1970), Charles E. and of Southern California. For development of William P. Delaney (SX 1957), Director's Office Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry, computational methods for DNA and protein Fellow, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Northwestern University. For innovation in sequence analyses. Massachusetts. For contributions to radar systems electronic, photonic, and photovoltaic materials K. Dane Wittrup (SX 1988), C.P. Dubbs for national defense. and catalytic polymerization. Professor of Chemical and Biological Elazer R. Edelman (SX 1979), Thomas D. Diane M. McKnight (SX 1977), fellow of the Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of and Virginia W. Cabot Professor of Health Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and Technology. For developments in protein Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, protein expression, and Institute of Technology. For contributions to engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder. quantitative pharmacology. the design, development, and regulation of For elucidating the interrelationship between Steven J. Zinkle (SX 1985), UT-Battelle local cardiovascular drug delivery and drug- natural organic matter and heavy metals in Corporate Fellow and director, Materials eluting stents. streams and lakes. Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge James R. Fienup (SX 1975), Robert E. Hopkins Antonios Georgios Mikos (SX 1985), Louis National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Professor of Optics; professor, University of Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical For advancing understanding of radiation Rochester. For development and applications of and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University. damage in metallic and ceramic components. phase retrieval algorithms. For advances in tissue engineering, regenerative Peter W. Glynn (SX 1984), Thomas W. Ford medicine, biomaterials, and drug delivery, New Foreign Associate Professor and chair, management science and including development of biodegradable polymers. engineering department, Stanford University. For Chao-Han Liu (SX 1963), distinguished Richard K. Miller (SX 1975), president and visiting scholar, Academia Sinica, Taipei, contributions to simulation methodology and professor of mechanical engineering, Franklin stochastic modeling. Taiwan. For contributions to ionospheric W. Olin College of Engineering. For establishing research and international leadership in a new paradigm for undergraduate engineering atmospheric remote sensing. education and establishment of Olin College. • 272