AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY 2016 ANNUAL REPORT TM The American Physical Society strives to Be the leading voice for physics and an authoritative source of physics information for the advancement of physics and the benefit of humanity; Provide effective programs in support of the physics community and the conduct of physics; Collaborate with national scientific societies for the advancement of science, science education, and the science community; Cooperate with international physics societies to promote physics, to support physicists worldwide, and to foster international collaboration; Promote an active, engaged and diverse membership, and support the activities of its units and members. Cover Images: Image in blue rectangle: Disorder-induced two-step melting of vortex matter in Co-intercalated NbSe2 single crystals [S. C. Ganguli et al., Phys. Rev. B 93, 144503 (2016)]. Image in green rectangle: Tight detection efficiency bounds of Bell tests in no-signaling theories [Z. Cao and T. Peng, Phys. Rev. A 94, 042126 (2016)]. Image in gold rectangle: Measurement of the circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers confirms emission mechanisms [O. Scholten et al., Phys. Rev. D 94, 103010 (2016)]. Image in red rectangle: Low-temperature Hall effect in bismuth chalcogenides thin films [A. Yu. Kuntsevich et al., Phys. Rev. B 94, 235401 (2016)]. © 2017 AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY This is an extraordinarily exciting time in physics. 2016 saw the confirmation of the existence of gravitational waves, 100 years after Einstein’s prediction. The scientific paper announcing this discovery was published in the APS flagship journal, Physical Review Letters. Following several years after the observational evidence for the existence of the Higgs Boson at CERN, the LIGO announcement continues to confirm that there are exciting physics discoveries ahead. In 2016, we awarded our first APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research to the distinguished physicist Edward Witten. This past year APS also recognized 50 other prize and award winners for contributions to forefront research, education, and outreach activities. The APS Council elected 248 members to Fellowship in the Society and 146 individuals were honored as Outstanding Referees for APS journals. Representatives from both the APS and European Physical Society (EPS) leadership presented a plaque at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, designating that institution as the first joint APS/EPS historic site in the U.S. We have continued our efforts to advocate for a diverse, inclusive community of physicists. The Ad Hoc Committee on LGBT Issues released the LGBT Climate in Physics: Building an Inclusive Community report, with a number of recommendations for making the physics workplace more welcoming and inclusive for LGBT physicists. With the goal of increasing the number of underrepresented minorities graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics, APS, on the advice of its Committee on Minorities and with the endorsement of the APS Council, has initiated the National Mentoring Community (NMC). The NMC held its second conference at the University of Houston in October, 2016. In the area of education, I have been exploring how undergraduates might have more opportunities to do research at international facilities, given the declining number of large facilities in high-energy physics in the U.S. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as president of the American Physical Society. My sincere thanks are extended to the staff of APS and our outstanding members. Sincerely yours, Homer A. Neal 2016 APS President © 2017 AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY APS Membership in 2016 NUMBER OF APS MEMBERS 54,029 74% 15% 11% male female no data AGE DISTRIBUTION OF APS MEMBERS 23% 17% 14% 12% 12% 11% 11% 3030 & underunder 31-4031-40 41-5041-50 51-6051-60 61-7061-70 71-8071-80 nono datadata 4 | American Physical Society | 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 248 APS FELLOWS 38 female 210 male APS MEMBERS RESIDED IN 109 COUNTRIES Middle East & Central & Canada N. Africa S. Africa 3% Latin America <1% & Caribbean 1% Western Asia & 76% 1% Europe <1% the Pacific United States Eastern & Territories 9% Europe 9% Be a Leading Voice for Physics The APS objective is to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics, and the Society prides itself on hosting the top collection of physics research journals—the Physical Review family— which publishes the most important physics research. Representing over 54,000 members working in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the U.S. and throughout the world, APS also provides opportunities for our diverse group to support their passions. This past year, advocacy groups for political outreach and industry made a huge impact. 6 | American Physical Society | 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Growing the Physical Review Family Policy and Advocacy in Action APS started 2016 with the launch of Physical Review The APS Office of Public Affairs (OPA) continued to be Fluids. Endorsed by the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, at the forefront of physics in action — OPA developed the journal is dedicated to research that helps advance two policy recommendations that were addressed in our understanding of fluid dynamics. Physical Review U.S. congressional legislation and adopted by executive Fluids continues the quality that APS journals are known branch agencies, creating a powerful voice for physics for; the journal staff and editorial board vetted over in government. In response to the soaring cost of 700 peer-reviewed submissions since its inception, and helium in 2016, OPA generated bipartisan action in published eight issues in its first volume. This SCI- the U.S. House Committee on National Resources to indexed, online journal, now with over 280 accepted conserve and advance the nation’s helium reserves. submissions, is an ideal complement to the Physical OPA also worked with select members of Congress Review collection. to advance legislative proposals in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, signed into law by In 2016, Physical Review Letters, the most-cited President Obama. For over 2,000 members who sought physics journal in the world, published an extraordinary involvement at the political level, OPA hosted grassroots paper reporting the first detection of gravitational advocacy efforts across the U.S., contacting each waves at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave members’ elected officials through meetings, phone calls, Observatory (LIGO). Authors gain high visibility and social media, and op-eds. broad dissemination of their work when publishing with Physical Review Letters, and the research became To provide additional input to the Society about physics a worldwide historic event overnight—the editorial in the private sector, APS formed the Industrial Physics office reported 10,000 hits per minute on the journal Advisory Board (IndBoard), with the help of the APS server. This discovery, 100 years after the prediction Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics. IndBoard will of gravitational waves by Einstein, provided the first work with OPA to create statements, reports, and provide observational evidence that black hole binary systems input on future policies. Scientists at Ford, General can form and merge in the universe. APS and the Electric, IBM, Texas Instruments, and other private editorial board of Physical Review Letters were proud companies make up the body of IndBoard. They are to include this ground-breaking research in the Physical supporting a report, The Impact of Industrial Physics on Review family. the U.S. Economy, to be issued in late 2017. New Leadership at the Journals Worldwide Recognition APS welcomed Pierre Meystre as editor in chief, Matthew In 2016, science stories promoted through APS media Salter as publisher, Hugues Chaté as lead editor of relations efforts appeared globally, in print and online. Physical Review Letters, Jean-Michel Raimond and Cristina Marchetti as lead editors of Physical Review X, and John Kim and Gary Leal as lead editors of Physical Review Fluids. Facing image: Ricky Farfan, a graduate of the PhysTEC program at Georgia State University, teaches physics at a public school in Atlanta. Provide Effective Programs Connecting our members to the right tools to further their careers begins with the programs started by APS. With new initiatives added each year, APS fosters coalitions, meetings, and awards to support our members’ careers and interests. 8 | American Physical Society | 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Strong Focus on Education Highlighting Diverse Career Options APS launched the PIPELINE program to develop new Career-related events in 2016 included undergraduate methods for teaching innovation and entrepreneurship research sessions, panels on non-academic careers, in physics. Six institutions: the University of Colorado at and a graduate school fair. At the APS March Meeting Denver, George Washington University, Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland, an industry career panel and a of Maryland, Rochester Institute of Technology, College career workshop attracted nearly 300 graduate students of William and Mary, and Wright State University are and 180 postdocs. developing new methods to prepare students for careers as scientists and innovators in the private sector. A Raymond Beausoleil, the 2016 recipient of the grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will Distinguished Lectureship on the Applications of Physics support these institutions for three years, allowing them Award, delivered five lectures