Bridging Science and Society aaas annual report | 2010 The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science (www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer- reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org, the premier science- news Web site, a service of AAAS. American Association for the Advancement of Science 1200 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 USA Tel: 202-326-6440 For more information about supporting AAAS, Please e-mail [email protected], or call 202-326-6636. The cover photograph of bridge construction in Kafue, Zambia, was captured in August 2006 by Alan I. Leshner. Bridge enhancements were intended to better connect a grass airfield with the Kafue National Park to help foster industry by providing tourists with easier access to new ecotourism camps. [FSC MixedSources logo / Rainforest Alliance Certified / 100 percent green power logo] table of Contents 2 Welcome Letter by Peter Agre and Alan I. Leshner 4 Public Statements on Key Issues 6 AAAS Worldwide 8 Science Education and Careers 10 Science Policy and Society 12 Science, Technology and Congress 14 Science, Technology and Security Policy 16 Science Breakthroughs 17 Other Science Developments 18 Media and Public Engagement 20 Special Gifts and Projects 2010 22 AAAS Awards and Prizes 24 AAAS Fellows 26 Acknowledgment of Contributors and Patron Members 36 Financial Summary 37 AAAS Board of Directors, Officers and Information Welcome from the AAAS Chair, peter agre, and the Ceo, alan I. leshner Science and technology ignite imaginations and spark offer further details on the many contributions of innovation, bridging barriers throughout our global the AAAS International Office. society. For children everywhere, a high-quality Outreach of a different sort helped the associa- science education and positive early experiences with tion engage with diverse audiences at an array science and technology can serve as bridges toward a of free public events in 2010. Children learned productive, more prosperous future. Similarly, science about chemistry by writing “secret messages,” for diplomacy helps span regional differences, easing instance, and they explored plant biology by making adversarial relations as researchers collaboratively “living necklaces” as part of Family Science Days seek to leverage science in service of society. during the 2010 AAAS Annual Meeting. Similarly, AAAS efforts to build bridges between sci- youngsters who visited AAAS activities at the White ence and society in 2010 included programmatic House Easter Egg Roll played a seed-naming game, contributions in the realms of science diplomacy, investigated the structure of beans, and peered science education and policy, public engagement through microscopes at lentils, pea sprouts, tulips, with science and technology, and much more. The and crabapple flowers. A “Science Inside You” booth association also continued to ramp up the volume of at the USA Science & Engineering Festival prompted its public statements on issues ranging from climate visitors to test their reaction times, and a “Meet the change and international research cooperation to Scientists” speaker-series encouraged one-on-one federal investment in research and development, as encounters between scientists and the public. reported on pages 4-5. Communication of science to the broader public Delegations from AAAS visited Myanmar remained critical to the AAAS mission. AAAS pursued (Burma), East Africa, and India, building on earlier that goal through its highly regarded science com- science diplomacy trips to Cuba and the Democratic munication training program as well as media-related People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). Continuing activities, and by convening scientists, engineers, conversations in these and other regions are part and policymakers to advance discourse on key top- of an ambitious effort, spearheaded by the AAAS ics. Six communication training workshops served Center for Science Diplomacy, to speed economic 546 scientists and engineers in 2010. EurekAlert!, progress by helping to coordinate the activities and the science-news service for reporters and public standards of diverse scientific communities. Key information officers, posted 22,156 news releases, ethical issues related to science—from misconduct bringing its total to 166,118 by press time. Meanwhile, and conflicts of interest to methods for training Science Update, the association’s popular weekly ra- ethics educators—are the focus of joint efforts by dio program, celebrated its 500th show. Turn to pages AAAS and international partners such as the China 18-19 for more information on public engagement and Association for Science and Technology. Pages 6-7 media-focused activities. 2 AAAS Annual Report 2010 Project 2061, the association’s renowned briefings and provided other critical guidance science-literacy initiative, continues to push for on global climate change, federal R&D funding improved curriculum and assessment materials in trends, strategies for promoting advances likely the United States while collaborating with educa- to spur innovation, and other topics, as reported tors in China, Shanghai, Seoul, Kigali, Rwanda, on page 12. Turn to page 14 for news about an- and other regions. AAAS Education and Human other center focusing on Science, Technology and Resources staff are also working to strengthen Security Policy. science, technology, engineering, and mathemat- In-depth reporting on efforts to combat ics education for girls and traditionally underrep- malaria and tuberculosis, the description of a resented students, including those with dis- new species, Australopithecus sediba, and a abilities. All such efforts work hand-in-hand with special “Insights of the Decade & Breakthrough Science Careers, the association’s comprehensive of the Year” edition were just a few of the portal for job applicants, grant seekers, and contributions by the Science journals—Science, recruiting employers. Read more about education Science Translational Medicine, and Science and career initiatives on pages 8-9. Signaling. See pages 16-17 for details on the AAAS Science and Policy Programs convened Science Prize for Online Resources in Education, another stellar Forum on Science and Technology too. The prize helps promote science literacy by Policy. Since 1975, the gold-standard event has recognizing outstanding projects worldwide that offered a precise “snapshot” of what’s happen- bring freely available online resources to bear on ing on Capitol Hill, while encouraging direct science education. interaction between the scientific and policy More than a half-century after the launch communities. Also in 2010, the largest-ever class of Sputnik, the Soviet satellite that triggered a of AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows global innovation race, the scientific community is was dispatched to work in Congress and execu- again poised to speed life-changing medical and tive branch agencies and departments, provid- technological advances. With support from its ing critical support related to HIV/AIDS, global diverse membership and donors, AAAS continues climate change, post-earthquake survival in Haiti, to promote international research collaboration and more. See pages 10-11 for more information while building essential bridges between scien- on the remarkable spectrum of AAAS programs tists, the public, and policymakers. In this way, related to science policy. we are working together to speed life-changing The AAAS Center for Science, Technology and medical and technological advances Congress implemented dozens of policymaker Peter Agre Alan I. Leshner AAAS Chair (2010-2011) and AAAS CEO and Director, Malaria Research institute, Executive Publisher, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School Science, Science Translational of Public Health Medicine, and Science Signaling Bridging Science and Society 3 Public Statements ON KEY Issues AAAS outreach activities including letters of commendation as well as protest, testimony before Congress,Section and op-ed H articleseader helped promote public discourse on key science and technology-based issues in 2010. Public statements addressed issues such as global climate change,Intro the text... importance of science literacy and diplomacy, and the need for adequate research and development funding. GLOBAL ClIMATE CHANGe sCIENCe aCROSS BORDERS 11 May. Amid escalating challenges to climate 7 February. AAAS teamed up with three other orga- change science, AAAS convened an authoritative nizations—the Association of American Universi- panel of scientists for a Capitol Hill briefing on ties, the Association of Public and Land-grant the topic. They presented an array of research Universities and the Council on Governmental findings that show a clear human link to global Relations—to weigh in on the issue of export climate disruptions. controls