Re: APS election ballot

[George Spagna <gspagna@rmc.edu>]

At 10:40 AM 7/3/96 -0700, Mark Shapiro wrote:
> 	I just received my American Physical Society 1997 election ballot 
> this morning, and noticed that nine of the candidates (for the 
> constitutional offices and the general council) are from major research 
> universities, two from national laboratories, and one from industry.  
> This seems to me to be unrepresentative of the membership at large.  It 
> surely is not the case that 82% of the membership of the APS is employed 
> at major research universities.  Many of us work in predominantly 
> undergraduate institutions, industry, and government.
>
> 	Why can't the leadership of the APS be more representative of its 
> membership?
Good point  -  I noticed the same thing.  Two thoughts occur, however: 

1.  Availability and willingness to serve, and perhaps being well-enough
known to those on the nominating committee as available and willing.

2.  Many of us in small institutions are not financially able; I compare
what I make with the means published by APS for PhDs 10 years out, and
sometimes wonder if I'm in the right line of work.

(Of course, I think I've aged more gracefully than my better-paid peers!)
George Spagna           **********************************************
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