Dear AAAS Members,

As 2008 draws to a close, our past year of innovative programs serves as a springboard to a new year of initiatives to meet expanding global challenges.

The new AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy was established to enhance collaboration between the scientific and foreign policy communities in working to advance global science and international relations. We launched the AAAS-Chinese Academy of Sciences Distinguished Lectureship series, initially addressing sustainability. In a rare meeting with the Chinese premier in Beijing, AAAS officials marked the 30th anniversary of our first delegation to China. In Shanghai, we addressed conferences on both science diplomacy and science education. During a high-level meeting in Vietnam, AAAS signed a joint agreement with S&T leaders to develop new research and education initiatives. We traveled to the UK and Ireland to strengthen cross-Atlantic efforts on climate and energy. Science for All Japanese, a translation of our Science for All Americans, shared our education concepts for science literacy. AAAS international initiatives also included collaborating with Rwanda to provide science education curriculum materials as the country expands its S&T capabilities.

Sound science policy is essential to advancing the global economy and promoting worldwide innovation. Early in the year, we launched our US Election 2008 website to examine and track the candidates’ positions on S&T issues. Our annual Leadership Forum in S&T Policy brought together diplomatic, educational, governmental, and private sector officials to address the global financial crisis and the impact of the US election. Throughout the year, we tracked the federal budget and R&D funding, adding the new AAAS Policy Alert, which is distributed weekly to all AAAS members.

The underpinning of advancing science is, of course, science education that instills interest both for those likely to pursue science careers and for the broader citizenry. AAAS develops materials for students, teachers, and school boards; sponsors programs for underrepresented minorities and students with disabilities; and keeps educators at the forefront of fast-changing scientific fields. Recently, we co-hosted a major conference on undergraduate biology education. AAAS relaunched Science Careers, adding enhanced features to our comprehensive online resource for career development and job search, and we redoubled our Outreach Program efforts with additional career fairs, seminars, and workshops. To advance public education and the dialogue on S&T, we introduced a new website, Communicating Science: Tools for Scientists and Engineers.

Science welcomed Bruce Alberts as the 18th Editor-in-Chief since the journal’s founding in 1880. Science’s STKE became Science Signaling and now includes primary peer-reviewed research.

We applaud the four AAAS members who received 2008 Nobel Prizes in the areas of Physiology or Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry. We also applaud our entire membership of innovators who, each year, joins us in advancing science to serve society.

I wish a very pleasant holiday season to one and all.


Sincerely,

Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS