Finance Committee Meets Challenge of Rapid Society Growth
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Long-Range Planning Committee Steers Society's Expansion Woody White* Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The year 1985 is a very active year for the Society's Long-Range Planning Committee. This Committee is charged with the responsibility of giving careful consideration to the long-range goals and objectives of the Materials Research Society, and for suggesting ways and means to achieve these objectives. The last few years have been a time of very rapid growth in the membership and activities of the MRS. This growth shows no signs of leveling off, and consequently the work of the LongRange Planning Committee becomes even more crucial to the orderly evolution of MRS. Some of the important issues facing MRS at this time concern the type of activities the Society will provide to the materials research community in the future, and the financial obligation these activities will entail. For the first time, the committee is attempting to project the size and activities of MRS several years into the future, so that we can have a realistic estimate of the permanent staff and Headquarters space necessary to provide the services. Under active study is the question of whether MRS should purchase a building to house MRS Headquarters. The present Headquarters was established in Pittsburgh only two years ago, but already the staff has been
Woody White expanded twice and the Headquarters has now completely outgrown the rental space it occupies. As part of this study, the Committee is considering ways in which MRS might finance the purchase of a Headquarters building, and methods are being explored to identify additional sources of revenue to support ongoing activities. Additional activities of the Long-Range Planning Committee include: (l) identifying other topical areas to be included in future MRS meetings to provide broader topical coverage; (2) exploring ways to more actively involve university faculty with MRS; (3) contributing to the further development of MRS as a truly international organization by providing encouragement for MRSstyle activities in other geographical regions; and (4) contributing to a significant expansion of the MRS Awards Program. MRS is undergoing rapid growth because the Society provides a necessary service to
the materials research community. Through its meetings, short courses, MRS BULLETIN, conference proceedings, and the newly established Journal of Materials Research, the Society provides forums for the dissemination of information on interdisciplinary materials research. Many of these activities were begun following suggestions and guidance provided by the Long-Range Planning Committee. If the Society is to provide additional services to the community in the future, this Committee must anticipate several years in advance additional services and activities that will be required. The Committee attempts to do this by carefully considering the future needs of the materials research profession and then suggesting ways in which the Materials Research Society can satisfy those needs. The Long-Range Plann
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