The State of the Society
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The State of the Society The Materials Research Society had a challenging but successful year in 1991. The Society responded well to the realities of a gênerai économie downturn, controlling expenses while maintaining vitality and important services. Overall growth was slower than in previous years, but the year ended on a particularly positive note with a record-breaking number of abstracts submitted for the 1991 Fall Meeting. Significant new initiatives were undertaken in public affairs and éducation. The Society is healthy and well positioned for a successful 1992. MRS faced an awkward situation in 1991. While indicators of Society activity continued to be positive, a worrisome trend of growth in expenses outpacing growth in revenues had developed over several years. Unchecked, this trend could hâve threatened our financial stability. Ironically, much of the problem was related to the extraordinary success of Journal of Materials Research. The JMR page count simply grew too fast to provide the Journal to members within the existing dues structure. Replacing JMR by JMR Abstracts as a member benefit in 1992 will correct this situation and allow the Journal to grow without becoming a burden. Additional actions were taken in other project areas to bring expenses and revenues into balance. Thèse actions hâve reversed the négative trend and provide a sound financial basis for the future. MRS achieved significant growth and impact in its public affairs activities in 1991. The MRS Office of Public Affairs in Washington, DC sponsored a meeting of the Congressional Advanced Materials Caucus, arranged a briefing by Représentative George Brown (Chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee) at the Washington Materials Forum, and coordinated MRS responses to proposed materials and ethics législation. The first Washington Materials Forum was organized by MRS in conjunction with the Spring Forum of the Solid State Sciences Committee of the National Research Council. This successful meeting was cosponsored by eight materials-related societies. MRS members played a leading rôle in preparing a report for the President's sci-
ence adviser on the results of the régional meetings held to find ways to implement the recommendations of the National Research Council's comprehensive science and engineering study. This report, A National Agenda in Materials Science and Engineering, was published by MRS. MRS volunteers continued to lead the Society in exciting new directions in 1991. Activities in several committees to promote precollege interest in scientific and technical careers were combined in a Grassroots Education Effort. This group, open to ail members, has adopted the aggressive goal of having at least 500 MRS members productively involved in the enhancement of local precollege science éducation by 1995. Other volunteers completed the MRS-2000 Long Range Plan, providing a roadmap for the Society's development over the next décade. A significantly enhanced awards program was undertaken, and the first MRS Outstandin
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