Candidate Statement: Stella Kafka



Nominated Office: Nominating Committee

Affiliation: AAVSO

Position/title: Director

PhD institution: Indiana University (2015)

Areas of scientific interest:

  • Cataclysmic Variables
  • Active low-mass stars

AAS positions: n/a

Other relevant positions and experience: n/a

Candidate Statement: As the AAVSO director, I have a deep understanding and first-hand experience of the significance of a strong council. The AAS officers and council members have decision-making powers regarding matters of policy, direction, strategy, and governance of the organization. They define the scientific, educational and outreach directions of our community, ensuring the AAS vision and mission are realized. They formulate key policies and strategic goals, focusing both on near-term and longer-term challenges and opportunities. They are the backbone of the Society, determining its present and future based on the Society members’s needs in a challenging (professional and fiscal) landscape. They are the Society’s leaders, representatives and servants.

The first step to securing such a group of individuals, is to identify those whose skillset and commitment will best serve our community. As a member of the nominating committee, I pledge to ensure that the identified pool of candidates for both officers and council is representative of our diverse community and is committed to the AAS’s mission and growth.