Board of Trustees Meeting Highlights
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the AAS and is responsible for the management, direction, and control of the affairs and the property of the AAS. The Board meets in person four times a year; otherwise via monthly Zoom call. Meeting minutes are taken by the Secretary and also shared with the membership through the AAS Digest.
2024 Board Meetings
December | November | October | September | August | July | June | May | April | March | February | January
June 2024
The June 2024 meeting of the Board of Trustees was held in person at the AAS summer meeting in Madison, Wisconsin.
Board meetings now regularly include discussion and planning regarding "big issues,” and the big issue for this meeting was the value of AAS membership. This has been a major topic since May and has been explored through member surveys, discussions with the Strategic Assembly (the leadership of all AAS Divisions and Committees), and through the work of a subcommittee of the Board assigned to evaluate the membership benefits in the Society.
Many reports were presented to the Board by AAS staff and its Divisions and Committees: the final report of the Climate Change Task Force was presented by Chair Travis Rector; reports on the journals by Ethan Vishniac and Julie Steffen; reports on education and mentoring by Tom Rice; report on the Press Office by Susanna Kohler; report on public policy by Yaswant Devarakonda; financial reports by Kelly Clark; and investment updates by Acting Treasurer Jack Burns. Annual reports were presented by the Solar Physics Division and the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy.
The Consent Agenda included draft minutes of the previous meeting, an extension of the expiration date for AAS working groups, the 2025 calendar of Board meetings and reports, and the formation of the Unified Astronomical Thesaurus Working Group and the AAS Books Advisory Committee. It also included membership requests for the AAS prize committees, the Employment Committee, and the Beyond Academic Careers Advisory Committee.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on 11 July.
May 2024
AAS President Kelsey Johnson updated the Board on some recent concerns, including cuts in NSF funding for the Extremely Large Telescope and the Antarctic research program. On a happier note, she recognized that Board member Jane Rigby was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor for US citizens, and Jane is the first astronomer ever to receive this medal.
Chief Executive Officer Kevin Marvel brought some issues to the Board’s attention. These included the AAS journals' corridor information, generative AI content in manuscripts, and the need for a policy on the use of AI authorship tools for AAS activities. A subcommittee of the Board was formed to consider these issues in depth and bring recommendations to the Board at the June meeting.
Board meetings now regularly include discussion and planning regarding “Big Issues” and the big issue for this meeting was the value of AAS membership. The Board discussed whether more needs to be done to encourage young astronomers to join. The Board also considered ways to convince senior astronomers to remain active in the Society. A subcommittee was formed to delve into the issue and to bring this back at the June Board meeting.
Under New Business, the Board considered a proposal for managing annual reports from AAS Divisions and Committees in accordance with “best practices” for nonprofit Boards. The proposal will be revised and presented to the Board in June for adoption. The Division on Dynamical Astronomy proposed a revision of the Division bylaws and was approved by the Board.
The Consent Agenda included draft minutes of the previous meeting, annual reports by the Beyond Academic Careers Advisory Committee (BACAC) and Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA), and membership proposals from the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA). The Consent Agenda was approved.
The next Board meeting will be held in person on 8 June in Madison, Wisconsin.
April 2024
The Board of Trustees is required to meet in person four times a year — at the summer and winter AAS meetings, and in April and October. The April 2024 meeting was held on 12 and 13 April at the AAS Executive Office in Washington, DC.
The Consent Agenda included draft minutes of the previous meeting, annual reports by the Historical Astronomy Division and the Demographics Committee, and membership proposals from the Publications and Education committees. The Consent Agenda was approved.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel presented his 2024 first-quarter report, and the journals reports were given by Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac and Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen. An update on public policy was provided by Bahcall Fellow Yaswant Devarakonda. This was followed by a conversation with Mark Clampin (NASA) on the ramifications of reductions in the NASA budget on current and future space missions.
A proposal for expanding eligibility for participation in the Chambliss Student Poster competition was discussed by the Board. The decision was made to approve the proposed change, which would open the competition to all students without requiring AAS membership.
The Board also considered a proposal to establish a Working Group for International Students and Researchers in Astronomy (INTL-AST), brought forward by Trustee-at-Large Ashley VanderLey and Bahcall Fellow Yaswant Devarakonda. The new working group would provide the appropriate forum for discussion and recommendations on pertinent topics and would enable the AAS to support a large portion of its membership who begin their academic careers in the United States as international students or researchers. The Board approved this proposal.
A request was considered for providing anonymized attendance data from AAS meetings to the Climate Change Task Force and its collaborators, for the purpose of estimating the carbon footprint of AAS meetings. After a detailed discussion of privacy safeguards and appropriate use, the Board approved this request.
The rest of the meeting involved training for Board members on best practices for nonprofit boards, discussions of future concerns for the health of our profession, and reports from Board liaisons to Divisions and Committees of the AAS on how to improve the effectiveness of these assignments.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held in person on 8 May via Zoom.
March 2024
The March 2024 Board meeting was held via Zoom on 7 March. Along with the minutes of the February meeting, the Consent Agenda included annual reports from the Committee on Meetings and the Committee on Employment, a membership request from the Meetings Task Force, and a corrected self-evaluation from the AAS Journals Editor in Chief. The Consent Agenda was approved.
Julia Kamenetzky, Chair of the Committee on Employment, joined the meeting to answer questions about the committee's annual report.
Kelsey Johnson reported to the Board that the AAS public policy team went to Capitol Hill to speak with congressional staff about the budget. The group included Andrew Baker, Co-Chair of the Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy, Yaswant Devarakonda, John N. Bahcall Public Policy Fellow, and Bethany Johns, AAS Acting Director of Public Policy.
The Board had requested an update from the Climate Change Task Force, represented by its Chair, Travis Rector, and consultants they are working with to estimate the carbon footprint of the AAS, particularly about major AAS meetings. The task force plans to survey AAS members to collect data on key factors such as the number of meetings attended each year, distance traveled, and mode of transportation. The results of this survey, if approved by the Board, would be integrated into the planning of future meetings. The Board plans to discuss the information provided before deciding on approving the survey.
Dara Norman, President-Elect, led a discussion of AAS policies. In addition to reviewing existing policies, which are required at least every five years, there’s a need for new policies to enable the different components of the Society to accomplish their work. A small group of Board members agreed to work with Dara to write these policies and have them ready for Board approval in the near future.
Finally, the Board had asked for a report from the Astrobites team. Huei Sears and Allison Crisp joined the meeting and briefed the Board on the project, the graduate students who write the articles, and their growing audience. The Astrobites project is entirely independent of the AAS, but is highly valued by the astronomical community and engages many graduate students in public outreach and education.
The next Board meeting will be held in person on 12 and 13 April.
February 2024
The latest Board meeting was held via Zoom on 7 February. Besides the draft minutes of the previous Board meeting, the Consent Agenda included a proposal for the Graduate Admissions Task Force and a membership request from the Working Group on Preservation of Astronomical Heritage; the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility (DEIBA) Strategic Plan for the AIP Federation; a request from the Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment (COMPASSE) for endorsement of the European Space Agency's Zero Debris Charter; and the annual performance review of the Editor-in-Chief of the AAS journals. The Consent Agenda was approved.
President Kelsey Johnson reported on the recent legislative action alert, to which 550 AAS members responded. This was greatly appreciated, and it’s hoped that many more will respond to future alerts as we find that funding for astronomy is increasing in peril. Kelsey also shared the distressing news that the astronomy department at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro (UNCG) was facing possible closure. She planned to issue a letter immediately to UNCG to express strong support for their astronomy program.
Interim Treasurer Jack Burns was welcomed to the Board and presented a brief report. He informed the Board that Vanguard, which has managed the AAS investment portfolio for years, has decided to spin off its financial services to another company. The Board agreed to continue with the same team of advisors as they make the transition to the new company.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel reported that IOP Publishing has had some performance challenges with processing and publishing manuscripts. Performance will be closely and regularly monitored in the coming year.
Kevin also reported that the AAS legal counsel, Elinor Ramey, has moved to a new law firm. The Board approved continuing to rely on Ms. Ramey for legal advice following her move, unless the rates charged by her new company turn out to be excessive. The Society pays an hourly rate for legal advice rather than a retainer.
A proposal was presented to remove the restriction on Educator Affiliates to present meeting abstracts only on educational topics, in line with other member and affiliate classes. The Board approved this change. A second proposal was offered to establish a Task Force on AAS Meetings Workshops. This would be a short-term task force, presenting its findings in time for the June 2024 national meeting with the goal of increasing oversight and coordination in the approval of workshops at AAS meetings. The Board also approved this proposal.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held via Zoom on 7 March 2024.
January 2024
The January 2024 meeting was held in person at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside on 6 January. It began, as usual, with the Consent Agenda, which included draft minutes from the December 2023 Board meeting, annual reports from the Division of Planetary Sciences and the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy, an application for corporate membership from Cangnan Qiwei Craft of China; and the Publications Committee report. The Consent Agenda was approved.
During her update to the Board, President Kelsey Johnson reviewed the policy on masking for the upcoming meeting. Following a thoughtful discussion, the final decision was made to retain the existing policy of encouraging, but not requiring mask-wearing in crowded settings.
Travis Rector presented a report to the Board on the findings of the Climate Change Task Force; three Board liaisons — Ashley Vanderley, Jane Rigby, and Kelsey Johnson — also gave their reports on working with their assigned Divisions and Committees.
CEO Kevin Marvel presented the 4th quarterly report for the AAS Executive Office. He reported that there have been two recent hires: Sylvia Martinez, Director of Human Resources and DEI, and Shawn Gibbons, Financial Analyst and Payroll Specialist. A Finance and Operations Specialist has also been recruited.
The Executive Office reports also included updates by Press Officer Susanna Kohler on the activities of the Press Office; Education and Mentoring Specialist Tom Rice on the various projects and programs he oversees; Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac and Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen on AAS publications, and Deputy Director of Public Policy Bethany Johns and John Bahcall Public Policy Fellow Yaswant Devarakonda on current issues regarding appropriations, astronomy decadal advocacy, dark and quiet skies, and the latest report from the Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy. Sky & Telescope (S&T) Editor Peter Tyson reported on the magazine and the other endeavors of the S&T office.
CFOO Kelly Clark reported on the AAS investments for 2023, which performed well thanks to a strong stock market. The portfolio value on 31 December was $12.9 million, up from $11.2 million at the end of 2022.
Under New Business, the Board heard from Stephen Unwin on the work of the Meetings Task Force. The final report will be presented at the May Board meeting. Kate Follette presented the final report of the Early Career Task Force. Kelsey Johnson led a discussion on establishing task forces on Graduate Admissions and on Long-Term Threats to Astronomy. The Board also discussed the process of nominating honorary members of the Society and decided to review the rules, consider more possible nominees, and revisit this topic at the June 2024 Board meeting.
Finally, the Board considered the recommendation of the Russian Authors Task Force, which was appointed to explore the legal ramifications of publishing manuscripts submitted to the AAS by sanctioned authors or authors from sanctioned institutions. The Board approved some of the recommended policies.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on 7 February.
2023 Board Meetings
December | November | October | September | August | July | June | May | April | March | February | January
December 2023
The final meeting of the AAS Board of Trustees for 2023 took place on Thursday, 7 December, via Zoom. The Consent Agenda included the minutes of the November Board meeting, and annual reports from COMPASSE (Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment), the High Energy Astrophysics Division, and the Site Visit Oversight Committee. The Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA) and the newly formed Beyond Academic Careers Advisory Committee (BACAC) also submitted membership proposals. The AAS 2024 election slate and the 2024 Board meeting calendar rounded out the list. The Consent Agenda was approved.
President Kelsey Johnson reminded Board members that it is time for the Board of Trustees' self-evaluation. This process enables the Board to assess their success in meeting goals and supporting the Society's mission, to confront possible roadblocks, and to consider solutions.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel reported that the Director of Human Resources & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Sylvia Martinez, has rejoined the staff, after temporarily stepping down. Recruiting is underway for a finance and operations staff person, and training for managers is being conducted. The Society's net assets enjoyed a surge over the past month due to a healthy stock market. Registration for the winter meeting in New Orleans (AAS 243) is strong. The journals are doing well and it was noted that they are seeing a large increase in submissions from China; the reasons for this are not yet clear.
The Board reviewed events planned during AAS 243 and also the possibility that masks may become required if COVID-19 infection rates surge in the next few weeks. The Meeting Committee is monitoring the data on infection rates, but no worrisome increase is evident at this time. Masks will be available at the meeting, but it is anticipated that the policy of encouraging but not requiring masks will remain in place.
The next Board meeting will be held in person on 6 January 2024 in New Orleans.
November 2023
The Board of Trustees met via Zoom on Wednesday, 15 November. Besides the draft minutes of the October meeting, the Consent Agenda included an annual report from the Working Group on Time Domain Astronomy and the list of proposed winners of AAS prizes and honors. The Consent Agenda was approved.
The Board approved the appointment of Jack Burns as Acting Treasurer, to serve for calendar year 2024 while Treasurer Doris Daou will be taking a leave of absence.
AAS President Kelsey Johnson reminded the Board of their upcoming self-assessment, shared some AAS members' concerns regarding the SocialOffsets donation option for those registering for AAS meetings, and reviewed the recent meeting of the Association for Public Land Grant Universities.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel noted that Sky & Telescope's new special eclipse issue — The Great 2024 Eclipse Guide — is now available and expected to sell briskly.
Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark presented the Sky & Telescope 2024 budget, a new policy on accounts payable, and the tax form (Form 990) for 2022. All were approved by the Board.
The Board discussed a report recently submitted by the Oral History Project that covered how interviews for the project are conducted, who has been interviewed, and how the interviews are transcribed and archived. Kevin noted that the AAS will purchase new recording equipment to support this project.
The AAS Vice Presidents presented a proposal for virtual components to be incorporated into the AAS summer meeting (AAS 244) in Madison, Wisconsin. The goal is to make the meeting more accessible to those who cannot or choose not to attend in person, while still managing costs for the virtual components in order to keep meeting registration low for everyone. The Board approved a selection of virtual components for AAS 244 and the registration rates for in-person and virtual attendees.
The final item was the selection of candidates for the Nominating Committee. The elected candidates will be contacted to verify their willingness to serve.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on 7 December.
October 2023
The Board of Trustees met in person on 27 and 28 October at the AAS Executive Office in Washington, DC. The AAS bylaws require the Board to meet in person four times a year — twice at the AAS meetings, and again in the spring and fall. The Consent Agenda included the draft minutes of the September meeting; annual reports from the Education Committee, the Working Group for Preservation of Astronomical Heritage, and the Working Group for Astroinformatics and Astrostatics; the proposed charge for the Beyond Academic Careers Advisory Committee; a proposal for membership of the Doxsey Prize Committee; and the Conflict of Interest Policy for the Board. The Consent Agenda was approved.
President Kelsey Johnson began the President’s Updates with a debrief on the Division Leadership Meeting that took place the day before. This annual event was held in person for the first time since 2019 and included officers or designated representatives of the six AAS Divisions. It was an opportunity for the Divisions to share recent achievements, plans, and concerns; compare strategies for meeting their goals; and consult with AAS staff and the Board. Attendees also had time to consult with AAS staff and the Board on any issues that required specific support.
Additional topics included in the President’s Updates were reports from Board Liaisons to the Divisions and Committees, a discussion of how and when the AAS should respond to major sociopolitical issues, a response to a white paper from the members of the Osterbrock Leadership Program, and the appointment of an ad hoc committee to select possible candidates for the Nominations Committee.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel reported that the newly hired Director of Human Resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion had resigned suddenly due to a family emergency. The hiring process for her replacement is underway. In addition, Marvel reported on staff issues and challenges; progress on trademarking AAS publications; legal issues involving publications by authors from sanctioned institutions; updates on Sky & Telescope publications, marketing, subscription revenue, new products, and tours; improvements to financial management; and arrangements for the winter meeting in New Orleans. Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac and Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen reported on the AAS journals, sharing the excellent news that the Planetary Science Journal has been awarded its first impact factor of 3.4, exceeding that of its closest competitor Icarus.
Education and Mentoring Specialist Tom Rice reported on his current activities, including the funding of an American Institute of Physics (AIP) Venture Grant, proposal reviews for the AIP TEAM-UP Together program, joining the Faculty Teaching Institute leadership team, and working on the future of Inclusive Graduate Education Network.
Deputy Director of Public Policy Bethany Johns and Bahcall Public Policy Fellow Yaswant Devarakonda reviewed the current issues involving the proliferation of satellite constellations in low Earth orbit and the effects these are having on ground-based astronomy. It was noted that in January, the Federal Communications Commission announced that SpaceX must coordinate with NSF to minimize the effects the 2nd generation StarLink satellites will have on ground-based astronomy. In September, it was announced that similar coordination agreements are being required of OneWeb, Project Kuiper, Iceye, and Planet Labs. The general goal is to limit the brightness of the satellites to 7th magnitude and to avoid direct beaming over radio observatories.
A major task on the first day of the meeting was reviewing funding requests from several of the AAS committees for 2024. Committees have been asked to make funding requests in sync with the AAS budget cycle, so the overall budget can include the approved expenses. These requests were reviewed in advance of the meeting by members of the Board and then as a group by the entire Board. Because the total amount requested exceeded the available funds, it wasn’t possible to grant all the funds requested by each committee, but a substantial fraction were approved.
The Vice Presidents — Adam Burgasser, Grant Tremblay, and Dawn Gelino — discussed the measures that need to be in place at the winter meeting (AAS 243) to encourage masking in crowded spaces, direct attendees to sources of tests, support anyone who may develop COVID at the meeting, and make a final decision regarding masking mandates if infection rates spike at the end of the year. Good quality masks will be available at the meeting. Tests are no longer free and the AAS will not be able to provide them to all attendees. However, information on how to obtain tests near the convention center will be available, and attendees will be advised to bring tests with them to the meeting, just in case! The final decision on masking policy will be made at the December Board meeting.
The Vice Presidents will begin now to review the options available for both hybrid and virtual components for AAS 244 in Madison, Wisconsin. These will be discussed with the full Board at the November meeting.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on 15 November.
September 2023
The Board of Trustees met on 6 September via Zoom. The Consent Agenda included the draft minutes of the August meeting, annual reports from the Laboratory Astrophysics and Solar Physics Divisions, the Astrobites annual review, the process document for the annual review of the AAS Editor in Chief, and corporate member applications from Optimax, Sea West Observatories, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The Consent Agenda was approved.
The President’s Update included a discussion of a fundraising initiative to support the FAMOUS travel grant program. This program, although highly effective and popular, is presently unfunded. The hope is to raise enough to endow the program and secure adequate funding for years to come. The Board also discussed ways to restructure and conduct its own meetings to improve efficiency and ensure that actions approved by the Board are completed in a timely fashion.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel introduced Sylvia Martinez, the newly hired Director of Human Resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Ms. Martinez joined the AAS Executive Office in late August. The addition of this position reflects the AAS's commitment to meeting its DEI goals and serving the human resources needs of its professional staff. Progress is also being made on providing Education & Professional Development Mini-Grants, digitizing the full Sky & Telescope archive, and working with Australian Sky & Telescope on marketing the digital S&T magazine to their previous subscribers. Marvel also reviewed the status of upcoming meetings. Planning for the next AAS winter meeting, AAS 243, to be held in New Orleans, is going well.
Chief Financial & Operations Officer Kelly Clark presented the proposed 2024 budgets for the general fund, journals, and the Planetary Science Journal. These were approved by the Board.
The Board also approved an updated Statement of Care for AAS 243. The key change is that masking will be encouraged and optional, recognizing that COVID-19 is no longer considered a pandemic, but that it remains a threat to many of our members.
A new option that will be available to meeting attendees will be to donate to local charities supporting social programs that benefit groups disadvantaged by policies enacted by state and local legislators. The Board approved a list of vetted charities for AAS 243.
The next Board meeting will be held in person at the AAS Executive Office in Washington, DC, 27-28 October.
August 2023
The 2 August meeting of the Board of Trustees focused on key issues like the Society’s response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the use of affirmative action in college admissions, expansion of Sky & Telescope (S&T) magazine’s readership, updates to the AAS Code of Ethics, AAS meeting cost reduction, and exploration of hybrid and virtual options for future meetings.
The approved consent agenda included minutes of the July Board meeting and renewal of the terms of three Education Committee members.
The Board discussed appropriate responses by AAS leadership to the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. Board members will consult with the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy and the Education Committee to consider how the Society can continue to support all its members and accomplish our mission “to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community.”
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel updated the Board on recent hiring efforts. Sylvia Martinez has been hired as the Director of Human Resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her first day on the job will be 29 August.
Marvel also reported that S&T is planning to digitize all its issues and offer these as a new digital product. The magazine is also considering expanding its content to include southern-hemisphere-specific articles and sky charts in its digital edition and to offer the expanded magazine to former subscribers of Australian Sky & Telescope, which recently discontinued publication.
Chief Financial & Operations Officer Kelly Clark presented the 2023 budget adjustment for S&T. Improvements in operations, products, and marketing are showing promise, and the magazine is on track to become profitable in 2025. Clark also presented the 2022 audit report. Both the budget adjustment and audit report were approved.
Daniel Tamayo, Chair of the Division on Dynamical Astronomy (DDA), joined the Board meeting to answer questions about a proposed change to DDA bylaws. DDA leadership currently consists of four officers with specific duties and a six-person committee without specific assignments. The proposed change would expand the duties of committee members to support and further the goals of inclusion and representation of underrepresented minorities. The Board approved the proposed bylaws changes.
In response to community concerns regarding issues of harassment and co-authorship, the Board reviewed and approved updates to the AAS Code of Ethics, which will be posted in final form on the AAS website soon.
The Board spent a major portion of the meeting discussing changes in how AAS meetings will be organized and new options that will be offered to attendees. An article describing the challenge of continuing to organize hybrid meetings and discussing options for future meetings has been published online and distributed to members. The Board approved organizing the next meeting, AAS 243, as a primarily in-person meeting, with some virtual options included to expand access for those who can’t attend in person.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on 7 September.
July 2023
The 6 July meeting of the Board of Trustees was the first attended by the new members of the Board: President-Elect Dara Norman, Vice President Dawn Gelino, and At-Large Trustee Lisa Prato. Also joining the meeting were committee members Karly Pitman, Greg Rudnick, and Michael Rutkowski.
The Consent Agenda included the annual reports of the Division on Dynamical Astronomy, the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA), and the Sustainability Committee. There were membership proposals from several committees and appointments of the presidential advisory committees and Board liaisons to committees and divisions. Finally, there was an update to the charge of the Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment. The Consent Agenda was approved.
Two of the reporting committees discussed the highlights of their annual reports. Greg Rudnick presented a summary of CSWA Strategic Plan Implementation, showing the numerous efforts underway, the people working on each, and the status of each project. Michael Rutkowski discussed the Sustainability Committee’s broad range of efforts to understand the climate impact of astronomy activities by AAS members, the possible ways to improve communication and advocacy for sustainable practices and mitigation of climate impacts, and efforts to engage academic, governmental, and international institutions to implement effective practices to reduce astronomers’ carbon footprint.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel updated the Board on recent hiring efforts, the ongoing digitization of the AAS financial system, the progress in creating new products and publications from Sky & Telescope, and the preparations for the AAS winter meeting (AAS 243) in New Orleans. It was noted that exhibitor fees will need to be increased slightly in all categories and the recommendation was made to plan for AAS 243 to be a fully in-person meeting rather than hybrid — though with plenary sessions and some other talks to be recorded and made available online.
The recommendation to return to a fully in-person format for the next AAS meeting was discussed in detail. The hybrid meetings which have been held since the pandemic have enabled some members to attend who would not otherwise have been able to do so. But this has come at a considerable expense to the Society, both in terms of the substantial extra work for the meetings staff and also significantly greater costs which have led to higher registration fees. The Board agreed to inform the AAS membership of the pros and cons of fully in-person meetings and to request input on this subject, while also exploring options for a hybrid meeting that would offer expanded access and engagement for those who can’t attend a meeting in person.
CFOO Kelly Clark presented the 2024 budget adjustments for the journals and general fund and noted that the current pricing levels for the journals will need to be increased modestly. She recommended a 2% increase in tier pricing for The Astronomical Journal, The Astrophysical Journal, and The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, which the Board approved.
Under New Business, the Board approved the leadership appointments for the AAS prize committees and accepted two new corporate members: IPAC-Caltech and American PaperWear. The Board was also asked to consider an updated “Statement of Care” for the upcoming meeting, which would change the requirement of masking in most meeting rooms and events and make masking optional but encouraged. While the Board recognizes that masking at meetings would offer some protection against infections, it is also becoming more difficult to enforce masking as the recent pandemic is regarded as less of a threat in general. The Board accepted the revised Statement of Care but will also reach out to the AAS membership and the Working Group on Accessibility and Disability for additional input.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on 2 August.
June 2023
The June meeting was held in person on the Saturday before the AAS summer meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Board of Trustees has now resumed its normal schedule of meeting in person quarterly and otherwise via Zoom. All Board members attended, as well as the three members-elect.
Reports were presented on all of the AAS publications, beginning with the Press Officer. Susanna Kohler reviewed the many activities and products of the Press Office, including a full schedule of press conferences planned for the upcoming meeting. This was followed by the Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac and Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen reporting on the scientific journals. It was noted that submissions continue on pace with the previous year, although a slight shift has been noted toward publishing in the Letters and Supplements. The Publications Committee (PC) presented their semiannual report. Outgoing Chair Lisa Prato noted that this would be her final report as PC Chair and that Misty Bentz would begin her first term as Chair later in the week. Finally, Sky & Telescope (S&T) Editor in Chief Peter Tyson reported on all aspects of the S&T business, which include not only producing the monthly magazine, but running the website and online shop, conducting outreach to school children and amateur astronomers, creating the monthly Sky Charts, publishing books, and organizing astronomy-themed tours around the world.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel shared the second quarter report with the Board. He noted recent hires and reported that recruitment is underway for a director of HR and DEI activities. On the publishing front, the AAS is starting to release reprints of previously published book titles. It is finalizing its strategy for acquiring, producing, and publishing new books under the S&T and Willmann-Bell imprints in the future.
Treasurer Doris Daou reported on the AAS investment portfolio and noted it is recovering from the 2021 losses related to the canceled winter meeting. While approximately 10% of the portfolio is currently in socially responsible investments, our investment advisor recommends that we do not increase this proportion until the market is more stable. Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark presented the 2022 financial reports on the journals, general fund, and S&T. The Board is concerned that S&T has not yet become profitable, but improved efficiencies in operations, expanded promotions, and new subscription plans have been implemented, and it is anticipated that these will soon lead to an improved bottom line.
Two of the Society’s partner organizations were invited to give presentations to the Board. Brad Conrad, Director of the Society of Physics Students (SPS), discussed the many ways the SPS and AAS are collaborating to enable students to attend meetings, connect with mentors, and have access to academic advice and mentoring. Elena Gerstmann, Executive Director of INFORMS, spoke with the Board about the SocialOffset program. SocialOffset provides a socially conscious alternative to event and destination boycotts, enabling conference attendees to offset their spending in destinations whose laws don’t align with their core values by making it easy to donate to local charities that do. The Board was very interested in the SocialOffsets concept and will look into the possibility of offering this service to its members at future meetings.
The Board heard the final reports from the Governance and Volunteer Compensation Task Forces and must now consider how to implement these recommendations.
The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday, 6 July, via Zoom.
May 2023
The Consent Agenda included the draft minutes of the April meeting; the annual report of the Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities (SGMA); the final draft of the AAS resolution supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals; membership proposals from the Publications Committee and the Meetings Task Force; and the schedule of Board of Trustees meetings for July 2023 through June 2024. The Consent Agenda was approved. The co-chairs of SGMA, Rolf Danner and McKinley Brumback, joined the meeting to answer questions about the annual report and discuss issues they wished to bring to the Board’s attention. Both Rolf and McKinley highlighted the great turnout for the Meet & Greet event at the AAS meeting in Seattle.
President Kelsey Johnson updated the Board on the issue that has arisen recently over how to manage publications and citations involving individuals under sanction by the Society for ethics violations. Both the Code of Ethics Committee and the Ethics Working Group are grappling with this issue. Kelsey wrote an article about it to inform AAS members. Additional articles are planned on various aspects of the problem and how the Society intends to respond.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel updated the Board on recent events in the AAS office. Yaswant Devarakonda, the new Bahcall Public Policy Fellow, has now joined the staff, and Christina Perkins has been hired as the Payroll and Accounting Manager. The annual financial audit was completed the first week of May, and Kevin is expecting another clean audit. The office is continuing the shift to a fully digital financial documentation system. Sky & Telescope tours continue to fill up and some are already fully booked. As of 24 May, 930 people are registered for the AAS summer meeting. Submissions to the journals remain consistent.
The next Board meeting will be held in person on 3 June, immediately before the AAS summer meeting.
April 2023
The AAS Board of Trustees Meeting Policy states that the Board will meet in person four times a year. During the early years of the COVID pandemic, the Board set this policy aside in favor of virtual meetings, but it has now resumed holding its January, April, June, and October meetings in person. Over 7–8 April, the Board held its first in-person meeting at the AAS office in Washington, DC, since 2019.
The Consent Agenda included the draft minutes of the March meeting, annual reports from the Historical Astronomy Division and the Demographics Committee; a meeting proposal for an online meeting on “Astroinformatics for Sustainable Development"; a proposal from the former Committee on Light Pollution, Radio Interference, and Space Debris (LPRISD) for a name change (now COMPASSE) and new members; and a membership proposal from the newly formed Meetings Task Force. The Consent Agenda was approved. Terry Oswalt (Chair of HAD), Ken Rumstay (HAD Secretary), and Lee Anne Willson (Chair of the Demographics Committee) joined the meeting to answer questions and highlight key points in their respective reports.
AAS Executive Officer Kevin Marvel presented his first quarter report, which was accepted by the Board. He announced that the new Bahcall Public Policy Fellow will be Yaswant Devarakonda, starting on April 14th. Christina Perkins will also begin in April as the Payroll and Accounting Manager. Kevin also reported on the AAS journals and publishing, sales of astronomy books, improvements in finance and operations, membership, and Sky & Telescope (S&T). He noted that the S&T magazine is morphing into an astronomy platform, with a number of products and services available to subscribers. The S&T tours have proven to be particularly profitable. The recently completed Hawaiʻi tour generated $17,000 in revenue for S&T.
Kevin’s report was followed by a presentation by Catherine O’Riordan, Executive Director of the Ecological Society of America (ESA), on their governance, strategic plan, and current challenges. ESA is similar to the AAS in size, budget, and the number of journals they publish. They are confronting similar issues as well, including the cost of hybrid meetings, social and political concerns when selecting meeting locations, and ethical concerns involving prize names and codes of conduct. The Board has found that discussions with the leadership of other scientific societies frequently provide insights and solutions that can be applied to our own.
Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac and Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen updated the Board on AAS publications. Darin Ragozzine (Brigham Young University) has joined our editorial board as a Science Editor (SE) for the Solar System, Exoplanets, and Astrobiology corridor. Recruitment of new SEs in other corridors is ongoing. The Ethics page in the AAS publishing guide has been amended to include the following:
Derogatory statements, correspondence, or actions aimed at any participant in the publication process, including editors, authors, referees, and journal staff, based on characteristics of identity (such as race, sex, religion, country of origin, etc.) will be grounds for a ban from AAS journals.
The AAS will be running its first-ever in-person peer review training workshop on Sunday, 4 June, in Albuquerque. Associate Editor Frank Timmes will lead a group of science editors in training selected applicants (a separate application email will go out to the AAS membership soon).
Deputy Director of Public Policy Bethany Johns provided an update on public policy issues. Regarding the impact of satellite constellations on dark and quiet skies, commercial space companies have already provided congressional committees with information on all their priorities and requirements; the public sector is lagging in this regard. Bethany has been advocating for funding for NSF and NASA to ensure support for grants and research. She is exploring the possibility of leveraging AAS Agents to help engage members in public policy work. Second Vice President Adam Burgasser asked about scheduling a public policy plenary at one of our meetings to engage our members in these efforts. Senior Vice President Stephen Unwin noted that the Assistant Director of NSF will be speaking at the summer meeting in Albuquerque. Offering training for AAS members with a particular interest in public policy and engaging with legislators is being considered.
Rod Nenner, the new AAS Director of Strategic Partnerships, was introduced to the Board. He presented an overview of partnerships and marketing approaches that were available to the AAS, particularly in the context of our winter and summer meetings. Diane Frendak, Director of Membership Services, reported on trends in AAS membership in recent years, the impact of the pandemic, and the many opportunities offered to members to support prizes, programs, and particular efforts of the Society.
As part of Old Business, the Board discussed the AAS Agents program and how to make it more effective. Steve Unwin will work with the leaders of this program to improve training, recruit new members, and provide more support from the Society. The Board also reviewed the role of Board Liaisons to the AAS Divisions and some committees. At-Large Trustee Jane Rigby updated the Board on the AAS resolution supporting LGBTQI+ astronomers and her collaboration with the Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy to ensure that this resolution accurately reflects the concerns of our members.
Finally, under Old Business, the Policy on Divisions Selecting Plenary Speakers was approved. This policy provides all AAS Divisions with the opportunity to propose plenary speakers (not just prize winners) when the Division is holding its meeting jointly with the AAS.
The Board reconvened the next day to hear the latest investment and financial reports from Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark. While the effects of recent market changes are reflected in the AAS portfolio, diversification of investments has kept the overall financial profile quite stable. In the first quarter of 2023, the investment portfolio saw a net growth of roughly 5.4%.
Under New Business, the Board considered a recommendation by the Education Committee to open the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Awards to members of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) without requiring them to be student members of the AAS. AAS Education and Mentoring Specialist Tom Rice, who manages the Chambliss poster competition, will work with the Education Committee to develop specifics on expanding the program. The Board approved making SPS affiliate members eligible for the poster competition at AAS 242 in Albuquerque.
The final session of the Board meeting was set aside for discussing a number of issues in depth without taking specific actions. These included the possible collaborations between Divisions and Committees, COVID safety policy at AAS 242 and at future AAS meetings as the pandemic transitions to an endemic phase, and planning for the future as the culture, environment, and concerns of our members undergo substantial changes. After a thoughtful discussion, the Board agreed that this kind of brainstorming should be a regular feature of future quarterly meetings.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on 10 May.
March 2023
AAS Board meetings always begin with the Consent Agenda — items that don’t require deliberation during the meeting and are grouped to allow approval by a single vote. This month’s Consent Agenda included the draft minutes of the February meeting, the annual report of the Employment Committee, and the membership roster of the Climate Change Task Force. All were approved.
Julia Kamenetzky, Chair of the Employment Committee, joined the meeting to answer questions about their annual report. The Employment Committee is the organizer of many excellent and popular workshops offered at the AAS meetings, including the software and data carpentries workshops, “How to Give Great Presentations,” strategies for promoting diversity and excellence in hiring, and discussions of non-academic career paths, to name a few!
AAS Executive Officer Kevin Marvel briefed the Board on personnel matters. Candidates have been tentatively selected for the Data Scientist and Bahcall Public Policy Fellow positions, contingent on the completion of their PhD degrees later this year. Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen passed the exam for Certified Association Executives. Kevin also noted that the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) has transitioned to open access and its publications will no longer be free for all authors. Page charges for MNRAS will fall somewhere between the middle and highest tiers for AAS publications, and for authors from developing countries or without institutional support, waivers will be provided for their publications. How this will affect AAS journals remains to be seen.
Under New Business, the Board considered the recommendations of the Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy and Astronomy and Public Policy concerning recent anti-transgender legislation. Among the recommendations were for the AAS to issue a resolution in support of its LBGTQIA+ members and their inclusion in astronomy, support for equity in the admissions process, and encourage the American Institute of Physics to track the effects of such legislation on underrepresented groups in the sciences. The AAS Vice Presidents (VPs) were tasked with writing a formal resolution for approval at the April Board meeting.
The Board agreed on a revision of the policy regarding the selection of plenary speakers for the AAS meetings. The new policy will allow any Division meeting (joint with the AAS meetings) to select one plenary speaker to represent their Division. The speaker selected need not be a winner of a Division prize, although that has often been the case in the past. The revised policy will be drafted by the VPs and presented to the Board for approval at the next meeting.
The Health & Safety Policy for AAS Meetings was also reviewed and updated. Members of the Working Group on Accessibility and Disability joined the meeting to discuss their concerns about COVID prevention and safety at the upcoming summer meeting in Albuquerque. It was noted that the Society has an obligation to consider the well-being of its most vulnerable members and those with close associates at high risk. After thorough consideration, the Board approved a “slightly eased” masking policy for the upcoming meeting, in which masks would still be required in high-density settings but would be optional in uncrowded spaces and open areas. Details of implementation and enforcement are still to be worked out.
The next Board meeting will be held at the AAS office in Washington, DC, on 7-8 April.
February 2023
The February meeting of the Board of Trustees had an extensive Consent Agenda, which included the annual report of the Committee on Meetings and membership proposals from the Publications Committee, the Working Group on Preservation of Astronomical Heritage (WGPAH), and the National Osterbrock Leadership Program. The Consent Agenda was approved.
As part of the President’s Update, Kelsey Johnson introduced several topics with the Board, including an AAS letter of endorsement for the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, recognizing this organization as the governing body for Maunakea moving forward, as established by the State of Hawaiʻi in 2022 with Act 255. The letter was approved given some proposed changes.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel presented the Board with a recommendation for the health and safety rules for future AAS meetings. While no decision was made at this time, the Board is considering the precautions that will be appropriate for the AAS 242 meeting this June in Albuquerque, considering current CDC guidance, the concerns of our members, and the experience gained from the previous two in-person AAS meetings. The AAS Vice Presidents will draft a final policy for the Board to vote on next month.
Under New Business, the Board was asked to decide about compensation for plenary speakers at the biannual AAS meetings. The Board agreed that in addition to covering registration fees for plenary speakers (non-prize talks), the speakers would be informed that travel reimbursement could be requested if needed. The final version of this policy will be issued before the next AAS meeting.
The Historic Site Designation and the Beyond Academe Task Forces presented their final reports, which will be posted on the website. The WGPAH requested a letter of support for the preservation of the Holmdel Horn — the instrument employed by Penzias and Wilson to detect the first evidence of the Big Bang. Local development plans are now threatening the Holmdel Horn, which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. The Board approved the request and will send the letter of support to the mayor of the Holmdel Township.
Two new committees were proposed and approved by the Board: the Corporate Engagement Advisory Committee, which will focus on enhancing interactions between AAS and astronomers working in the private sector; and the Meetings Task Force, whose tasks encompass providing recommendations for the planning of future AAS meetings:
- future policies regarding COVID, masking, and vaccines, along with metrics that may be used in the decision process,
- mitigation strategies for future meeting locations with respect to the health and safety of members,
- the cadence of in-person, hybrid, and remote meetings,
- enhancing the sustainability of meetings, and
- meeting planning, structure, content, and cost.
The next Board meeting will be held via Zoom on Thursday, 9 March.
January 2023
The January Board of Trustees meeting was held in conjunction with the 241st AAS meeting in Seattle, Wash. The meeting began with introductions of the Board members, AAS staff, and those joining the meeting to give reports. The Consent Agenda included annual reports from the Division for Planetary Sciences and the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy. The Site Visit Oversight Committee presented a follow-up on its annual report from December. The Agenda also included the Board meeting schedule for 2023 and the final selectees for the 2023 AAS Fellows. The Board approved the entire Consent Agenda.
Kerry Hensley (Deputy Press Officer) presented the Press Officer’s Report. She noted that there were eight press conferences scheduled during the winter meeting and that these were being recorded so they could be viewed later in AAS Nova and Astrobites.
The Board enjoyed a presentation by Paul Jagodzinski, Chair of the Board of the American Chemical Society (ACS), on how the ACS operates and what it is doing to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the chemistry profession. This was followed by an update on public policy by Deputy Public Policy Director Bethany Johns; the reports of the Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac and the Chief Publications Officer Julie Steffen; and an update from the Publications Committee by Co-Chair Lisa Prato. Sky & Telescope Editor Peter Tyson reported on the magazine, its new features, the progress on increasing its subscriber base, and the profitability of online features, the online shop, and tours.
The afternoon began with presentations and discussions with NASA Senior Advisor Paul Hertz and the Director of the NASA Science Astrophysics Division Mark Clampin. This was followed by financial reports, an update from the newly-formed Governance Task Force, and a discussion on how to make the best use of the AAS Agents — members of the Society who represent the AAS in their home institutions and promote more effective communication and coordination with the Society.
The meeting wrapped up with a discussion of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance, a national effort led by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and whether the AAS should become a partner in this effort. The Board recognized that the goals of the alliance were essentially identical to those of the AAS, so joining in the effort was entirely consistent with our mission. Finally, the Board accepted an offer to include the AAS in the personal estate plan of one of our members. While the expectation is that it will be many years before the estate is settled, the AAS is very grateful to be included. Any members wishing to include the AAS in their will can learn more about this online.
The next Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, 8 February, via Zoom.
2022 Board Meetings
December | November | October | September | August | July | June | May | April | March | February | January
December 2022
The Board of Trustees held a virtual meeting on 8 December. The Consent Agenda included the draft minutes of the November Board meeting: annual reports of the Committee on Light Pollution, Radio Interference, and Space Debris (LPRISD), the Site Visit Oversight Committee (SVOC), and the Working Group on Accessibility and Disability; the recipients of 2023 AAS prizes and an update on the AAS prize process; and membership requests from the Solar Eclipse Task Force and the Publications Committee. The Board approved the entire Consent Agenda.
Representatives of the groups that submit annual reports are invited to attend the meetings when the reports are presented and to speak with the Board about their group’s plans or concerns. LPRISD co-chair Aparna Venkatesan joined the meeting and spoke about its enormous workload and the need for additional support. Nancy Morrison represented SVOC, which does not currently have a chair or co-chairs. SVOC comprises members appointed by each of the AAS diversity committees and most of these members are currently graduate students. One of the concerns in appointing a chair is whether it is appropriate for graduate students to be expected to serve as a committee chair at a point in their careers when they already have enormous demands on their time. The Board agreed that both groups' concerns require further thought and deliberation.
President Kelsey Johnson requested the Board's assistance with the following items: a draft report from the Code of Ethics Committee on issues involving the AAS Job Register and Affirmative Action; a statement being composed regarding NASA’s final report on JWST naming; and alternatives to Twitter for social media communications. Board members volunteered to assist with each of these issues.
The Board approved a change in the policy for scheduling prize lectures for the early-career prizes, to make these more convenient and flexible for both the AAS and the prize recipients.
The next Board meeting will be held in person on 7 January 2023, immediately before AAS 241 in Seattle, Washington.
November 2022
The Board of Trustees held a virtual meeting on 9 November. It began by approving the consent agenda, which included the minutes of the October Board meeting and the emergency meeting held on 3 November. Also on the consent agenda were annual reports by the High Energy Astrophysics Division and the Working Group on Time Domain Astronomy.
President Kelsey Johnson was considering possible appointments to the National Osterbrock Leadership Program and asked the Board for suggestions. She also requested the Board’s input on goals and expectations for the upcoming Strategic Assembly, which will take place immediately before the AAS winter meeting in Seattle this coming January.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel noted that he is writing a report on “Why AAS Meetings Are So Expensive.” The report will outline a number of expenses that may not be apparent to those attending, such as meeting security, Wi-Fi, and the cost of building up and furnishing the exhibit hall. The report is now available online.
The Board discussed the role and number of Board liaisons, currently assigned to all AAS Divisions and Committees. As the number of groups increases and more of the new and existing groups request Board liaisons, the burden on the Board continues to grow. Other ways of maintaining good communication between the Board and all the AAS Committees were discussed. Information on Board decisions and concerns is provided in the Highlights of Board meetings, published each month in this Digest. Starting in December, every group that presents an annual report to the Board will be expected to have a representative attend the Board meeting at which their report is discussed, to allow the Board to ask questions and for the representative to raise any issues of particular concern.
Kevin Marvel raised several topics with the Board including meeting attendance statistics over the past five years, the importance of the author experience when publishing in AAS journals, and the disposition of the Gaposchkin Grant Fund, which was established in 1985, but has been inactive for several years. It was proposed that the balance in this fund be transferred to the American Association of Variable Star Observers with the condition that they administer the fund in accordance with the original stipulations by the Gaposchkin family. This proposal was approved by the Board.
Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark presented the Sky & Telescope Proposed Budget for 2023. The magazine continues to improve its management practices and services, which has led to increased revenue from advertising, online sales, and astronomical tours. To become truly profitable, however, the magazine will need to grow its subscriber base. Note to all members: If you haven’t done so already, subscribe now!
The Board approved two policies: Child Attendance at AAS Meetings and a revised AAS Fellows Charter (which will be posted online soon). A summary report on the 2021 Demographic Survey of AAS Members was presented at the meeting by Rachel Ivie. The report will be posted on the AAS website, and Rachel may present her summary at a future AAS meeting.
The next Board meeting will be conducted via Zoom on 8 December.
October 2022
The Board of Trustees met in person on 14-15 October at its new office in Cambridge, Mass. This office will house the Sky & Telescope team as well as serve as an additional office for the Society. The consent agenda for this meeting included the Education Committee annual report, a membership proposal for new task forces, the slate of candidates for the upcoming AAS election, and the membership of all AAS prize committees. All of these were approved by the Board.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel presented the third quarter report. It was noted that the AAS has recently hired an Education and Mentoring Specialist, Tom Rice, to full-time employment as well as our new DEI Committee Support Specialist, Mildred Peyton. Both positions were included in the recently adopted Strategic Plan. Kevin also reported that a total of 2,108 abstracts were received to date for the upcoming winter meeting in Seattle. It is anticipated that additional abstracts will be submitted prior to the late abstracts deadline (30 November).
Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac and Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen reported on the status of the AAS journals. They noted that the transition to open access is going reasonably well, and there is an effort underway to improve authors’ experiences with the publication process. Article submissions to the journals continue to show a gradual increase. A delegation of six Publications Committee members and four Lead Editors joined the AAS publishing team on a trip to meet with executives and staff of IOP Publishing in Bristol, UK, 10-14 September. This was the first in-person meeting of this kind in over three years and an important one because of the significant staff turnover at all levels of IOP Publishing since 2019.
The Board reviewed the COVID policy for AAS 241 and updated the requirements. The goal is to make the in-person meeting safe for all attendees to the greatest extent practicable. [The AAS Vice Presidents encourage members who are particularly affected by masking policies to submit comments on this policy at [email protected].]
Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark and AAS Treasurer Doris Daou presented the 2021 audit report. This was accompanied by a memorandum from the Audit Committee, which noted, “This is the fourteenth consecutive clean audit for the AAS, an impressive streak. The Committee, therefore, joins Snyder Cohn in congratulating the AAS office once again for its efficient and meticulous financial operations.”
The Board recently requested that all AAS committees that needed additional funds to conduct their work submit proposals prior to the October Board meeting. Several proposals were received by the deadline and the Board reviewed them individually and as a group. The total amount requested exceeded the budget for supplemental funding, forcing the Board to allocate the resources in a fair and equitable manner. The final decisions will be reported directly to each of the committees.
The next Board meeting will be conducted via Zoom on 9 November.
September 2022
The Board of Trustees met on 8 September and began by approving the consent agenda. Included were the minutes of the August meeting; annual reports of the Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD), the Working Group on Preservation of Astronomical Heritage, and the Working Group on Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics; and a proposal to add a new member to the Ethics Working Group. LAD Chair Murthy Gudipati joined the meeting and noted that the Division is now 10 years old, membership is stable, and interactions with the AAS Board have been beneficial.
The Board discussed at length the feedback that was received from AAS members in response to the statement issued by President Kelsey Johnson regarding the recent Dobbs decision (overturning the constitutional right to abortion). Kelsey has requested that the Ethics Working Group and Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy discuss the issue and consider when action may be appropriate under this or similar circumstances.
A major part of the meeting included presentations from Chief Financial and Operating Officer Kelly Clark on the Finance Committee report and the proposed budget for 2023.
Kelly pointed out that 2021 was an excellent year financially and this will help carry the Society through the coming year, which may be more challenging. Meeting registration rates will increase a little, but membership dues remain the same. The Job Register continues to be a good source of income, and we may be able to enhance its features and increase the Society's diversity of revenue streams. Kelly also highlighted the request for transfers to help support the journals and to help cover the cost of hiring a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) specialist during their first year. The AAS is reinvigorating the Shapley program, which was shut down during the pandemic. We hope to add speakers and increase the number of talks, particularly to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Salary costs have increased because of two new staff positions. Also, healthcare costs have increased by 8%. Some savings are being achieved by integrating some of the Sky & Telescope staff with the AAS staff (in sales and website management). This will not only make better use of these two staff positions but also improve synchronization between the two organizations.
The proposed 2023 budgets for the General Fund and the journals were approved by the Board.
The Board also discussed meeting costs, particularly for hybrid meetings. With smaller room blocks at hotels to avoid attrition costs, the AAS now must pay rental fees for the meeting rooms. This adds to the meeting cost and is included in the higher registration fees. Ed Bertschinger noted that the AAS has expended quite a bit lately to finance our priorities — particularly, hiring new education and DEI specialists — and this means that less money is available now for other purposes.
Ed suggested holding a special session at an upcoming general meeting to inform members of the changing financial landscape and the reasons for some cost increases. The Board also discussed holding alternating hybrid and in-person meetings, which would reduce overall costs. Kelsey recommended asking the Vice Presidents to consider the options and get back to the Board before making any decisions about future meetings.
The next Board meeting will be held in person on 14-15 October in Cambridge, MA, giving Board members an opportunity to visit the site of the new Sky & Telescope office.
August 2022
Meeting on 10 August, the Board of Trustees began as usual by approving the consent agenda. Included were the minutes of the July Board meeting, the annual report of the Division on Dynamical Astronomy, a proposal to appoint Chick Woodward to a second term as the AAS representative to the AIP Board of Directors, and a proposal from the Employment Committee to update the Job Register instructions.
The Board carefully considered the proposed membership changes for the Sustainability Committee, which would add three students to the committee and extend the terms of two full members. While student representation is always welcome, the Board becomes concerned if it appears that a committee is at risk of losing corporate memory and organizational experience. The membership proposal was approved. AAS members are encouraged to contact the Committee if they are interested in working on sustainability issues.
For the past several weeks, since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, the Board has been deliberating about how, or if, the AAS should respond. In discussions during this meeting, Board members recognized that AAS members span the spectrum of social and political viewpoints and that statements regarding issues outside the area of science in general and astronomy, in particular, must be carefully considered. The Board decided to further explore the ways forward on this issue.
Kevin Marvel introduced the newest AAS staff member Mildred Peyton, who joined the staff this month as the DEI Committee Support Specialist. She is working with Tom Rice, Education and Mentoring Specialist, on various projects and starting to assist the AAS diversity committees.
Several topics were discussed under New Business, including recognition for volunteers, collecting standard operating procedures documents from every Division and Committee, and delineating the ethical use of space. These are all quite complex issues and will require more time to work through.
The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday, 8 September, via Zoom.
July 2022
The Board of Trustees met on 14 July via Zoom. The July Consent Agenda — which included the minutes of the June meeting of the Board of Trustees, the annual reports of AAS’s Solar Physics Division (SPD) and the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA), and membership proposals for the Employment Committee and CSWA — was approved.
SPD Chair Craig DeForest and CSWA Chair Nicolle Zellner raised some issues of concern with the Board. Craig noted that many of the students and young astronomers he encounters seem to be less interested in joining their professional societies and unaware of the value of the societies to their careers and to their professions overall. Nicolle discussed efforts to improve coordination among AAS’s inclusion committees. Kelsey Johnson, AAS President, noted that planning is underway for a diversity summit that will include the chairs of all the inclusion committees and other key stakeholders.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel reported to the Board on the results and next steps for its recent self-assessment. While the Board is functioning very well overall, there are some areas for possible improvement. Kelsey is planning to create a task force on governance and asked for volunteers; Paula Szkody agreed to serve.
The Board approved a proposal that the AAS join the International Astronomical Union’s new Centre for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies (CPS) as a contributing member. The question of who will serve on the Advisory Committee of the CPS will be discussed at a future meeting.
Kevin Marvel reported on the results of the AAS Health & Safety at Meetings Policy as it was applied for the Summer Meeting in Pasadena. A total of 18 COVID-19 cases were reported among meeting participants during and shortly after the meeting, amounting to an infection rate of approximately 1%. While there were some issues that had to be dealt with at the meeting, compliance with the Policy was quite good overall. The Board approved continuation of the Policy for the remaining meetings of 2022.
Kevin also reported on communications that have been received by AAS Journals Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac regarding JWST grant recipients being unable to pay Open Access publication charges due to financial cuts to their grants. This is inconsistent with NASA’s policy of strongly supporting open science. A member of the Board reported that the choice his research team was given was either to support students or to pay Open Access publication charges. The AAS will send a letter to the JWST administrative staff to try to resolve this issue.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Wednesday, 10 August, via Zoom.
June 2022
The June 2022 meeting of the Board of Trustees, held immediately prior to the AAS 240 Summer Meeting in Pasadena, CA, was the first in-person Board meeting since January 2019.
The approval of the Consent Agenda included the minutes of the May meeting; the annual report of the Publications Committee; membership proposals for the Employment Committee and the Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy; and Presidential appointments for the advisory committees and board liaisons.
Press Officer Susanna Kohler reported on the work of the Press Office, which encompasses not just press releases and reporting on astronomical research and discoveries, but also fielding media inquiries; organizing press conferences throughout AAS meetings; supporting the Astrobites student group; producing virtual press events; and archiving webcasts on the AAS Press Office YouTube channel.
The Board was updated on all aspects of AAS Publications by Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac. He noted that the troubling backlog of journal articles at IOP Publishing has finally been resolved, and the turnaround time for publications is nearly back to normal. The roll-out of open access for AAS journals went very smoothly, with the number of submitted articles remaining at previous levels or increasing slightly. The associated waiver program is working as intended and, for 2022, is running under budget.
Peter Tyson, Editor in Chief of Sky & Telescope, reported on all aspects of the S&T publications and related endeavors. Lisa Prato, Chair of the Publications Committee, reported on changes in committee membership. The committee’s goal in selecting new members is for the committee to better represent the whole AAS community.
Treasurer Doris Daou presented the Finance Committee’s Report on Investments. The AAS’s portfolio is invested following the guidance of the Investment Policy Statement, which directs that 10% of the portfolio is in a socially responsible Vanguard index fund. The board heard a detailed explanation from Vanguard Investment Advisor Eric Salzer on this fund and the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) concerns that govern its management. Over the past year, the downturn in the stock market has resulted in the AAS investments losing value. However, market fluctuations are not uncommon and no changes in the investment strategy are indicated at this time.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel presented the 2022 second quarter Executive Officer report, and Bethany Johns, Deputy Director of Public Policy, presented the Public Policy report. The first Congressional Visits Day in two years took place this spring, with 12 volunteers visiting 29 congressional offices.
The Board also heard from the new Education & Mentoring Specialist, Tom Rice, who noted, “A key measure of my success will be the growth of previously underrepresented or marginalized groups in astronomy.” Tom will focus on the American Geophysical Union Mentoring 365 program, in addition to working with the Education Committee, Sky & Telescope Astro 101 Ambassadors, the TEAM-UP Together initiative, and the Inclusive Graduate Education Network.
Connie Walker, Co-Director of the International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies reported on the center's founding, purpose, organization, and goals, and outlined how the AAS could contribute to their efforts.
The Board also heard from Chick Woodward, AAS Appointee to the American Institute of Physics; Doris Daou on the final report of the Beyond Astronomy Academe Task Force; Steve Crawford (Science Data Office, Science Mission Directorate/NASA) on NASA’s Open-Source Science Initiative; and Kevin Marvel on a request for modification of the prizes offered to winners of the three prize programs established by Carlson Chambliss: Student Posters, Academic Writing, and Amateur Achievement.
Finally, the Board adopted a new policy on Proposals to the Board for Funding AAS Committee special activities; discussed various issues that the Board needs to consider for future action; and agreed to hold its in-person October 2022 meeting at the new Sky & Telescope offices in Boston, near Harvard Yard.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Thursday, 14 July, via Zoom.
May 2022
The consent agenda for the May meeting of the Board of Trustees included the minutes of the April meeting of the Board of Trustees, the annual report of the Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA), and an update to the AAS Prize Policy. SGMA Chair Rolf Danner joined the meeting to answer questions about the annual report. A question was raised about SGMA being consulted by the AAS prior to selecting the locations for future meetings. While there is no formal policy to consult with SGMA or other groups at present, it was noted that a discussion of policies regarding meeting location selection should be scheduled.
Kevin reported that William McCall was hired on 25 April as the Meetings, Exhibits, and Sponsorship Administrator. Kevin expects to make an offer in May to fill the position of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Support Specialist.
Planning for the June meeting in Pasadena is nearing completion. Following the recent AAS Topical Conference in Las Vegas, several COVID protocols will be put in place for the summer meeting. Among these will be the requirement for attendees to wear masks while indoors, including during receptions and meals (except when actually eating or drinking); frequent testing; reporting of any positive tests; and encouragement of attendees to install and activate local COVID proximity alert applications on their phones.
President Paula Szkody reported that in a recent NASA Town Hall, Paul Hertz acknowledged receipt of the letters sent by the AAS and its Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy to Administrator Nelson regarding the naming of the JWST mission. Hertz said the issue was being investigated and they hoped to have a response to the questions raised by the time of the Pasadena meeting.
It was noted that it is time to recruit candidates for the AAS's Nominating Committee. Recruiting candidates begins with asking AAS members to indicate at the time they renew their membership if they would be interested in serving on this committee. Once the list of volunteers has been compiled, two candidates are selected randomly from the list (to avoid selection bias) and two additional candidates are selected by the Board from the remaining volunteers to balance the choice of candidates. Two new members for the Nominating Committee will be elected from these four candidates during the next AAS election.
Finally, the Board approved the decision to organize the upcoming AAS Winter Meeting in Seattle as a fully hybrid meeting.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held in person on 11 June in Pasadena.
April 2022
The consent agenda for the April meeting of the Board of Trustees included the annual report of the Historical Astronomy Division, the proposed winners of the Weber and Van Biesbroeck prizes, and membership updates from the Working Group for Time Domain Astronomy.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel reported that the Simons Foundation has granted $12M to the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and its lead partners — including the AAS — for a new multi-society initiative. This program, TEAM-UP Together, aims to implement report recommendations from the Task Force to Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP). As a top priority, a student grant program will be set up in time to provide funding to current physics students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions for the fall semester 2022. Details will be forthcoming, and the AAS’s new Education and Mentoring Specialist will serve on the selection committee.
President Paula Szkody noted that NASA had received the recent AAS letter regarding the naming of JWST and said that they were studying the issue. Their report is expected at the end of April; if AAS is not satisfied with that report, we can take further steps as needed.
Paula also reported that the Committee on Light Pollution, Radio Interference, and Satellite Debris held a workshop sponsored by the AAS on 25 March. Connie Walker discussed the newly established International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference. AAS will support this effort by advocating for public policy issues and working with the satellite industry.
Trustee Lou Strolger represented the AAS at the inaugural meeting of the AIP Federation Assembly, in which the Assembly considered how it will operate and what its functions will be. At the AIP Federation Assembly Forum, Bob Williams spoke about the Osterbrock Leadership Program and fundraising goals to expand the program.
Bahcall Fellow Julie Davis and Deputy Director for Public Policy Bethany Johns reported on the newly released Presidential Budget Proposal and its impact on accomplishing the goals of the 2020 decadal survey. The decadal report came out a little too late to be included in the FY23 appropriations bill. Overall, funding for astronomy didn’t fare well, particularly considering the effects of inflation on all projected costs, and the community is facing a challenging environment for realizing the goals of the decadal survey. Bethany Johns discussed future advocacy for astronomy and how the Board of Trustees can act as “grasstops” advocates. Board members who are willing to join in this effort will be given media training to help them be more effective. Paula Szkody suggested that we reach out to the AAS Agents to assist in this effort.
Chief Publishing Officer Julie Steffen and Editor in Chief Ethan Vishniac presented an update on AAS publishing. The numbers of manuscripts received for all AAS journals in 2022 are similar to those of recent years. The number of downloads since Open Access went into effect has grown dramatically. Ethan acknowledged the recent passing of AAS Journals Lead Editor Judy Pipher, who will be sorely missed. Ethan has named Giovanni Carraro as a new Lead Editor to take up the duties of Judy Pipher. He is also seeking a new editor for exoplanets.
Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark updated the Board on the negotiations regarding the new Sky & Telescope offices in Cambridge, MA. The previous landlord will pay the AAS $1.25M for the displacement of Sky & Telescope from their present office space. This will cover the increased rental cost until 2032. Kelly also reported that the AAS received a payment from the US Government for $182,900 as part of the payroll retention program.
Treasurer Doris Daou updated the Board on the AAS Investment Policy Review. Regarding the goal to be more socially conscious in our investment policy, it is possible to move in this direction while considering the impact on AAS funds of any major changes in investment strategy.
Due to a lack of quorum, decisions on a recent budget request from the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy and proposed changes to meeting abstract submission rules were deferred until the next meeting of the Board of Trustees, which will be on Wednesday, 11 May.
March 2022
At its March meeting, the Board of Trustees heard a presentation on the AAS Ambassadors Program by Linda Shore, CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP). The Ambassadors Program was established in 2013 by AAS President Debra Elmegreen to train early-career astronomers on how to do effective outreach. ASP was contracted to provide 2-day training sessions and follow-on workshops with the new ambassadors. Since its inception, the program has trained roughly 300 astronomers and provided support as they engaged in public outreach.
Senior Vice President Geoff Clayton briefed the Board on the programming of the AAS summer meeting in Pasadena. The plenary talks have now been decided. As of 8 March, we have received 1,276 abstracts.
The Consent Agenda included the draft minutes of the February Board meeting, the Employment Committee annual report, an appointments request from the Education Committee, and a request from the Committee on Light Pollution, Radio Interference, and Space Debris (LPRISD) that the AAS co-sponsor a satellite industry workshop. LPRISD also proposed new leadership appointments for the Board's approval.
President Paula Szkody reported on the dire situation in Ukraine and on concerns for the safety of the observatory there and Ukrainian astronomers. The AAS may be able to help by providing links for job postings and other resources for astronomers forced to leave Ukraine.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel reported a request from an emeritus member to lower the dues for emeritus members. Kevin noted that our emeritus dues are comparable to those of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Physical Society. The Board did not respond to the suggested dues reduction. Kevin also updated the Board on current staffing efforts, relocation plans for the Sky & Telescope (S&T) office, ongoing negotiations to eliminate fines for cancelling hotel contracts in Salt Lake City, and the status of the AAS journals.
Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark presented historical reviews of the General Fund and AAS Journals, followed by the S&T Business Plan. The summary of the journals report was the following:
“The time has come to prudently enhance our reserves to reduce risk, allow for innovation and prepare for unforeseen emergencies. The EO and CFOO will be working with the Finance Committee to develop a comprehensive reserve policy over the coming months.”
The Employment Committee reported on their recent survey of recruitment and hiring practices and provided a guide to best practices for ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging. The report and best practices guide will be posted on the Employment Committee web page.
Trustee Ed Bertschinger presented the final version of a second letter to NASA Administrator Nelson regarding the naming of JWST. The final letter will be sent to NASA, with copies to Paul Hertz and Thomas Zurbuchen, in the near future. The first letter and the follow-up will both be published in the AAS Digest once the letter to NASA has been received.
The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday, 7 April.
February 2022
The February meeting began with the approval of the consent agenda, which included additional members for the Light Pollution, Radio Interference, and Space Debris and the Site Visit Oversight Committees; the 2022 winner of the Annie Jump Cannon Prize; and the annual report of the Meetings Committee.
President Paula Szkody noted that the Strategic Assembly will be meeting via Zoom on 2 March and that topics will include the interplay of Committees and Board on issues and action items related to the recently adopted Strategic Plan. She also noted that possible changes in some of the rules regarding the selection of new AAS Fellows are under consideration.
Executive Officer Kevin Marvel reported that negotiations are continuing with the meeting hotels in Salt Lake City regarding penalties to be assessed for the cancelation of AAS 239.
Chief Financial & Operating Officer Kelly Clark presented revised registration rates for AAS 240. This meeting will be the first fully hybrid meeting of the AAS — both in-person and virtual attendees will have access to nearly all sessions (Workshop and Splinter Meeting organizers may decide whether they wish to choose the hybrid option). As the cost of a fully hybrid meeting is considerably more than either an in-person or a virtual meeting, this is resulting in higher registration fees.
Secretary Alice Monet reported on the IAU US National Committee (USNC) meeting held on 3 February. IAU President Debra Elmegreen reported that the Union has signed an agreement to establish the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference. NSF’s NOIRLab and the SKA Observatory will co-host the new Center. The formal start date is 1 April. Both the USNC (Chryssa Kouveliotou) and AAS (Paula Szkody) expressed interest in helping promote the Center and its work.
ERRATA: The item in the December 2021 Highlights regarding the Board’s decision to draft a letter to NASA concerning the naming of JWST omitted key requests to be included in the letter. The correct statement should be: “The Board decided to draft a letter asking NASA to provide further investigation from the archives, a process for future naming of telescopes, and reconsideration of the name of JWST using a transparent process with community input.”
Trustees Ed Bertschinger and Kelsey Johnson presented a draft letter to NASA regarding the naming of JWST. As directed by the Board, the letter requests that NASA implement a rigorous naming process retroactively for JWST following revised policies and procedures for naming NASA missions. These policies should include an articulation of the criteria for a name to be considered and input from the community. The letter also asks that NASA appoint an independent historian to investigate Webb’s activities relating to the “Lavender Scare” using the records now available in the National Archives, and to make the investigative results public. Paula Szkody will run the draft letter by the Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy before presenting it to the Board for final approval at its March meeting.
Finally, the Board endorsed the recommendations from the SATCON1 and SATCON2 Workshops and the Dark and Quiet Skies Meeting.
The next Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, 9 March.
January 2022
The January meeting of the Board of Trustees is normally a full-day event held on the day before the beginning of the winter meeting. Not so this year! Following the cancelation of AAS 239, the Board was forced to scale back to a Zoom meeting just five hours long, held over two days. The Board considered plans to organize virtual events offering some of the content of the canceled meeting; how to cover the cost of cancelation; plans for the expanded AAS 240 meeting in Pasadena; new staff appointments; and how the Society will respond to the continuing issue of satellite constellations. Several annual reports were received from Divisions, Committees, the AAS journals, and Sky & Telescope; and the Board received updates on AAS investments, staff departures and recruiting, and public policy activities.
An AAS 239 Task Force was established during the December 2021 meeting with the task of enabling a selection of the AAS 239 sessions, meetups, and functions to go forward as member-organized virtual events. Vice President Adam Burgasser reported that the Task Force is proposing two weeks of two-day virtual meetings. These could include dissertation talks, job fairs, and other virtual sessions being organized by individuals or groups of AAS members. When the proposed schedule is finalized, details will be announced to the membership.
Cancelation of the winter meeting did not cancel all the related costs. Much of the work for organizing the meeting, ordering materials, transporting exhibits, contracting for local support, and, of course, contractual obligations with the facilities and hotels, had already been completed and paid. Fortunately, some of the penalties that were initially assessed for cancelation of contracts were dropped after careful reading of the contracts. Additional expenses included reimbursement of registration fees, refunding certain travel expenses, and penalties that could not be avoided. The final cost was roughly $1.8 million. The Board approved covering this by drawing on the Society’s investment funds. As additional savings are found or if some charges can be further reduced, the difference will be returned to the investments fund.
The Meetings Committee is planning the summer meeting in Pasadena in June 2022. Three major options were presented to the Board: a standard, in-person meeting; an enhanced meeting including several events and sessions normally held only at winter meetings; and a fully hybrid meeting with all oral sessions streamed for virtual attendees and all posters given as iPosters. The design of the fully hybrid meeting would also make it possible to pivot from an in-person meeting to an entirely virtual meeting, should this once again become necessary. After extensive discussion and comparison of the financial projections, the Board approved the fully hybrid meeting.
Jeff Hall, Chair of the Committee for Light Pollution, Radio Interference, and Space Debris (LPRISD), joined the meeting to explore how the Board and LPRISD could work together to respond appropriately to threats to observing capability due to satellite constellations and other developments in space. Some events require a quick response, and it is not always possible to convene a Board meeting soon enough to allow the Board to approve all committee actions. This issue has come up with other AAS committees, and President Paula Szkody agreed that a policy is required to specify when committees can act autonomously. This will be addressed during the next Strategic Assembly meeting.
The following reports were presented: the Division for Planetary Sciences Annual Report, the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA) Annual Report, the Education Committee Status Report, the Publications Committee Status Report, reports from the AAS journals Editor in Chief and the Chief Publishing Officer, the report from the Sky & Telescope Editor in Chief, a summary report on AAS investments, a public policy report, and the Executive Officer’s reports on staffing and the AAS Ambassadors’ Program.
The appointment of Karly Pitman to serve as co-chair of CSMA was approved, as was the appointment of Board of Trustees member Lou Strolger as AAS Representative to the AIP Federation Assembly.
The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday, 10 February.