Prize Working Group

Membership is open to all interested AAS members, regardless of their status or background.

History: The administration of the prize process is one of the responsibilities of the AAS Secretary, assisted by a member of the AAS staff. This is a complex and demanding obligation that allows little time for exploring possible improvements. The AAS established a Prize Task Force in 2019 that recommended several changes to the prize process, most of which have been implemented. But further improvements are needed, because some tasks aren’t being done effectively, and other tasks aren’t being done at all, due to lack of time on the part of the AAS Secretary and AAS staff. We therefore propose that the Board of Trustees establish a Prize Working Group (PWG) to support and improve the AAS prize process. The working group was approved on 5 November 2025.

Members: Alice Monet, Rick Fienberg, Stephen Unwin, some previous prize committee chairs, and representatives from the following committees, as available: BACAC, CSWA, SGMA, CSMA, and Demographics.

Term: November 2025 to November 2030

Charge: Support and improve the AAS prize process.