Academy of Science helps IU researchers

After over 100 years of existence, the Indiana Academy of Science continues to bring together the best and brightest scientific minds in the state.\nFounded in 1885, the IAS encourages "scientific research and the diffusion of knowledge concerning the various departments of science, and to promote dialogue between individuals engaged in scientific work, especially in Indiana," according to the IAS Web site.\nSeveral current IU faculty members are active in the IAS. Greg Demas, professor in the biology department, has been a member for over two years. He said involvement in the organization is beneficial for faculty and students.\n"It presents a local forum for the exchange of research and ideas," Demas said. \nStudents can fill out the application available on the IAS home page, or they can set up an appointment to meet with a faculty member who is involved in the Academy. \n"Setting up an appointment with me or another faculty member is a pretty common way for students to get involved," Demas said. "I've got some of my best students that way." \nFormer IU professor, social psychologist and creator of The Kinsey Institute, Alfred Kinsey, zoologist Carl Eigenmann and anthropologist Eli Lilly are among the famous names who were once members of the IAS.\nVicky Meretsky, an IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor who worked with a student who presented their research at the last IAS meeting in October, encourages students to get involved in the Academy.\n"It's a very friendly environment for students to present, especially locally relevant science," Meretsky said. "Students shouldn't be intimidated because it's an audience that is very interested in what is being presented. It doesn't even have to be a big breakthrough or anything like that."\nIn addition to offering research experience and exchange of ideas, the IAS offers three separate grant programs for students and faculty to support scientific research. The awards range from $300 grants to Indiana high school students to $3,000 for undergraduate and graduate students at the University level. \nThe IAS is a nonprofit organization, so the money is raised by member dues and donations. A basic membership is $30 per year. Members receive a newsletter and Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, a report of what happens at meetings. \nMembers typically meet twice per year and the next meeting takes place in Spring 2004 at Hanover College. Members present papers on scientific research and education, and awards are given to celebrate scientific achievement. \nThe IAS also performs several duties for the state of Indiana. Through the Biological Survey Committee, the IAS keeps a record of the plant life in the state. The Academy also provides scientific advice regarding what natural areas of the state are important for preservation and is becoming increasingly involved in decisions made by the state legislature by providing technical and scientific information when it is requested.\nFor more information about the Academy, visit the Web site at www.indianaacademyofscience.org. Membership forms, grant applications and contact information are all available on the site.\n-- Contact staff writer Jacob Surface at lsurface@indiana.edu.