A Brief History of the NMAS and AAAS Affiliation
In 1927, an Academy Conference was authorized by the AAAS (founded in
1848) to serve as a standing committee on relations among the affiliated
academies and between all of them and the AAAS. The Academy Conference
met for the first time at the 1928 New York Annual Meeting of the AAAS,
and it has presented programs at subsequent Annual Meetings. In 1969,
the name of the Academy Conference was changed to Association of
Academies of Science (AAAS) and again in 1979 to the National Association of Academies
of Science (NAAS). The governing body of the NAAS is composed of two
representatives from each of the 44 member academies. In turn, the NAAS
names two delegates to the AAAS Council.
The NAAS, financed by allotments from its member academies, keeps the
academies informed of each other's activities and assists new academies
to organize. The NAAS has a strong interest in the works of junior and
collegiate academies of science and in encouraging young people
interested in science. American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) is the
program agency of NAAS. The AJAS is composed of directors and
representatives from all existing Junior Academies of Science from within member
academies. The AJAS Director is a member of the NAAS Board of Directors
and he/she plans in advance and conducts joint annual meetings with the
President and President-Elect of the NAAS.
At each AAAS Annual Meeting, the member academies send student
representatives of their junior academies to make written and oral
presentations of scientific papers to the senior scientists from all over
the world as part of the program of the AJAS and NAAS.
Active participation of New Mexico Academy of Science (NMAS) with AAAS
and NAAS probably began in 1960 when the name of the former NM Science
Teachers Association was changed to the New Mexico Academy of Science.
The late Dr. Lora Magnum Shields served as the NMAS representative to
NAAS from 1960 to 1984. She was the first New Mexican to serve as the
president of the NAAS, installed at the Boston Annual Meeting in 1976. Dr. David Hsi
succeeded Dr. Shields as NMAS representative to NAAS from 1984 to 2004.
He became the second New Mexican to serve as the NAAS president being installed at the
San Francisco Annual Meeting in 1994. It is important that NMAS and
NMJAS should continue our close affiliation with the NAAS, AJAS and AAAS
so that we shall continue receiving national attention through these
internationally recognized and respected scientific organizations.
Dr. Shields was long time head
of the Biology Department of the NM Highlands University. Over a span a
50 years and at different time , she served as science teacher for public
schools, NM Tech, Navajo Community College. She was the
Secretary-Treasurer for NMAS from 1951 to 1953, NMAS President in 1954
and Editor of the NM Journal of Science for many years. She received the
Distinguished Scientist Award from NMAS in 1965. She was one of the most
dedicated and respected science educator and administrator in New Mexico
and the world.
Last Updated, DPD, 02/01/2007