Society Awards and Honors
2010 Elected Positions and Offices
Kelly Sullivan Elected Sigma Xi President
For the second time, a scientist at PNNL has been elected president of Sigma Xi, one of the largest and most prestigious international science and engineering honor societies.
At Sigma Xi's annual meeting in Raleigh, N.C., Kelly Sullivan, PNNL institutional partnerships and postdoc program manager, was elected president of the 125-year-old society. Her term as president-elect will begin July 1, 2011 and she will become president on July 1, 2012.
With nearly 50,000 members in 100 countries, Sigma Xi associate members are invited to join only after showing potential in scientific research. Full membership is granted to those who have demonstrated noteworthy scientific achievements. Society membership has included renowned scientists Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling, DNA discoverers Francis Crick and James Watson, physicists Enrico Fermi and Richard Feynman and geneticist Barbara McClintock, along with more than 200 other Nobel laureates. "It is quite humbling to be recognized by such a prestigious body, and I feel particularly honored, because the last PNNL scientist elected president of Sigma Xi was Bill Wiley," Kelly said in reference to the former PNNL director. Bill served as Sigma Xi's president-elect, but passed away in 1996 before he became president.
Bill and Kelly are the only DOE national laboratory scientists to be elected to the Sigma Xi's top office.
"Sigma Xi is a true trans-disciplinary organization with a rich blend of scientists who share ideas from different fields. This is a very nice compliment to our research approach at PNNL," Kelly said. "It is an important organization, particularly for younger researchers who find an instant professional network, both within and outside of their disciplines."
Before becoming director of institutional partnerships at PNNL, Kelly's research focused on the electronic structure and stability of small molecules and ions of atmospheric and mass spectrometric interest. More recently, she played a key role in the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable at the National Academies, leading efforts in STEM education. She is active in Sigma Xi, serving in several leadership roles, as well as president of the society's Tri-Cities, Wash. Chapter. (announced 11/1/2010)