The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology (FAST) is an international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging Fulbright scholars and other leaders in partnerships that advance science and society. Membership is open to Fulbright scholars, hosts and friends and to institutions having an interest in our work.

FAST participated in a meeting earlier this month on establishing scientific exchanges with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK, or commonly known as North Korea). The invitation-only meeting was organized by Syracuse University and the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation, and the opening reception was hosted by the AAAS at their headquarters in Washington, DC. All three organizations are FAST institutional members or partners.

About one-third of the attendees had spent time in North Korea, and so the meeting explored opportunities and barriers to organizing formal exchanges. Syracuse University is the only US institution to be formally hosting visiting research faculty. The first group will be arriving this fall, supported by the Korea Society and the Korea Fulbright Foundation. They will be working on digital libraries, museum studies and university administration – topics which do not create national security issues.

Some 40 people attended the May 21-22 meeting, including staff from Capitol Hill, representatives of international foundations and scientific leaders from academic institutions in North America and Asia. As one might expect, a number of attendees were Fulbright scholars, including Dr. Tom Harblin (Syracuse University), Dr. Ke Chung Kim (Penn State), Dr. Alan Leshner (AAAS) and Dr. Myron Mitchell (SUNY). We also had two people who had attended FAST’s 2006 conference in Berlin last March: Mr. Fred Carrier of the Korea Society and former head of the Fulbright Commission in Korea and Dr. Byong Man Ahn, the chairman of the Korea Fulbright Foundation. A report on the meeting will be issued this summer, and the organizers are seeking additional partners to be involved in the project. Fulbright alumni, researchers, and academic institutions who would like to participate should contact Eric Howard at 207-799-3098.

May 27, 2007 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rachel Carson, one of the world's foremost leaders in conservation. Her work as an educator, scientist and writer revolutionized America's interest in environmental issues. Today, she is perhaps best known for her 1962 book, Silent Spring, which explored the impact of pesticides on the environment. The book became a runaway best seller both in the USA and overseas, and led to major changes in pesticide regulation.

Two years after publication, she died of cancer. Shortly after her death, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge was established in cooperation with the State of Maine to recognize her efforts to conserve birds and nature. Rachel Carson had spent many summers in Maine, conducing research and writing.

The National Wildlife Refuge is spread along 50 miles of coastline in southern Maine, from the New Hampshire border to the Town of Cape Elizabeth, which is where the Fulbright Academy maintains its mailing address. The refuge protects valuable salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds. The proximity to the coast and its location between the eastern deciduous forest and the boreal forest creates a composition of plants and animals not found elsewhere. It is less than two hours from Boston and part of it is just minutes from the FAST office, so Fulbrighters who would like a personal tour should contact the Academy.

Would your university or organization be interested in being part of a joint booth at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)? This meeting on February 14-18, 2007 will attract some 6,000 scientists from around the world, plus 1,000 journalists and several thousand scientifically literate visitors.

Each year, there are at least 100 exhibitors – government agencies, universities/academic consortiums, corporations and publishers. Several of our members have expressed interest in having one or two joint booths at the meeting. The goal of the booth would be to promote the research, the work, and the opportunities available through that member. By sending just one staff person, you can have full representation during the entire five-day meeting.

The current plan is that one booth would be for institutions or individuals working in the field of medicine, public health and nursing. If there is demand, a second booth could be for institutions in other scientific disciplines. For details, please contact Eric Howard.

FAST was incorporated in October 2001, and has had full-time staff since May 2005, but we don’t have a logo. Fulbright scholarships are not limited to scientific disciplines – and many scientifically oriented people have artistic talent as well.

As a result, we have organized a mini competition to elicit designs and ideas for a logo, which would be used by the Fulbright Academy on our stationery, website, business cards and publications. Because it will be used in multiple media, the logo can not be overly detailed (thin lines do now show up well on faxes or photocopies). It also should not create confusion with the trademarked blue globe logo of the Fulbright Exchange Program.

The first round is taking place right now – and the best ideas will receive $250. You are not limited to one concept or design, but the deadline for the first round is mid June.

FAST has added some new institutional members this spring and others have renewed. While the June issue of the newsletter will include longer descriptions of the newest members, we are pleased to list the new and renewing members below:

• American Board of Healthcare Law & Medicine
• American Institute for Maghrib Studies
• Assumption College
• Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Hope for Healthier Humanity
• Lincoln University
• Singapore Management University
• Sorensen Molecular Genealogy Foundation
• Syracuse University
• Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan
• Universidad Autonoma Metropolitano (Mexico City)
• University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of South Florida
• US Civilian Research & Development Foundation

As reported in ScienceCareers.org, India is fast becoming a place where people from around the world go to do scientific research. That means more research opportunities for Indians and foreign scientists. The April 27 issue of ScienceCareers.org had a special focus on opportunities and scientific exchanges with India. As they prepared the issue, the editor contacted FAST for information, and we are pleased to note that the Fulbright program is highlighted.

The three articles focus on science in India, bilateral exchanges between India and the UK and American Fulbright scholars in India. The issue also includes guidance on financing research exchanges with India.

Anyone can register for the free e-mail alert from Science Careers, a weekly online publication focused on the needs of graduate students, postdocs, and other early career scientists. Each week, Science Careers publishes original articles and features on a wide range of scientific career topics. This weekly e-mail alert contains information about the new articles along with their hot-linked URLs. To register, go to http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/, and click on the “Email alerts” icon.

Although I am editor of this newsletter and the executive director of FAST, I also have been following the recent international discussions on climate change. My academic background is in climate change – the relationship between long-term geologic trends and nature conservation. In the 1990’s I wore the annual report on desertification for the Yearbook of International Environmental Law.

Climate change has been in the press quite regularly this year – the official reports and report summaries are all available on-line from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was established by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. The Working Group I Report "The Physical Science Basis” was issued in February. The report from Working Group II "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" came out in April, and May saw the release of the Working Group III Report "Mitigation of Climate Change." (all reports - and shorter summaries - are available at www.ipcc.ch).

In the US, there is some debate about causes and the need for action. There is general agreement that the costs for action are quite high – and the costs for inaction will also be quite high.

What can we do? The Fulbright Academy was started in 2003 by people like you. We have individual and institutional members in some 50 countries and nearly every US state. I recently saw that Andry Ralijaona, a Malagasy Fulbright Alumnus, is now an advisor to the President of Madagascar on the environment. Many other Fulbrighters are in interesting positions in government, industry and academia. I would like to hear from institutions and Fulbright scholars to see what role our organization can play in the international policy arena. Please send me a note if you would like to be involved in this discussion.

FAST is a non-profit 501-c-3 membership-based organization that serves scientists, executives, and scholars worldwide. The Fulbright Academy is not affiliated with the US State Department, the US Fulbright Association or the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Our sponsors and supporters include individual and institutional members such as universities, corporations, government agencies and foundations.