The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is pleased to announce the formation of the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund. The fund will provide financial assistance to qualifying DPS members to facilitate their attendance at the annual DPS meeting by offsetting dependent-care costs, either at the meeting location or at home during the week of the conference. In this, its inaugural year, the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund will support Dependent Care Grants for the 45th annual meeting of the DPS in Denver, Colorado, 6-11 October 2013.
Dr. Susan (Mahan) Niebur (1973-2012) was a principal investigator, manager, and former Discovery Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters and the CEO of her own consulting firm specializing in space-science policy, the history and development of missions, and the success of women in planetary science. More importantly, Susan was a tireless supporter and strong advocate for creating professional development programming for early-career planetary scientists. It is the Division for Planetary Sciences’ hope that this new fund will provide an additional legacy for Susan’s contributions to the planetary-science community.
The initial budget for the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund has been graciously provided by the DPS Committee; outside donations are also welcome.
More information about the new fund, including how to donate:
http://dps.aas.org/development/susan-niebur-professional-development-fund
Contacts:
Dr. Vishnu Reddy
DPS Press Officer
+1 808-342-8932
dpspress@aas.org
Dr. Rosaly Lopes
DPS Chair
+1 818-393-4584
dpschair@aas.org
More information about Dr. Susan Niebur:
http://dps.aas.org/news/susan-niebur-1973-2012
45th Annual Meeting of the DPS, 6-11 October 2013:
http://aas.org/meetings/45th-meeting-division-planetary-sciences
The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is the largest organization of professional planetary scientists in the world. The DPS was formed in 1968 as a sub-organization within the AAS and is devoted to solar system and extrasolar planet research. Today it is the largest special-interest division of the AAS.
