I would also like to add an e-mail signature for the letter of protest or support to the Minister if the situation is as it appears.
Burcin Bayram
Assistant Professor
Physics Department
Miami University
Oxford, OH 450056
Phone: 513-529-5630
Fax: 513-529-5629
-----Original Message-----
From: Molecular dynamics and chemical physics community [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robert Gordon
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 12:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The end of high-resolution spectroscopy at NRC? - follow up with NRC?
Jeremy,
Please add my name to the list of people protesting this assault on
science as well as the disgraceful treatment of two eminent scientists.
Robert Gordon
At 11:46 AM 10/9/2007, J M Hutson wrote:
>I have spoken to both Phil Bunker and Bob McKellar and they have
>discussed this with the management at the Steacie Institute. It is
>not a mistake. About a hundred people at NRC received similar
>letters. The redundancies are a response to budget cuts, though some
>other institutes (such as the Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics)
>appear to have decided to absorb the budget cuts without redundancies.
>
>Both Phil and Bob have long enough service to receive full pensions
>and will be allowed to keep their offices as guest workers. However,
>it is unclear that they will have research budgets to allow them to
>continue their work - let alone that NRC will build on their
>expertise and reputation by making new appointments.
>
>Thanks to all who have responded on this, both in public and in
>private email. I've been rather swamped, and I'm sorry I haven't
>been able to send personal replies to everyone. I am collating
>responses and there are a number of influential groups who may write
>letters of protest. I will post an update and some suggestions for
>what people can do soon, but there are a few more people I need to
>talk to first.
>
>Jeremy Hutson
>
>Dean Atkinson wrote:
>>At first blush, I had the same reaction that most of the
>>respondents to this message did. But to be careful about the
>>magnitude of this problem, has anyone actually contacted the NRC to
>>check on the validity of this letter and to ask for comment? Maybe
>>this letter was an honest mistake. I've heard of these things
>>happening before, although not usually this egregiously. When so
>>many people are asking "what were they thinking?" it is usually
>>prudent to simply contact someone and give them a chance to answer
>>the question. Surely somebody on this list has a friend at the NRC
>>that could be contacted for an inside look?
>>Obviously, if the situation is as it appears I would like to add my
>>name to any formal letter of protest or support.
>>
>>Dean B. Atkinson
>>Associate Professor
>>Chemistry Department
>>Portland State University
>>1719 SW 10th Ave. SB2-262
>>Portland, OR 97201
>>503-725-8117 (tel)
>>503-725-9525 (FAX)
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>*From:* Molecular dynamics and chemical physics community
>>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Zlatko Bacic
>>*Sent:* Tuesday, October 09, 2007 4:54 AM
>>*To:* [log in to unmask]
>>*Subject:* Re: The end of high-resolution spectroscopy at NRC?
>>
>>"Notice of Surplus Status" might be appropriate for surplus
>>equipment but, just as Giacinto noted, it is truly outrageous to
>>use it for human beings, irrespective of their status and
>>accomplishments. I always thought of Canada as a "kinder and
>>gentler" country, but this act has shaken my belief. It is also
>>incomprehensible that two leading scientists, Phil Bunker and Bob
>>McKellar, among the very best that Canada has in physical sciences,
>>could be let go, in this fashion or any other. What are they thinking in NRC?
>>
>>Zlatko Bacic
>>
>>*****************************************************************************
>>Professor Zlatko Bacic Telephone: +1-212-998-8435
>>Department of Chemistry Fax: +1-212-260-7905
>>New York University E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>>New York, NY 10003
>>
>>URL: http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/zlatkobacic.html
>>
>>******************************************************************************
>>
>>On Oct 9, 2007, at 3:20 AM, Wolfgang Jaeger wrote:
>>
>>Dear All,
>>
>>this is to let you know that the Canadian community is currently
>>preparing a letter to the Minister in charge of NRC in response to
>>the outrageous developments. One aspect of this letter will
>>certainly be the reaction of the international scientific
>>community, and further comments and suggestions on this mailing
>>list can only help us. I will discuss with my Canadian colleagues
>>how to best utilize your support. We may ask you in the next few
>>days for more concrete input, perhaps an e-mail signature for the
>>letter to the Minister.
>>
>>Wolfgang Jaeger
>>
>>
>>
>>>X-Sieve: CMU Sieve 2.2
>>>
>>>X-RAL-MFrom: <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>>>
>>>X-RAL-Connect: <hermes2.dur.ac.uk [129.234.8.21]>
>>>
>>>User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.6 (Windows/20070728)
>>>
>>>X-DurhamAcUk-MailScanner: Found to be clean, Found to be clean
>>>
>>>X-CCLRC-SPAM-report: 0 :
>>>
>>>X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.57 on 130.246.193.104
>>>
>>>Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 20:02:11 +0100
>>>
>>>Reply-To: J M Hutson <[log in to unmask]
>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>>>
>>>Sender: "For dicussion of Spectroscopy."
>>><[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>>>
>>>From: J M Hutson <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>>>
>>>Subject: The end of high-resolution spectroscopy at NRC?
>>>
>>>Comments: To: [log in to unmask]
>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>>>
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>>>
>>>List-Help: <http://jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?LIST=SPECTROSCOPY-GROUP>,
>>>
>>><mailto:[log in to unmask] SPECTROSCOPY-GROUP>
>>>
>>>List-Unsubscribe:
>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>>>
>>>List-Subscribe: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>>>
>>>List-Owner: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>>>
>>>List-Archive:
>>><http://jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?LIST=SPECTROSCOPY-GROUP>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I visited Gerard Meijer's group in Berlin this week, and ran into
>>>Phil Bunker from NRC (Ottawa). Phil showed me a most amazing
>>>letter from his employers at NRC, dated 6 September. The letter is
>>>headed "Notice of Surplus Status". It begins:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>"As part of the implementation of the NRC Strategy `Science at
>>>Work in Canada', we will be realigning some of our programs, activities and
>>>
>>>resources. ... I regret to inform you that as a result of this
>>>exercise your position has been identified as surplus to requirements ..."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>And then later on:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>"Your layoff date will be 1 November 2007 at the close of business."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Phil tells me that Bob McKellar received a similar letter.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I am sending this because I think the spectroscopy and dynamics
>>>
>>>community needs to know what is going on. Both Phil and Bob are among
>>>
>>>the most eminent and productive spectroscopists in the world. Many
>>>leading researchers in Canada and worldwide started their research
>>>careers in their groups. Their work has made and is making big
>>>contributions to our understanding of the spectroscopy and
>>>dynamics of clusters and other species.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>It is sad to see this happen to a once-great institution like NRC.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Jeremy Hutson
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>
>>>Prof. J. M. Hutson
>>>
>>>Dept. of Chemistry
>>>
>>>University of Durham
>>>
>>>Durham Tel. (0191) 334 2147 (UK)
>>>
>>>DH1 3LE Tel. +44 191 334 2147 (International)
>>>
>>>England FAX: +44 191 384 4737
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>World-Wide Web home page: http://www.dur.ac.uk/j.m.hutson/
>>
>>*****************************************************************************************************
>>Wolfgang Jaeger Tel.: 780-492-5020
>>Department of Chemistry FAX: 780-492-8131
>>University of Alberta e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>>Edmonton, AB Web: www.chem.ualberta.ca/~jaeger
>><http://www.chem.ualberta.ca/~jaeger>
>>Canada T6G 2G2
>>*****************************************************************************************************
>>
>>To join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
>>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/molecular-dynamics-news.html
>>
>>To join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
>>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/molecular-dynamics-news.html To
>>join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
>>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/molecular-dynamics-news.html
>
>--
>Prof. J. M. Hutson
>Dept. of Chemistry
>University of Durham
>Durham Tel. (0191) 334 2147 (UK)
>DH1 3LE Tel. +44 191 334 2147 (International)
>England FAX: +44 191 384 4737
>
>World-Wide Web home page: http://www.dur.ac.uk/j.m.hutson/
>
>To join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/molecular-dynamics-news.html
Robert J Gordon
Professor and Head
Department of Chemistry (m/c 111)
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 West Taylor Street, Room 4500
Chicago, IL 60607-7061
phone: 312-996-3280
Fax: 312-996-0431
Affiliated Professor, Haifa University
www.chem.uic.edu/rjgordon
To join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/molecular-dynamics-news.html
To join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/molecular-dynamics-news.html
|