M. P. Anantram
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, California
23 August 2001
Marc Brodsky
(via e-mail)
CEO and
Executive Director
American
Institute of Physics
One Physics
Ellipse
College
Park, Maryland 20740
Dear Dr.
Brodsky,
I am
concerned by the enclosed mail that I received from Talat Rahman et al. While I understand that AIP is a workplace
that cannot afford the freedom possible in a research environment, the action
of firing Jeff Schmidt for the reasons given in the enclosed letter is
unjustified.
I appeal to
you and your colleagues to reverse your opinion, reinstate Jeff Schmidt at AIP,
and work on making AIP a model organization for corporate America.
I have
enjoyed Physics Today and other AIP publications and believe that your
staff is doing an excellent job. Even
more impressive are the many nontraditional articles written in Physics
Today (those that do not agree with conventional Physics
establishments). I hope that we in the
scientific community will continue the tradition of NOT AGREEING with one
another; this only makes us BETTER. The
punishment of firing Jeff Schmidt for following this tradition is too harsh.
Sincerely,
M. P. Anantram
(Opinions
are my own; my affiliation is given for identification only.)