Comment from Kristen Burson

[200.432, 200.454, 200.461, 200.206, 200.450] To Whom it May Concern: I am an associate professor in physics. I am developing the next generation of materials for radon mitigation (the second leading cause of lung cancer) and for increasing the safety and efficiency of nuclear energy production. I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to sections 200.432, 200.454, 200.461, 200.206, and 200.450 that would restrict typical professional expenses, curtail the communication of scientific results, and place excessive scrutiny on the activities of scientists. My membership in the American Physical Society connects me with resources and scientific community that advances my own research and my classroom teaching. The resources and professional development provided through APS have been absolutely critical for my career development. Scientific conferences form the backbone of scholarly networking and idea generation. Through attending a conference, I developed a connection that resulted in my first job out of graduate school. Conferences are especially important for me, coming from a small liberal arts college, since it is one of the few venues where a significant number of experts in my field come together. This both refines and advances my scholarly work. Science is done in community. It is how ideas propagate and are refined. Interaction with the scientific community through conferences, publications, peer-review processes, and professional societies are central for networking, career development, and professional reputation. Restricting conference access, publication access and costs, professional society costs, etc, undermines scientific advancement in significant ways.