Newswise — WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 2, 2013 -- The American Institute of Physics announced today that the Boston-based American Meteorological Society (AMS) has become the institute’s newest member society.

AMS will now receive all the benefits conferred by full membership, including free subscriptions to AIP’s flagship magazine, Physics Today, for all AMS members and eligibility for increased participation in AIP's history, news, media outreach, statistics, public policy, and student programs.

The premier scientific society for meteorology and related atmospheric, oceanographic and hydrologic sciences, AMS has about 14,000 members worldwide, including more than 3,000 students and 1,700 international members. As an umbrella organization, AIP provides services and benefits to AMS and other member societies, which represent a broad spectrum of physical science professionals.

"We welcome the AMS and look forward to strengthening ties in ways that will benefit both organizations, the scientific community as a whole, policy makers and the general public," said H. Frederick Dylla, AIP's executive director and CEO.

"AMS draws its members equally from the academic, private and government sectors," Dylla added, "and has considerable expertise in public science education. It counts among its members more than a thousand men and women who are among society's most visible scientific spokespeople -- the broadcast meteorologists serving as local and national TV weather forecasters."

"AMS members include some of the world's leading experts in the atmospheric, oceanographic and hydrologic sciences," said AMS President J. Marshall Shepherd, who is the director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia. "We look forward to strengthening our myriad activities and programs through our deeper connection with AIP and further enhancing our members’ experience without additional cost to them."

AMS has been formally associated with AIP since 1983, when it became an AIP affiliated society—one of about two dozen local, regional or national organizations with missions complementary to AIP. Affiliated societies do not pay dues and do not receive AIP member society benefits. A list of AIP member and affiliated societies can be found here: http://www.aip.org/aip/societies.html.

About AMSThe American Meteorological Society (www.ametsoc.org) promotes the advancement of the atmospheric and related sciences for the benefit of society. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of about 14,000 professionals, students, and weather enthusiasts. AMS publishes 11 atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic science journals in print and online, sponsors a dozen conferences annually, and offers numerous programs and services.

About AIPThe American Institute of Physics (www.aip.org) is an organization of scientific societies in the physical sciences, representing scientists, engineers, and educators. AIP offers authoritative information, services, and expertise in physics education and student programs, science communication, government relations, career services for science and engineering professionals, statistical research in physics employment and education, industrial outreach, and the history of physics and allied fields. AIP publishes Physics Today, the most influential and closely followed magazine of the physics community, and is also home to the Society of Physics Students and the Niels Bohr Library and Archives. AIP owns AIP Publishing LLC, a scholarly publisher in the physical and related sciences.