Cortney Bougher

Cortney Bougher, M.S., CAE, is the director of membership at the American Physical Society (APS). She oversees all membership activities, including member services, recruitment and retention, units, and honors. Cortney’s team supports the Society’s more than 50,000 APS members, including more than 1,000 volunteers, and distributes over $1 million annually in travel support and prize stipends. Her mission is to empower scientists to thrive in their education, career, and beyond.

Cortney received her M.S. in engineering physics from Appalachian State University in 2014. Her research was in organic thin-film electronics and atomic force microscopy. Cortney was a summer undergraduate research fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2010 and a North Carolina Space Grant Fellow from 2011-2013, and is a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honors society. In 2025, Cortney earned the Certified Association Executive credential from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).