October 12, 2020
How faculty can help increase STEM student voter turnout (and turnout across all disciplines)
by Samantha Perlman, Civic Engagement Manager, Scholars Strategy Network & Melissa Varga, Science Network Community Manager & Partnerships Coordinator With U.S. elections right around the corner, we are all wondering how this unprecedented election will play out. As a deadly pandemic disrupts voting, and rampant and viral misinformation spreads throughout the country, concerns among the public about the integrity of our voting systems are understandably heightened. During this difficult …
September 21, 2020
Elections and Science: Climate Science Legal Defense Fund is here to help scientists prepare to participate in 2020 elections
Climate Science Legal Defense Fund attorneys are teaming up with the American Geophysical Union to host two free webinars on September 28th and October 13th. This webinar series will help scientists from all disciplines participate in electoral politics or engage directly with their legislators as private citizens fully, confidently, and effectively. The first webinar in the series on 28 September from 2-3pm ET, entitled “How scientists can be involved in …
August 21, 2020
COVID-19 recovery must include environmental justice
Caroline Gleason is AGU’s spring 2020 public affairs intern and a graduate student studying climate and society at Columbia University. She is passionate about climate communication, STEM education and protecting public lands. Find her on Twitter @cgleas19. The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on many unaddressed inequities in our society. In many cases, it has compounded the disproportionate health and safety outcomes of Black, Indigenous and people of color …
July 30, 2020
Congressional Visits Days with a Virtual Twist: A DEI Virtual Advocacy Days Recap
Each year, AGU hosts and co-hosts several Congressional Visits Day events, which provide scientists from the Earth and space science community an opportunity to build relationships with their policymakers and further science policy through in-person meetings on Capitol Hill. However, with the current public health crisis limiting travel and face-to-face interactions, holding such events this year in person is not possible. Instead, we took the opportunity to reimagine Congressional Visits …
July 23, 2020
Science Sees Slight Uptick in House Spending Bills: Part 2
Amid negotiations for further relief packages surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the House Committee on Appropriations finished consideration of the major science funding bills, including the spending bills that fund the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. Following on to our previous post, we will detail the spending and programmatic highlights for federal Earth and space science agencies. National …
July 17, 2020
Science Sees Slight Uptick in House Spending Bills: Part 1
Amid negotiations for further relief packages surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the House is still moving forward with FY2021 spending bills. The House Committee on Appropriations has finished consideration of the major science funding bills. Over the next two posts, we will detail the spending and programmatic highlights for federal Earth and space science agencies. Today’s post covers the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Energy, U.S. Geological …
July 2, 2020
AGU welcomes 2020-2021 Congressional Science Fellow, Dr. Anja Malawi Brandon
AGU is pleased to announce its 43rd Congressional Science Fellow, Dr. Anja Malawi Brandon. Each year, AGU sponsors highly accomplished earth and planetary scientists to serve in the U.S. Congress as advisors on pressing science and technology policy issues. As a sponsored fellow, Anja will participate in the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s prestigious Science and Technology Policy fellowship program and serve a one-year term in a congressional …
June 25, 2020
Protecting international participation in U.S. STEM research
By Emily Orzechowski and Caroline Gleason, AGU’s Spring 2020 Public Affairs Interns “We demand better for our community and for the future of our society and the planet. Together, we can build a thriving, sustainable and equitable future for all.” Read AGU’s From the Prow statement here. The policy landscape around recent and expected executive orders on immigration is rapidly evolving. Here, we provide a recap of the issues at stake as well …
June 22, 2020
Allies and Community Are Crucial for Science. Here’s why.
Heidi Steltzer is a lead author of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) September 2019 Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, a 2018 Voices for Science Advocate and a professor of environment and sustainability at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. This is part one in a series around diversity in the Earth and space sciences. We encourage everyone to read parts one and two of …
June 19, 2020
Creating Inclusive Spaces for Women of Color in the Workplace and in Society – Part Two
by Paula R. Buchanan and Maria E. Mejia This is part one in a series around diversity in the Earth and space sciences. We encourage everyone to read parts one and two of this piece on creating inclusive spaces for women of color. “We demand better for our community and for the future of our society and the planet. Together, we can build a thriving, sustainable and equitable future for …
