Session E7: Two Out of 535: The Role of Physicists in Policy

Panel Discussion: Two out of 535: The Role of Physicists in Policy

The combined Congress of the United States consists of 535 members, who have the responsibility of making decisions on US science funding and policy. Of the 535 members in 115th Congress, only two hold doctoral degrees in scientific fields. This statistic is alarming, and should motivate graduate students in the sciences, as well as early career scientists to take a greater part in public policy. In this panel discussion, we will hear from five experts from various positions in public science policy about their experiences, as well as ways in which young physicists can become involved in science policy, helping to change this statistic. 1.) Josh Shiode, AAAS 2.) Anna Quider, Northern Illinois University 3.) Daniel Kammen, UC Berkeley 4.) Gregory Mack, APS 5.) Benjamin Brown, DOE