Congressional Science Fellow Research Articles

2009–2010 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

2009–2010 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

AGU 2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow

Alex Apotsos has been selected as AGU's 2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow. Apotsos, who completed his Ph.D. in applied ocean science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass., in May 2007, will be working in the office of U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D‐Mont.) on a variety of science, engineering, and technology issues.His placement followed an in‐depth orientation and interview process. In September, Apotsos joined the ranks of more than 30 other congressional science fellows from other organizations for a 2‐week orientation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. After the orientation session, the fellows underwent a lengthy interview process to determine their placement with various congressional and committee offices.

Challenges Facing Atmospheric, Earth, and Space Science Departments in Higher Education

In final form 14 June 2007 © 2007 American Meteorological Society he 15th biennial meeting of the heads and chairs of programs in atmospheric, oceanic, hydrologic, and related sciences was held in the fall of 2006. The intent of these meetings is to provide a forum for heads and chairs to come together to share and discuss experiences, concerns, and trends of broad relevance to university geoscience programs. The 2006 meeting was held jointly between the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and American Geophysical Union (AGU), with sponsorship from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). The meeting addressed several contemporary departmental issues and challenges with presentations and breakout sessions. Science presentations provided heads and chairs with a look at new directions in the geosciences. Archives of the meeting presentations are available on the UCAR Web site (online at www.ucar.edu/governance/meetings/ oct06/followup/ams.html). Rick Anthes (incoming AMS President and UCAR President) welcomed meeting attendees and encouraged everyone, especially those representing minority-serving institutions, to become academic affiliates of UCAR and active members of the community. Anthes also informed attendees that the National Research Council (NRC) decadal study Earth science and applications from space: Urgent needs and opportunities to serve the nation was complete. Recommendations from an interim report were incorporated and the final report was released in December 2005. Gene Bierly of AGU described AGU’s work in building stronger partners outside of science via their involvement in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellows Program and Congressional Science Fellowship. Outgoing AMS President Franco Einaudi [National Challenges Facing Atmospheric, Earth, and Space Science Departments in Higher Education

A Year to Solve the Climate Problem

For the last five years, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) have teamed up to sponsor a member of our community for a year's work in the U.S. Congress. As the 2005/06 AMS-UCAR Congressional Science Fellow, I chose to work on climate policy in the U.S. Senate. I witnessed the following three major obstacles to legislation intended to protect the climate system: 1) there is a persistent gap in understanding between policy makers and the research community, 2) there is a small group of powerful interests that will experience the costs of climate policy acutely while many of the benefits of climate policy will be distributed diffusely among members of society, and 3) there is concern—legitimate and misplaced—over the economic consequences of unilateral U.S. action and the genuine need for international cooperation. The scientific community can help solve these problems. The Congressional Science Fellowship program, for example, provides a valuable opportunity for scientists to actively engage in the policy process and to help reduce the gap in understanding between the research and policy communities. During my year, I focused on developing powerful incentives to encourage international cooperation and provisions to ease acute distributional impacts that could arise from reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Based on my time in Congress and despite remaining political and technological hurdles, I conclude that we have the capacity to enact legislation that begins reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

Call for Applications: Congressional Science Fellow

Call for Applications: Congressional Science Fellow

2008–2009 Congressional Science Fellow

2008–2009 Congressional Science Fellow

2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow Named

2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow Named

2008–2009 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

2008–2009 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

2008–2009 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

2008–2009 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2008–2009 Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2008–2009 Congressional Science Fellowship

Mark Wenzel selected as AGU Congressional Science Fellow

Mark Wenzel, AGU's 2006–2007 Congressional Science Fellow, joined approximately 35 other congressional fellows from all fields of science and engineering on 5 September to begin a two‐week fellow orientation program, sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Following this orientation, Wenzel will seek placement in the office of a senator, representative, or congressional committee, where he will offer advice on a wide range of scientific issues as they pertain to public policy

Call for Applications: Congressional Science Fellow

Call for Applications: Congressional Science Fellow

2006–2007 Congressional Science Fellow Named

2006–2007 Congressional Science Fellow Named

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2007–2008 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Congressional Science Fellow

Josh Trapani has been selected to serve as AGU's 2005–2006 Congressional Science Fellow. Trapani is a paleontologist who most recently studied the genetic basis of tooth development in fish as a postdoctoral fellow in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Colorado, in Boulder.“By studying the complexity of genetic differences between species of fish with different dentition patterns, we are able to begin to determine the evolutionary processes—chiefly selection and constraint—responsible for the evolution and maintenance of these differences over geologic time,” he noted.

Call for Applications: 2006–2007 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2006–2007 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2006–2007 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship

Call for Applications: 2006–2007 GSA–USGS Congressional Science Fellowship