Page 35 - Acoustics Today Spring 2011

implications of those options. Scientists can also contribute an analytical problem-solving approach and a way of think- ing about the world that can be a valuable addition to any decision-making process.
What you can do
My glimpse into how federal agencies and Congress operate has been brief and narrow, and my understanding of how our government works is certainly quite limited. Yet I can see that there is a tremendous need for a scientific per- spective in government, even (or perhaps especially) in agen- cies or issue areas that may not directly relate to science. I also have a great appreciation for the extent to which scien- tific researchers rely on wise policies to support their profes- sion. Thus, there is plenty of motivation, both altruistic and self-interested, for scientists and engineers to be involved in public policy and service.
An extended stay in the policy realm will not be a good fit for most scientists, and that is a good thing. We need our scientists to do science. But there are several important ways in which scientists and engineers with nearly any combina- tion of interest and background can get involved in policy and public service. The list below is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it will help you come up with a good idea—act on it!
1. Work in policy. If you have the interest, consider applying for a Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, or pursue other opportunities to serve for a year or two in gov- ernment. AAAS provides excellent information on policy fel- lowship opportunities27 and its other science policy efforts28 through its website. If you find yourself drawn to policy dis- cussions and catch yourself listening to the Sunday morning political news programs or C-SPAN, a Science & Technical Policy Fellowship will almost certainly be an amazing experi- ence for you. It can be a good fit for scientists at career tran- sition points, such as after a postdoc, as well as for established researchers who are interested in something different for their next sabbatical experience. You can also offer valuable policy insight at the state and local level; in the U.S., policies developed by state and local governments can have tremen- dous impact, particularly in education. Dr. Greg Swift’s essay on his experiences helping to write New Mexico’s state sci- ence standards is a wonderful example of how scientists can engage in policy development in ways that have immediate and significant impact on communities. (It appears in this issue of Acoustics Today.) You can also serve in your local government, such as on a school board or in another capaci- ty.
2. Talk to your elected representatives. Meet with staff in your Senator’s and Representative’s local office. If you are in the Washington area for a conference, take some time to meet with staff on Capitol Hill. When you speak to staff, keep your conversation focused on policy. It can be difficult to resist the temptation to delve into the details of your work, but you will have a more productive conversation if you can help them understand why the issue you care about is impor- tant to their state or district. If you disagree with their posi- tion, try to understand why they are taking it, and be con-
structive in your opposition. Be realistic about the outcome of the meeting; passing legislation is enormously complicat- ed and progress is typically slow. Finally, seek their advice; ask them what they think you should do to help advance your issue. There might be local strategies that you can pursue that will produce quicker results. You will be speaking to someone who is bright, energetic, and who likely has a strong network of contacts in your state or district that might prove to be use- ful.
3. Develop opportunities in your institution. For scien- tists at universities, one of the most important ways to impact policy is to provide opportunities for students to learn about and engage in science policy and science communication. Investigate your institution’s career services offerings, and encourage your career services office to provide students with information on policy careers and science policy fellow- ships. As you design your course curricula, think broadly about the types of careers that might benefit from the skills and knowledge that you are teaching. Build science commu- nication into all of your department courses, and consider offering seminars or courses on communicating science to non-scientists.
4. Contribute to effective outreach. Agencies are increasingly encouraging scientists who receive federal sup- port to conduct outreach. As that trend moves from “encour- aging” to “requiring,” researchers have felt more pressure to develop outreach programs. Understandably, that pressure can be frustrating. A good friend who is also a recent univer- sity faculty hire has been wrestling with this issue. As he said to me, there is no doubt that scientists and engineers have a responsibility to inform the public about the impact of their research and to inspire and encourage the next generation of scientists. Yet although he personally enjoys working with schools, he is torn about the most effective way for professors to engage in K-12 outreach while making the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars. As he pointed out, most scientists are good at research, and may not be as talented teaching ele- mentary school students.
We thought of two ways that a scientist could approach this issue. The first suggestion is to talk to your funding agen- cies and your elected officials, and offer constructive sugges- tions about how your funding agency could change its policy to make the most efficient use of both taxpayer funds and sci- entists’ time and effort. The second suggestion is for science and engineering faculty to design outreach programs that are as effective as possible given the requirements of the funding agency. For example, rather than try to develop an outreach program or science education research project from scratch, my friend pointed out that science education outreach efforts and centers already exist in many universities. A good strate- gy might be to learn more about how you can best contribute to these existing efforts on your campus or in a nearby insti- tution. Rather than teach middle school classes, you might be better suited to developing science kits, to contributing to curriculum design, or to providing advice and equipment to help set up a lab. For example, one of the authors in this series, Dr. Garrett, has developed an acoustic laser kit for
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middle- and high-school students. Or, you might help
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