-Magdalen Lindeberg
Graduate students from all five SIPS sections joined the many Cornell faculty, staff, and students who traveled to Washington DC for last Saturday’s March for Science.
Bill Weldon and Andy Read, who drove down with a large group from Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, reflected on the positive atmosphere of the event, with marchers highlighting the many contributions of science. Read praised the organizers for the speaker lineup, with speakers of diverse backgrounds giving short talks interspersed with music. Breanne Kisselstein commented, “It was an amazing time in DC, hearing Bill Nye and “SAVE THE EPA” chants.”
Morgan Carter, also in Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, traveled on one of three buses sponsored by Cornell’s Advancing Science and Policy (ASAP) group. She reflected on how good it felt to be surrounded by people with a shared passion for science. Like many others attending from Cornell, this was Carter’s first time to march in Washington. “I’m driven to do science because it benefits people”, Carter commented. “I wanted to emphasize that I’m here to help and that science can help everyone.”
Earlier in April, Carter traveled to Washington with a group of 18 graduate and professional students as part of Cornell Advocacy Day. Carter and Read discussed strategies for influencing science policy, learned in BME 4440 – Science Policy: from Concept to Conclusion, and from the recent GSA-sponsored speaker, Food Systems Policy Analyst Elizabeth Stulberg. “She really took the mystery out of contacting your representatives”, said Read. Carter added, “You can really make a difference by calling someone like Tom Reed about less partisan issues, like the importance of including research funding in the Farm Bill.”
PPPMB student Anthony Wenndt commented, “For me, the most meaningful part of attending the march was the magnitude of the event. It was incredibly powerful and invigorating to stand alongside thousands of others who cherish truth and recognize the importance of evidence-informed decision making. Moreover, since the event attracted delegations from around the country, the march served as a valuable opportunity to reinforce networks and partnerships. I left D.C. with a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between politics and facts, and a galvanized sense of unity with the scientific community.”
Others from SIPS attended the Ithaca March for Science including Jeff Doyle, Chair of Plant Breeding and Genetics (photo below) and Tyler McCann from PPPMB.
From CALS News: More Than 200 Soggy Students Champion Science in D.C. March
A big thank you to Juana Munoz Ucros, Bill Weldon, Carson Letot, Zoe Dubrow, Adrienne Gorny, Breanne Kisselstein, Alyssa Blachez, Andy Read, Gwynne Lim, Eugene Law, Morgan Carter, Anthony Wenndt, Mia Howard, Tyler McCann, Mischa Olson, and Jeff Doyle for providing photos and information.
