The Union of Concerned Scientists' 40th Anniversary Celebration
40th Anniversary Dinner
On Friday, October 30th, over 150 friends and colleagues of UCS gathered to celebrate UCS's 40th Anniversary and to pay tribute to the former Chair of the Board of Directors and UCS co-founder, Kurt Gottfried. A series of speakers were invited to recognize the accomplishments of the organization over its history and to honor Kurt's contribution to the organization. The evening also featured remarks by UCS President Kevin Knobloch. His speech reflected on the foundation, growth and achievements of the organization over the past 40 years.
Text of the speech is available here.
To view the dinner program, click here.
40th Anniversary Symposium
The Union of Concerned Scientists' Symposium on Science and Public Policy in the 21st Century was held on Saturday, October 31, 2009. This unique gathering drew more than 250 UCS members and colleagues from around the country to participate in a day of interesting conversation and thoughtful debate. The symposium included plenary sessions and concurrent programs featuring speakers on climate change, sustainable agriculture, missile defense and nuclear weapons, and scientific integrity. One of the highlights of the day was the address by Congressman Edward J. Markey. Below please find more information about the speakers and their work, pictures and other resources.
To view the symposium program, click here.
Mike Tennis Memorial Plenary Panel
Morning Concurrent Sessions
Lunch--Remarks by Congressman Ed Markey
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
Plenary Session
Mike Tennis Memorial Plenary Panel
Climate Solutions--New and Emerging Technologies
Featuring
Laurie Burt: Appointed as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in 2007. Prior to taking this role, she was partner at Boston law firm Foley Hoag LLP and founded the firm’s Environmental Practice Group. Her expertise covers state and federal hazardous waste and Superfund laws, Clean Air Acts, Clean Water Acts, as well as wetlands, endangered species, and environmental impact regulations. Burt joined Foley Hoag in 1980 after serving for four years as Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General in environmental enforcement. She received her law degree from Boston College Law School and earned a masters degree in urban affairs from Boston University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin.
Jim Gordon: President of Cape Wind Associates and Energy Management Incorporated (EMI). He has built EMI into one of the most successful privately held independent power companies in America. He recruited and managed a team of dedicated and highly motivated professionals to create state of the art power projects. Gordon’s sense of timing and grasp of political and regulatory directions allowed EMI to develop some of New England’s first gas fired cogeneration and independent power projects as well as the first generation of merchant electric plants in the United States. Gordon is a graduate of Boston University’s School of Public Communications and worked for Warner Communications Corporation prior to founding EMI.
Sherif Marakby: Responsible for the Global Hybrid Propulsion Engineering for electrified systems and components at Ford Motor Company. He and his team have recently delivered the Fusion Hybrid sedan powertrain system. Marakby has more than 19 years of automotive experience at Ford Motor Company in various areas including, but not limited to: powertrain systems and components, electronic systems and modules, electromechanical systems, and manufacturing and assembly. Marakby’s higher education includes a masters in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
For more information
For more information about Sherif Marakby please click here.
Morning Concurrent Sessions
1. The Role and Future of Organic Agriculture
Featuring
Tim LaSalle: Rodale Institute’s first CEO. In this role, he champions his science-based hope for a regenerative food system that will mitigate climate change and prevent famine. He has challenged audiences around the world, including Al Gore's Generation Management Investment, United Nations Environment Program, and the National Wildlife Federation. He is also a frequent contributor to Huffington Post and Treehugger. LaSalle received his master's degree in genetics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and previously taught at California Polytechnic State University.
Julie Rawson: The executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter and the NOFA Summer Conference Coordinator. She co-owns, with her husband Jack Kittredge, Many Hands Organic Farm and Sustainability Center in Barre, MA. The farm, started in 1982, provides a range of food, offers community supported agriculture shares, and offers hands-on workshops.
Anne Kapuscinski: The inaugural Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of Sustainability Science at Dartmouth College, Anne is a world-renowned environmental scientist known for her research on fisheries conservation, ecological risk assessment of genetically modified organisms, and sustainable aquaculture. She has advised the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under three administrations and written several influential scientific reports for the U.S. government, the National Academy of Science, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the state of Minnesota. She has received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions to conservation policy and interdisciplinary analysis of sustainability issues. Kapuscinski is on the UCS board of directors and chairs the Science Advisory Committee of the WorldFish Center.
More Information:
Slides used by Tim LaSalle are available by clicking here.
A recent news story in the Dartmouth paper is available here about Dartmouth College and the work by Anne Kapuscinski.
2. History of the Role of Science in Public Policy
Featuring
Curt Meine: Director of Conservation Biology and History at the Center for Humans and Nature, senior fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and associate adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. Meine is a conservation biologist, historian, and writer. He received his bachelor’s degree in English and history from DePaul University in Chicago and his graduate degrees in land resources from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books include Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work and Correction Lines: Essays on Land, Leopold, and Conservation.
Susan Wood: Associate professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services where her work and public advocacy focuses on the use of scientific knowledge in public policy. She served as assistant commissioner for Women’s Health and director of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health from November 2000 through August 2005. She resigned on principle over the continued delay of approval of emergency contraception over-the-counter by FDA. Prior to coming to Capitol Hill, Dr. Wood was a research scientist at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. She received her Ph.D. in biology from the Boston University Marine Program at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.
3. The Future of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
Audio for this panel is available by clicking here.
Featuring
Raymond Jeanloz: Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, leads the U.S. National Academy of Sciences' Committee on International Security and Arms Control. His scientific research has been recognized through a MacArthur Award, and his policy work through awards from the Federation of American Scientists and the American Physical Society. After completing his Ph.D., Jeanloz was on the faculty of Harvard University and then moved to UC Berkeley. In addition to research and teaching, he has been an adviser to the University and to the U.S. Government in areas of resources and environment as well as national and international security.
Jeffrey Lewis: Director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative at the New America Foundation. Dr. Lewis is the author of Minimum Means of Reprisal: China’s Search for Security in the Nuclear Age. Dr. Lewis is a research scholar at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy (CSSIM) and a contributor to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Lewis also founded and maintains the leading blog on nuclear arms control and nonproliferation, ArmsControlWonk.com.
Lunch-Remarks by Congressman Ed Markey
Congressman Markey has represnted Massachusetts' seventh district since 1976. He has been a national leader on energy and environmental policy, and is the chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He is a co-author of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the House in June.
Video of Congressman Ed Markey's address at the symposium:
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
1. The Role of the Private Sector in Sustainable Agriculture
Featuring
Bill Kurtis: An acclaimed documentary host and producer, network and major market news anchor, multimedia production company president, and grass-fed cattle rancher. In 2005, Kurtis founded Tallgrass Beef Company to champion the environmental and health benefits of grass-fed cattle ranching and to coordinate the efforts of small grass-fed ranchers across the country. Today, Tallgrass Beef can be found in restaurants, retailers, and on the internet at www.tallgrassbeef.com. Kurtis graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. in journalism and received his J.D. from Washburn University School of Law.
For more information:
Click here to view 3-minute video from Red Tomato describing one of their innovative programs that use market-based change to create a sustainable food system.
2. Missile Defense and Space Security
Audio for this panel is available by clicking here.
Featuring
Victoria Samson: The Washington office director for the Secure World Foundation. From 2001 to 2009, she was a senior analyst at the Center for Defense Information. Prior to joining the center, she was the senior policy associate at the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers and worked as a consultant to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization’s Directorate of Intelligence.
John Steinbruner: Professor of public policy at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy and director of theCenter for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM). His work has focused on issues of international security and related problems of international policy. John is currently co-chair of the Committee on International Security Studies of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, chairman of the board of the Arms Control Association, and board member of the Financial Services Volunteer Corps. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He received his A.B. from Stanford University in 1963, and his Ph.D. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968.
For more information:
Slides used by John Steinbruner are available here.
For additional information about John Steinbruner's presenatation please visit the following webpages, The Reconsidering the Rules for Space Project from the University of Maryland and Reconsidering the Rules of Space from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Plenary Session
The final plenary session of the day was a panel discussion of the importance of scientists, policymakers, and the media to engage with each other to achieve change on today's pressing issues. Representatives from each sector will discuss their experience working with and across the media, policy, and science arenas, and the importance of that dialogue.
Featuring
Steve Curwood: Executive producer and host of Living on Earth. Curwood created the first pilot of Living on Earth in the spring of 1990, and the show has run continuously since April, 1991. His relationship with public radio goes back to 1979 when he began as a reporter and host of Weekend All Things Considered. He also hosted NPR's World of Opera. Curwood has been a journalist for more than 30 years with experience at NPR, CBS News, the Boston Globe, WBUR-FM/Boston and WGBH-TV/Boston. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his work.
Mario Molina: Professor at the University of California, San Diego, and president of the Mario Molina Center for Strategic Studies in Energy and the Environment. He has served on the U.S. President's Committee of Advisors in Science and Technology, and is a member of the U.S. Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. Molina and two colleagues shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their research on the depletion of stratospheric ozone. He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He currently serves on the UCS board of directors.
John Porter: Partner at Hogan and Hartson in Washington, D.C., concentrates his practice on policy, strategy, and advocacy for clients primarily, but not exclusively, in the fields of health and education. He previously served 21 years as a U.S. Congressman from the 10th District in Illinois, where he served on the Appropriations Committee, and as Chair of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Before his election to Congress, he served in the Illinois House of Representatives and prior to that as an honor law graduate attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Kennedy administration.
Don MacGillis: The assistant editorial page editor of The Boston Globe. In that role, he writes editorials about science, medicine, the environment, and energy. Before joining the editorial board in 2000, he worked on the Globe's metro staff, serving as an assistant metro editor for health, science, and higher education and as an assistant city editor. He came to the Globe after serving as executive editor and editorial page editor of The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield.
For more information:
Don MacGillis recommended this article, Public Praises Science; Scientists Fault Public, Media Scientific Achievements Less Prominent Than a Decade Ago for more information about the discussion of science and the media.
