UCS at the SACNAS National Diversity in STEM conference

Centering Community Needs in Local Science Policy and Advocacy

Friday, November 1, 3:15-4:30pm MST
Phoenix Convention Center, Room 122 ABC

In this session, attendees will hear from professionals who have effected change in their communities as scientists, advocates, and a combination of the two. Through partnership and community engagement, these individuals have simultaneously made science central to local policymaking and improved the well-being of their community. This workshop will provide scientists of all stages a valuable pathway as they embark on their own advocacy journeys. Following a robust panel discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to identify partners and begin local engagement plans in their own community, utilizing resources from Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally (ESAL) and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to identify concrete goals and strategies to get involved in the local policy.

• Karletta Chief, Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona
• Monica Feliu-Mojer, Director of Public Engagement with Science at Ciencia Puerto Rico and Director of Inclusive Science Communication at the Science Communication Lab
• Cynthia Prieto-Diaz, member of the Executive Leadership Team for 500 Women Scientists, and volunteer with Engineers and Scientists Acting Locally
• Moderator: Melissa Varga, Science Network Senior Manager at the Union of Concerned Scientists

Visit the UCS Booth in the Exhibit Hall October 31 and November 1!

Stop by Booth 1051 and meet UCS staff, learn more about how we’re using science to advance equitable science-based policy change, and take action with us!