March 2018

Left to right: James Ward, Maxine Roberts, and Karina Salazar

AERA sponsored four graduate student members who participated in the 5th annual Catalyzing Advocacy for Science and Engineering (CASE) Workshop in Washington, D.C., March 18–21. Created by a coalition of scientific societies, universities, and advocacy and academic organizations, the workshop presents an opportunity for upperclassmen and graduate students in scientific disciplines to learn about science policy and advocacy.

Karina Salazar (University of Arizona), Jennifer Timmer (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), James Dean Ward (University of Southern California), and Maxine Roberts (University of Southern California) joined 200 other students for the three-day workshop. The agenda covered a range of topics including: the structure and organization of Congress, the federal budget and appropriations processes, and tools for effective science communication and civic engagement.  In addition, students engaged in interactive seminars about policy-making and communication.

On the final day of the workshop, AERA students visited Capitol Hill to meet with congressional staff—and even one congresswoman—from their states, and had the opportunity to share the substance of their research and express their support for federal funding for science broadly and specifically education research.