By Tawanda W. Johnson
The APS Office of Government Affairs (OGA) worked with APS members throughout 2018 to successfully advocate for physics and physicists, and to amplify their voices for science.
OGA facilitated more than 4,000 APS member contacts with Congress—through op-eds in key states and districts, emails, meetings, tweets, and phone calls—to advance the interests of the physics community. In particular, the office worked with APS members who authored opinion pieces that appeared in various media outlets in key states across the country including: Kristan Corwin (Kansas); Shua Sanchez (Washington); Justin Powell (Tennessee); Mike Tamor (Arizona); Don Q. Lamb (Illinois); and Sarit Dhar (Alabama).
Of particular note in 2018, OGA collected more than 1,300 signatures on a petition that successfully opposed the PROSPER (Promoting Real Opportunity, Success and Prosperity through Education Reform) Act, which would have decreased the quality and accessibility of student loans. Students delivered the petition to key senators in their states.
APS Bridge students Dylan Smith (far left); Milchelle Lollie (third from left); and Brian Zamarripa Roman (far right) were all smiles during their 2018 meeting with former U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (VA-10th).
“We are proud of the work OGA is doing to help our members make a difference in achieving policy goals that strengthen the scientific enterprise,” said APS Chief Government Affairs Officer Francis Slakey.
Throughout 2018, OGA surveyed APS members at meetings to determine the issues that the physics community was most concerned about, and OGA developed strategies to respond to their needs.
“A key APS goal for 2019 is to make sure all Society members attending the organization’s largest national meetings have an opportunity to mitigate their GHG emissions,” said Mark Elsesser, APS OGA Manager of Science Policy.
“The environmental donation campaign will be an ongoing activity at APS’s major meetings in 2019 and beyond. We hope our meeting attendees take advantage of the opportunity,” he said.
The author is the APS Press Secretary.
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Editor: David Voss
Staff Science Writer: Leah Poffenberger
Contributing Correspondent: Alaina G. Levine
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