Manifesto of a passionate chemistry PhD student, tired of having to fight prejudices when introducing herself.
UCS's Latest Posts
Silver Microscope Photo: Alexandra Gelle
Why We Need to Humanize Chemists, and All Scientists
Alexandra Gellé
September 11, 2018 10:02 AM EDT
American Climate Prospectus
We Need Better Data about What Is Killing American Prisoners. It’s Probably the Heat.
Anyun Chatterjee
September 6, 2018 10:02 AM EDT
DC is in the middle of a swampy heat wave right now, with temperatures exceeding 90oF regularly. My peers and I can joke about getting drenched in sweat from the walk from the metro to school because we have an air-conditioned building to look forward to. Any heat-related discomfort is temporary for us. Prisoners in our country don’t have this luxury, and it may be killing more of them than we realize. Read more >
Participants arrive at science communication and advocacy workshop (Photo credit: T. Campbell)
Op-Eds for Cheeseheads: Training New Scientists as Communicators in Wisconsin Food Systems Policy
Greta Landis
September 4, 2018 2:03 PM EDT
“Facts aren’t impartial. They have great implications for people. They threaten people.” A few dozen graduate students and handful of public employees and farmers in the room nod thoughtfully over Margaret’s comment, laughing as she says, “It has never been a rational world!” On a June afternoon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this group is looking to a panel of experts on science communication and advocacy with big questions: how should new scientists start public communication, and where do they have leverage in food systems policy?
The Sociopolitical Evolution of a Scientist: Incorporating Advocacy into My Graduate School Experience
Alex Hruska
August 31, 2018 9:19 AM EDT
During September of 2016, I was excited to begin my bioengineering master’s program in Boston, home to the world’s largest community of biomedical researchers. But on November 8th, the US political landscape abruptly transformed, and suddenly my research studying how cancer spreads throughout the body felt microscopic. The aftermath of the 2016 election forced me to examine my identity; I saw how the wave of anti-LGBT rhetoric and violence left my community feeling unsafe. Raised by a family of immigrants, I saw my lab mate barred from entering the country after visiting her family in Iran. And as a scientist, I saw how the spread of misinformation caused public distrust in science, permeating our highest levels of government. Read more >
Management intensive rotational grazing of beef cattle is one example of a conservation practice incentivized by CSP. Here, the author moves cows at the Michigan State University AgBioResearch Center in Lake City, Michigan Photo: Paige Stanley
What Congress Does Next Could Cost Farmers and Taxpayers Billions
Paige Stanley
August 22, 2018 10:16 AM EDT
This year has been hard for all farmers—they have faced an ongoing trade war from the Trump administration and an uphill battle with climate change. But farmers who want to use sustainable practices are being particularly hard hit, as their interests are sidelined for the benefit of agribusinesses. And for the rest of us, 2018 has—almost like clockwork—shown the failure of half-hearted efforts to control farm-sourced water pollution that contaminates drinking water and destroys fisheries. Read more >