Four UMass Graduate Students Travel to Washington to Advocate for Science

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Four UMass Amherst graduate students were recently introduced to the federal policy-making process and strategies to effectively communicate research to policy makers when they attended the Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) workshop, held April 14-17 in Washington, D.C.

On the final day of the workshop, hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the students met with staff from the offices of Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley.

“I learned how researchers and politicians collaborate on a task force for suicide prevention,” says Grace Cho, psychological and brain sciences, who attended the CASE workshop to better understand how her research on suicide prevention could be leveraged to support synergistic policy agendas. “I gained valuable insights from offices advocating for the mental health needs of Black youth and leading with a trauma-informed lens.”

“The training sessions taught me how to clearly articulate the importance and real-world applications of my research to non-technical audiences,” says Timothy Onuh, chemical engineering, who notes how much he appreciated the emphasis on effective communication strategies for scientists. “I now feel much more confident in my ability to convey the significance of investing in clean water infrastructure and sustainable treatment technologies.”

Hannah Cournoyer, neuroscience and behavior, was inspired by Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the Science Family of Journals, as he shared his personal journey and underscored the significance of diversity regarding who does science. “His words resonated with me, and I was able to engage him in a conversation about supporting neurodivergent people in science,” Cournoyer says.

Andjella Jean-Jacques, data analytics and computational social science, says the experience was also personal. “As a Haitian immigrant, I was able to share the immigration challenges faced by my community and advocate for better integration and access opportunities for the growing Haitian population in Massachusetts,” Jean-Jacques says.

Participation in the 2024 CASE Workshop was sponsored by the Graduate School, College of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences. Since 2014, the Office of Professional Development (OPD) has helped 24 UMass Amherst graduate students attend the CASE workshop and subsequent meetings on the Hill.

More information about the CASE workshop can be found on the AAAS website.