UMass Graduate Students Bring Science Advocacy to Capitol Hill at 2026 CASE Workshop
UMass Graduate Students Bring Science Advocacy to Capitol Hill at 2026 CASE Workshop
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University of Massachusetts graduate students took their science and research expertise to Capitol Hill during the recent 2026 CASE Workshop, held between April 12th and 15th in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
The CASE workshop, also known as the Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE), invites STEM students from across the country to learn more about the interplay between science and federal policymaking through hands-on training sessions. Students participate in the workshop each year to learn how to communicate their research to policymakers. Ultimately, the experience is designed to develop a mutual understanding between student researchers and politicians, with an emphasis on empowering students with the ability to convey the story of their research.
This year, the Graduate School collaborated with the College of Natural Sciences and the Riccio College of Engineering to help sponsor current graduate students Ruth Appiah Kubi, Jeng-Yu Chou, Madison Galusha, and Marissa Hanley in attending the CASE workshop.
One of the key objectives of the CASE workshop is to expose student researchers to functions within government, and how their work may inform the rationale behind decisions at a policy-level. “It has been quite a while since I last took a civics class,” Marissa Hanley, a current PhD student in Plant and Soil Sciences shared. "I was struck by how much power constituents actually have, particularly when influencing elected representatives and senators when it comes to the appropriation of funds. Our group budgeting activity highlighted the intricacies of the appropriations process, and covered what motivates Congress to allocate funds towards specific initiatives.”
Jeng-Yu, a PhD student in Computer Science, further shared, “It was interesting to hear that very few members of Congress have backgrounds in science or engineering, and yet are tasked with making decisions regarding science and technology legislation... we’re seeing more and more questions being asked about whether funding for science is being well spent, so I found the sessions on recommended practices for science communication with policymakers to be particularly useful.”
One of the most defining moments for CASE attendees is the opportunity to attend actual policy-focused meetings on the Hill. Ruth Appiah Kubi, a PhD student in Health Policy and Management, attended an impactful meeting on the Hill in which she was selected as one of the designated speakers for a meeting with Representative Jim McGovern’s staff. “I was nervous, but the conversations went really well. That experience alone taught me a lot about how to communicate research clearly and confidently, and how to make an effective ‘ask.’ At the same time, I realized how difficult it would have been to navigate those visits on my own. Everything was very well coordinated, and that support made a big difference.”
A key part of the preparation for UMass Amherst’s CASE Workshop cohort is establishing a rapport between attending students early and often before they travel. Under the leadership of organizer Shana Passonno, students receive clear expectations around what to expect during their experience and travel.
This year Shana also worked with Washington, D.C.-based UMass alum, Dr. Avelino Amado, on organizing a dinner between previous American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy (STP) fellows and this year’s CASE Workshop cohort. The experience turned out to be largely beneficial for the students with Madison Galusha, a current PhD in Civil Engineering student who shared that she “appreciated the coordination of a dinner with previous AAAS Science and Policy fellows. They had so much information to share. It was helpful to hear directly about their path to their current roles and all the stops along the way." Ruth also noted that coaching from Dr. Amado prepared her for an engaging and meaningful exchange of ideas during Representative McGovern’s meeting.
The 2026 CASE Workshop attendees were selected through a highly competitive application process and sponsored by the Graduate School, the College of Natural Sciences, and the Riccio College of Engineering. Since 2014, the Office of Professional Development (OPD) has helped over 30 UMass Amherst graduate students attend the CASE workshop and subsequent meetings on the Hill, in collaboration with partners at AAAS, Tremont Strategies Group, and Boston University Federal Relations.
In addition to sponsoring students for the CASE Workshop, the Graduate School organizes many impactful training opportunities, such as the Three Minute Thesis and the Public Writing Fellows Program, aimed at helping graduate students communicate the significance of their work and advocate for research, and higher education more broadly. Several of our UMass CASE workshop participants have gone on to secure prestigious policy fellowships, including the AAAS Science & Technology Policy (STP) Fellowship and the Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).