Raymond Caraher Attends 2023 AAAS CASE Workshop

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Raymond Caraher, graduate student in economics, was one of four UMass Amherst attendees of the Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) workshop held March 26-29 in Washington D.C. Hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), this workshop introduced students to the federal policy-making process and strategies to effectively communicate research to policy makers.

On the final day, participants from UMass Amherst and Boston University tested their skills in meetings with congressional staff from the offices of Sens. Ed Markey, Susan Collins and Elizabeth Warren, and staff from the offices of Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Jim McGovern.

Caraher says that he appreciated the opportunity to observe and apply the skills in action. After attending a congressional hearing where the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions questioned the Starbucks CEO on its labor practices, Caraher recalled, “It was electrifying to see Sen. Bernie Sanders and others at work.”

Caraher also had a chance to engage in Hill meetings. “This marathon of meetings provided excellent practice in communicating our research to Hill staff and gave me a chance to emphasize the importance of social science funding, and that it can’t be left out of these larger science initiatives,” he says.

Participation in the 2023 CASE Workshop was sponsored by the Graduate School, College of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences. Since its creation in 2014, 20 graduate students have been selected through a competitive campus application process to represent UMass Amherst in the CASE workshop and subsequent meetings on the Hill.