Materials Researchers Join Historic March for Science
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NEWSNEWS & & ANALYSIS EVENTS SCIENCE POLICY Materials researchers join historic March for Science www.marchforscience.com he historic, April 22nd March for and their supporters who, starting at By 2:00 pm, starting time for the TScience in Washington, DC—with 8:00 am, huddled together in groups March itself, the crowd overfl owed the more than 600 satellite marches around on the National Mall to enjoy a variety area of the Mall around the Washington the globe—focused the world’s attention of music and the rally cries of scientists Monument and began moving up on the importance of science in daily life and their supporters onstage who kept Constitution Avenue, past the White as it celebrated the work and achieve- the crowd fi red up. House, and on toward the Capitol build- ments of the scientific community, One materials scientist at the rally, ing. Science celebrities, including televi- including materials researchers. Mindaugas Rackaitis, a research manager at sion host Bill Nye (The Science Guy), March for Science organizers said, Bridgestone Tire in Akron, Ohio, explained led the charge, shouting out in support “We marched as an unprecedented coali- why he came to the March: “I disagree of science all the way. tion of organizations and individuals. with the way the US government is treat- At one of the satellite marches, pro- We marched because science is critical ing science.” He said he was particularly fessor of materials science and engi- to our health, economies, food security, disturbed by recent actions such as the dele- neering at the University of California and safety. We marched to defend the role tion of climate change information on the (UC), Merced, Valerie Leppert said the of science in policy and society.” Environmental Protection Agency website. atmosphere in Phoenix, Ariz., felt like a A cold rain came down most of the For himself and other scientists, celebration of science. Based in a rural day in Washington, DC, but it Rackaitis said, “there is this really area, Leppert would have had to travel did not deter the esti- emotional want for so- far to participate in a march in a metro- mated 100,000 ciety to appreci- politan locale such as San Francisco. She scientists ate science.” decided to stay an extra day in Phoenix following the Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting and join in the March, even though she was unable to stay beyond that for the festivities. Leppert said she is concerned because “we are rapidly exceeding the planet’s resources. It’s clear we’re going to need to innovate our way out of these con- straints.” And as a scientist, she feels it is important to provide the resources to train the next generation of scientists as well as provide the resources to sup- port the work of science. “We’re lucky in this country to have this infrastructure that supports science in terms of the national user facilities,” she said. “It’s distressing to me to see the erosion in support for that effort in the last WASHINGTON, D.C. couple of decades,” Leppert said, in terms of public funding for public universities and cutbacks at user facilities. At another satellite march in Columbus, Ohio, materials researcher and MRS Fellow Len Brillson—a profes- sor in the Departments of Electrical and Downloaded484 MRSfrom BULLETIN https://www.cambridge.org/core • VOLUME 42 • JULY 2017. IP • address:www.mrs.org/bulletin 170.106.35.234, on 26 Sep 2021 at 20:16:17, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2017.152 NEWS & ANALYSIS SCIENCE POLICY Computer Engineering and Physics at incorporated materials research The Ohio State University—said some and themes. 5600 people signed up for the Columbus At the Cool2Effect March for Science, which took place teach-in, for exam- on the square block lawn of the Ohio ple, there were Statehouse. presentations Despite a chilly, overcast day, about tech- Brillson said, thousands of people fi lled nological the block from end to end. advances for “The mood of the crowd was fes- preventing tive with lively music, including and mitigat- Thomas Dolby’s ‘She Blinded Me with ing carbon Science,’” he said. emissions. Brillson said many marchers carried At an Amer- signs with slogans such as “Science ican Chemi- Facts Not Alternative Science Fiction” cal Society or “Science, It Works!” children’s dem- Speakers ranged from medical doc- onstration, par- tors covering the importance of vaccines ticipants helped and breakthrough medical advances to an make colorful pack- BOSTON ornithology professor who showed the ing peanuts from corn importance of birds to the environment, starch instead of petro- Brillson said. “After the speeches, we all chemicals—literally, an often marched down High Street for several sticky, hands-on demonstration of blocks to the Columbus Commons area the creativity and versatility in materials The offi cial speeches largely advo- where there was another rally.” research today. cated scientifically informed poli- Brillson said what he appreciated cies and federal funding for science. most about the day “was seeing so many Satellite marches Gina McCarthy, former administra- thousands of Ohioans gathered together around the globe tor for the Environmental Protection to support science.” Cities representing key hubs of materials Agency, decried proposed large fund- Supporting science is the reason research participated in the April 22nd ing decreases for her former agency, as Joyce Wong, a professor of biomedical event, from Boston to San Francisco, well as congressional moves that she engineering at Boston University, joined and Tokyo to London. And each city said would disrupt scientifi c progress. the rally in Boston, “Science plays such carried its unique message ranging from Harvard Medical School geneticist an important role in our lives, but the lay a humble support for science to out- George Church said he and his col- public may not necessarily see the con- right protest against their current federal leagues were “grateful and concerned” nections between science/engineering and administrations. about funding for biomedical research in their lives.” Wong said it is important for particular, where rapid changes increas- scientists to tell “relatable stories” to show Boston ingly require broad discussion and an the public “why it is important to support Although the Boston event was rebranded informed population. Several invited science and not be afraid [of it].” as a “Rally for Science,” traffi c was still speakers also advocated greater diver- The March happened in tandem with disrupted as thousands of supporters con- sity in science-related fi elds, but few celebrations of Earth Day, which began verged on Boston Common from satel- made a direct connection to immigra- April 22, 1970, also in Washington, DC. lite rallies at various universities and tion, which Church said enriches the Like the March for Science, said Earth biomedical centers. The Boston Parks scientifi c community. Day Network—which is the sponsor- and Recreation Department said the city Catherine Klapperich, a professor ing organization—that fi rst celebration had at least 50,000 at the main stage area of biomedical engineering at Boston “activated 20 million Americans from with upward of 70,000 when including University, said she participated in the all walks of life and is widely credited the large children’s section. Among the Boston rally with her twin daughters, with launching the modern environmen- signs affi rming the importance of sci- age 9. “It was important for me to have tal movement.” ence, climate change garnered the most them see that people in their community Back in Washington, DC, the March expressions of concern; but other science care about science and truth,” she said. for Science incorporated an Earth Day topics were also visible, such as science’s Klapperich has seen how the March and tradition of teach-ins about the environ- application to public health and enabling the spirited discussions surrounding it ment and environmental concerns. Some technology. have profoundly impacted her graduate Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.234, on 26 Sep 2021 at 20:16:17, subject toMRS the BULLETINCambridge • Core VOLUME terms 42 of• JULYuse, 2017available • www.mrs.org/bulletin at 485 https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2017.152 NEWS & ANALYSIS SCIENCE POLICY students. “They are much more in tune and there is no obvious bias with how science is funded in the US, against science in the and much more aware of how changes in country’s legislative leadership can affect their future careers,” agenda. Klapperich said. Now, beyond their inter- Rich Bailey, ests in materials research, several stu- one of the To- dents also want to participate in public kyo organiz- policy. “This is new for me as a PI!” ers and facul- Likewise, Wong at Boston University ty at a local is impressed with her students’ attention university, to public policy alongside their interest speculated in biomedical engineering and bioma- that Japa- terials research. If funding of basic and nese sci- advanced research is reduced, “we run entists do TOKYO the risk of losing a generation of scien- not want to LONDON tists, including materials scientists and be perceived engineers,” she said. as advocates. Other than an- Tokyo ti-nuclear activ- Bemused shoppers watched as a ism, demonstra- 100-strong crowd of mostly foreigners tions also do not made their way through the Ginza dis- have a strong history in trict on April 22nd for the Tokyo March Japanese culture. for Science. Unlike its sister marches in Europe and the United States, the Tokyo San Francisco March had no speeches or booths, but In stark contrast to Tokyo, numerous At the terminus of the march, protest- was peppered with rallying cries like marchers in San Francisco said that ers enjoyed a celebratory Science Fair “Yes the earth is getting hotter, money support of science was a partisan issue and panels of speakers on topics like the won’t protect our water!” and “No sci- and their message was strongly against future of science.