We are thrilled to announce the inaugural class of LSEN Liaisons who will build networks in four states and one U.S. territory that will bring together and mobilize scientists and engineers interested in science engagement and policy.
The 2023 LSEN Liaisons are:
- @Greer Arthur, Ph.D., research director at the North Carolina Collaboratory.
- @Faith Bowman, doctoral candidate in the Summers-Holland Lab in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Utah.
- @Natasha DeLeon-Rodriguez, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus.
- @Kate Dickerson, executive director of the Maine Discovery Museum.
- @Brooke Eastman, Ph.D., science policy research fellow at the Bridge Initiative for Science & Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications at West Virginia University.
- @Douglas Rao, Ph.D., research scientist at North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies at North Carolina State University.
These Liaisons have a broad range of experiences and perspectives. Their ranks include research scientists, science outreach professionals and science policy specialists, but they are united by their commitment to community engagement. In their roles, they will foster engagement with communities and local leaders to elevate and build trust in science and provide scientific evidence to inform decision-making to address local concerns.
This marks a new chapter for LSEN, which launched as a pilot in 2019 to bring scientific knowledge to the table to inform local and statewide challenges by building communities of scientists to address and strengthen solutions to emerging policy problems that local and state communities confront. Key learnings from the pilot helped shape the new direction for LSEN which led to a nationwide search for scientists and engineers who will work with AAAS to set up local and regional networks.
You can learn more about the LSEN Liaisons here. Stay tuned for updates about their work!
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Dan Barry
Associate Director, LSEN Engagement
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Washington DC
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