‘Running for office takes a lot of guts’: 314 Action and the case for electing scientists to local government

Our “Local STEM” series highlights local government and community initiatives and organizations in areas that relate to STEM. by Clarke Knight In 2014, chemist and entrepreneur Shaughnessy Naughton ran for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th District. Despite having no prior political experience, she came within two percentage points of winning the Democratic primary. Although her […]

An Ocean Engineer and a Nuclear Physicist Walk Into Congress …

By Maggie Astor MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — From a couch on the back deck of a dockside restaurant, the Beatles playing in the background and a breeze blowing off the water, Joe Cunningham gestured to Shem Creek. “This could be the reality here, of oil rigs and oil spills off the beach,” Mr. Cunningham said. “An […]

The US just sent 10 new scientists to Congress, including an ocean expert, a nurse, and a biochemist. Here’s the full list.

The US just sent 10 new scientists to Congress, including an ocean expert, a nurse, and a biochemist. Here’s the full list.

Despite a government shutdown, the 116th Congress is now underway in Washington. A record number of women are in the ranks — 127, according to Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics. They include the first Muslim women, the first Somali-American, and the first Native American women. There are more scientists too. Last November, 10 new science-credentialed candidates were […]

Thanks to Trump, Scientists are going to run for office

For American science, the next four years look to be challenging. The newly inaugurated President Trump, and many of his Cabinet picks, have repeatedly cast doubt upon the reality of human-made climate change, questioned the repeatedly proven safety of vaccines. Since the inauguration, the administration has already frozen grants and contracts by the Environmental Protection Agency and gagged researchers at […]