Are you wondering: What is the Science Policy Group at UIUC? What events do we hold? What benefits are there to membership?
Come to our information session on Thursday Feb 8th at 4 pm!!
More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/521110568273380/
SPG Welcomes the 2018 Executive Board
We are excited to welcome the 2018 Executive Board and thank the 2017 Executive Board for their year of service!
2018 Executive Board:
2017 Executive Board:
Join one of our committees!
All of our committees are recruiting new members! If you are interested in having an active role in planning SPG’s 2018 events, contact Austin Weigle (aweigle2@illinois.edu – Inform Committee), Libby Haywood (mayberr3@illinois.edu – Professional Development Committee), or Robby Goldman (rgoldma3@illinois.edu – Advocacy Committee) for more details!
View our newsletter online: here
Call your Representative on Wednesday, November 29!
Currently, Congress is assembling tax reform legislation that will impact you and your ability to study as a student. In the House of Representatives version, tuition waivers will be taxed as income. Universities typically provide tuition waivers to graduate students in exchange for teaching and conducting research. As tuition rates soar, this becomes an increasingly important part of compensation. Counting tuition waivers as income will increase the tax burden of graduate students by thousands of dollars a year, de-incentivizing American graduate education overnight. The new tax legislation would severely limit the number of students able to pursue graduate research which in turn will limit America’s international competitiveness.
But, it’s not too late to make a difference! The Senate is voting to pass its version of the bill Thursday, so let your senator know you oppose the proposed legislation. The Science Policy Group at the University of Illinois and the Graduate Employee Organization are asking you to join us and hundreds of other students in contacting legislators to implore them to vote against the current tax legislation. Calling your Senator takes just a couple of minutes but may change the vote in Washington.
If you would like to voice your opinion about the tax legislation to your senators, either call during lunch break or stop by our CARD info booth for more information.
View the University’s official stance on HR1 here
CLSL B102, Oct 31st at 12:00 pm
Dr. Carol Hays is Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network, Illinois’ statewide advocate for clean water, healthy rivers and wildlife. PRN is the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. Prairie Rivers Network works to protect rivers, wetlands and drinking water sources from threats due to industrial, sewage and agricultural pollution, dams, and aquatic invasive species. Based on sound science, PRN encourages land use practices that improve soil health, protect water quality, reduce flooding, and enhance biodiversity. Dr. Hays will discuss the challenges facing Illinois’ rivers and drinking water sources and the strategies PRN uses to address these challenges.
More details on or facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2032505960369732/
2018 Executive Board Elections
We are soliciting self-nominations for the 2018 SPG Executive Board! The Executive board includes the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Webmaster, Advertising Chair, Professional Development Committee Chair, Inform Committee Chair, Advocacy Committee Chair, and Partnerships Chair. Descriptions of the responsibilities of each position can be found on our website. If you are interested in running for a board position and would like more information, feel free to set up a meeting with our president by emailing spg.uiuc@gmail.com.
Nominations will be accepted through October 27th. Ballots will then be sent to voting members and the results announced shortly after.
Springfield Visit
On Wednesday, October 25th, SPG is going to Springfield to learn more about the state legislative process. There will be discussions on how to advocate effectively with the University of Illinois’ Office of Government Relations and Senator Scott Bennett. We will have a chance to watch a legislative session on the assembly floor and have several meetings with Illinois Representatives and Senators.
We will be leaving campus at 8:15 am and returning to campus around 6 pm. Attendees are expected to attend the entire trip and will need to bring money for lunch. Spaces on this trip are limited. If you are interested in attending, please contact David as soon as possible!
Intersectionality within the Sciences Reading Group
Have you ever questioned how gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and disabilities play into STEM? Our Reading Group includes readings from critical race theory and feminism and will examine how the inclusion and exclusion of marginalized groups shape STEM education and scientific policy-making. Open to both undergraduates and graduate students, participants need no background in social sciences or cultural studies. Join us from 5:30-6:30 PM in the Asian American Cultural Center conference room on October 24th, November 14th, and November 28th. We will be fininsing the unit on gender in October and starting the unit on sexuality in November.
We are soliciting self-nominations for the 2018 SPG Executive Board! The Executive board includes the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Webmaster, Advertising Chair, Professional Development Committee Chair, Inform Committee Chair, Advocacy Committee Chair, and Partnerships Chair. Descriptions of the responsibilities of each position can be found below. If you are interested in running for a board position and would like more information, please email spg.uiuc@gmail.com to set up a meeting with our president.
Apply by filling out this form: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/1656149. Nominations will be accepted through October 27th. Ballots will then be sent to voting members and the results announced shortly after.
DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Webmaster
Advertising
Committee Chairs (Inform, Professional Development, and Advocacy Committees)
Partnerships Chair
On Wednesday, October 25th, SPG is going to Springfield for a Educational and Networking trip. Fill out the short application now at the following link: https://illinois.edu/sb/sec/1365774!
There will be discussions on how to advocate effectively with both our Office of Government Relations and Senator Scott Bennett. We will have a chance to watch a session on the assembly floor and have several meetings with Illinois Representatives and Senators.
We will be leaving campus at 8:15 am and returning to campus around 6pm. Attendees are expected to be available the entire trip and will need to bring money for lunch. Spaces on this trip are limited, so get your application in now!
The Science Policy Group and the Students Sustainability Committee will be offering a day-long workshop that will help students learn more about how science and sustainability policies are developed, implemented and advanced. The workshop will include lectures and interactive sessions led by facilitators from a range of backgrounds. Registration for the interactive sessions is required and can be found at https://illinois.edu/sb/ sec/8366689. Registration is on a first come, first served basis and is limited to 50 people! Morning and afternoon lectures are open to the general public. This event will take place throughout the day on Thursday, September 21, 2017 from 10:30am to 5:00pm at the Illini Union (314 A & B). See the SPG website for a more detailed schedule: https://publish. illinois.edu/ sciencepolicygroup/2017/09/07/ sustainability-and-science- policy-workshop/
Pictures from the event:
Have you ever questioned how gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and disabilities play into STEM? Come to our Reading Group affiliated with the Science Policy Group. Introducing readings from critical race theory and feminism, we will examine how the inclusion and exclusion of marginalized groups shape STEM education and scientific policy-making. Open to both undergraduates and graduate students, participants need no background in social sciences or cultural studies. Starting September 12, we will have bimonthly meetings every second and fourth Tuesday of the month to discuss the readings. For more information, including the reading group schedule, visit the Science Policy Group Reading Group website.
Full newsletter can be found here: http://illinois.edu/emailer/newsletter/137775.html
Fighting Gerrymandering with Blue Waters
Professor Wendy K. Tam Cho from the Departments of Political Science, Statistics, and Asian American Studies will be discussing her research on analyzing and reforming redistricting to prevent gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is when politicians manipulate district lines within a state to gain an advantage over the opposition party. Politicians can use redistricting to aggregate voters in one district that benefit their own political platform. Alternatively, they can neutralize a person’s vote by aggregating them into a district that will ensure their vote becomes part of the minority group of people.
Gerrymandering has a palpable consequence for eligible voters. Political parties in charge can keep their power even after losing a popular vote. This causes representatives to not properly represent their constituents, furthering the partisan divide.
This talk discusses how the computational power of Blue Waters, along with mathematical methods, can tackle the problem of gerrymandering. Additionally, it will illustrate how STEM disciplines, which are unrelated to politics, can be used to address political issues.
Thursday August 31, 2:30 PM, CLSL B102
Intersectionality within the Sciences Reading Group
Have you ever questioned how gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, and disabilities play into STEM? Come to our Reading Group affiliated with the Science Policy Group. Introducing readings from critical race theory and feminism, we will examine how the inclusion and exclusion of marginalized groups shape STEM education and scientific policy-making. Open to both undergraduates and graduate students, participants need no background in social sciences or cultural studies. Starting September 12, we will have bimonthly meetings every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM in the conference room, Asian American Cultural Center to discuss the readings. For more information, visit the Science Policy Group Reading Group website.
Sustainability and Science Policy Workshop
The Science Policy Group and the Students Sustainability Committee will be offering a day-long workshop that will help students learn more about how science and sustainability policies are developed, implemented, and advanced. The workshop will include lectures and interactive sessions led by facilitators from a range of backgrounds. Registration for the interactive sessions is required and will be filled on a first come, first served basis up to 50 people! Morning and afternoon lectures are open to the general public.
Thursday September 21, 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Illini Union 314 A & B
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM (Lecture) Introducing Scientists to Science Policy
2:00 PM to 3:45 PM (Interactive Sessions) Effective Lobbying Strategies & Economic Trade-offs of Creating New Policies
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Lecture) Sustainability in Research and Policy
Executive Board Elections in October
Elections for the 2018 Science Policy Group Executive Board will take place in October. In order to run for a position or cast a vote, you must have attended 2 SPG events in the calendar year or served on a committee for 6 months. If you have questions regarding your eligibility, please contact Courtney (clford2@illinois.edu).
Interested in joining one of our committees? Visit our website for more information!