March Newsletter

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View our newsletter online

How to Write your Representative

Want to make a positive impact on Congressional science policy, but unsure how? Come to our evening workshop and learn how to write a personalized letter to your Congressional Representative! The workshop will be led by J.C. Kibbey, Midwest Outreach and Policy Advocate at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Food and drink will be provided. More information here.

Date: Wednesday, March 7th
Time: 4:00-5:50 pm
Location: English Building, Room 108

Get-out-the-vote

The March primary elections are just around the corner! Your vote is crucial for positively impacting science-based policy. Early voting begins March 13th, the Tuesday before Spring Break, at several locations, including Illini Union Room 213. Polling places will be open every day from March 13th through March 20th. Voter registration instructions, voter guide, and polling locations will be posted on our facebook event page here.

Fellowship Workshop

Interested in learning more about national science policy fellowships? Come join us and previous AAAS Science Policy Fellowship recipients Dr. Gay Miller and Dr. Melissa Cragin for a workshop providing first-hand insight in to one of the premier science policy fellowships! We will also provide an overview of some of the major science policy fellowships, application dates to know, and tips on how to strengthen your application over the summer. More information here.

Date: Monday, March 12th
Time: 3:30-5:00 pm
Location: ACES Library Monsanto Room

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 Suds Dwaraknath (dwarakn2@illinois.edu – Inform Committee), Libby Haywood (mayberr3@illinois.edu – Professional Development Committee), or Robby Goldman (rgoldma3@illinois.edu – Advocacy Committee) for more details!

Advice from Kacy Redd

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Kacy Redd is the Assistant Vice President of STEM Education Policy at Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Here are some great resources that she has to share about how to make the jump from PhD programs into policy or other nontraditional careers:

  • This posting on ASBMB has good advice for scientists transitioning to policy.
  • This article is for scientists interested in community management.
  • Lou Woodley has lots of blog posts on this topic here and an interview here.
  • There are some case studies are here.

Feel free to reach out to Kacy with any questions at KRedd@aplu.org!

New legislation and the purpose of witness slips

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Keep reading to see some policy in action that relates to graduate students!

Daniel Biss is introducing legislation tomorrow (SB2546) that would expand the definition of a graduate employee to include RA’s and not just TA’s This means RAs would be legally allowed to unionize. They are having a hearing about it tomorrow morning at 10:30 in Springfield. If you would like to show support for this bill, fill out a witness slip online using this link (representing yourself, not SPG please).

Witness slips show a person or group’s position on a particular bill. They are a vital piece of the legislative process because, before a bill is heard in committee, the chairperson will read who has submitted witness slips and whether they support or oppose the bill. This helps inform legislators as to where people stand, allowing informed decisions when voting. Witness slips are a great and relatively quick way to make your voice heard in state government.

See everyone that has submitted slips here.

Here is a link to the bill if you would like to read more about it (Ctrl-F “research”).

 

December Newsletter

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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:

  • President – Kali Serrano (Chemistry)
  • Vice President – Alif Laila Tisha (Kinesiology)
  • Treasurer – Ryan Rooney (Chemistry)
  • Professional Development Committee Chair – Libby Haywood (Microbiology)
  • Inform Committee Chair – Austin Weigle (Chemistry)
  • Advocacy Committee Chair – Robby Goldman (Geology)
  • Advertising – Katie Chiang (Comparative Biosciences)
  • Partnerships Chair – Tony Griffin (Materials Science)
  • Webmaster – Christian Ocier and Corey Richards (Materials Science)
  • Faculty Advisor – Prof. Greg Girolami (Chemistry)

2017 Executive Board:

  • President – Suds Dwaraknath (Chemistry)
  • Vice President – Courtney Ford (Chemsitry)
  • Treasurer – Ryan Rooney (Chemistry)
  • Professional Development Committee Chair – Libby Haywood (Microbiology)
  • Inform Committee Chair – Noah Schorr (Chemistry)
  • Advocacy Committee Chair – David Stevens (Chemistry)
  • Advertising – Kevin Harnden (Chemistry)
  • Partnerships Chair – Zack Gordon (Chemistry)
  • Webmaster – Kali Miller (Chemistry)
  • Faculty Advisor – Prof. Greg Girolami (Chemistry)

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

Science Policy Group Call-A-Representative-Day

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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

Prairie Rivers Network: Science Policy in Action

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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/

October Newsletter

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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.

2018 SPG elections

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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

  • Call and preside over  Board meetings
  • Provide leadership and direction to the Board
  • Serve as a liaison to the faculty advisor and the National Science Policy Group
  • Prepare a detailed year-end report and conduct an annual review of the bylaws
  • Assist Board members in fulfilling their duties when they are unable to do so

Vice President

  • Provide assistance to the President in leading the Board
  • Record and distribute Board meeting minutes
  • Maintain and regularly update the voting membership list
  • Manage the SPG ListServ and the SPG Box account
  • Conduct Board elections
  • Lead the Board in the event the President is unable to do so

Treasurer

  • Maintain all financial records of the organization
  • Facilitate reimbursements
  • Locate fundraising opportunities and secure funding for the organization
  • Prepare monthly budget updates for the Board meetings and annual budget report

Webmaster

  • Serve as the administrator for the SPG website, email,  and social media accounts  (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Gmail), posting updates before and after events
  • Ensure that pictures are taken for each event and uploaded to the appropriate account
  • Use online presence to inform new members about the group
  • Work closely with Advertising Director to promote SPG events to members

Advertising

  • Create flyers for and advertise SPG sponsored events
  • Target advertising to recruit new members
  • Work closely with the Webmaster and committee members to promote SPG events to the UIUC campus

Committee Chairs (Inform, Professional Development, and Advocacy Committees)

  • Arranges monthly committee meetings
  • Manage a team that develops events and programs in keeping with the committee’s mission
  • Draft agendas and record minutes for those meetings
  • Guide committee members on event planning including:
    • Appointing individuals as leads/chairs for specific events
    • Setting deadlines for milestones of event planning
    • Facilitating discussions on project ideas and development
    • Troubleshooting and stepping in when members need assistance
  • Attends monthly executive board meetings
  • Serves as the middle-man from the board to the committee
  • Informs the board of the committees progress and plans
  • Informs the committee of directives of the board
  • Ensures no overlap in events/programs being planned by other committees

Partnerships Chair

  • Develop connections with GSOs/professional society student chapters to identify the following:
    • Existing science policy resources on campus
    • Potential co-sponsors for upcoming events
    • Opportunities to recruit new members from departments currently under-represented in SPG

Springfield Trip!

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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!