Sunday, February 19, 2012
Exhibit Hall A-B1 (VCC West Building)
Scientific issues like energy, climate, biotechnology, and nanotechnology affect everyone, but a gap can exist between academic research and public understanding. The Forum on Science Ethics and Policy (FOSEP) strives to highlight the impact of science on society, through events inside and outside of the university setting. The FOSEP chapter at the University of Washington is a graduate student and postdoc organization that promotes multidisciplinary interaction among scholars in Seattle and increased awareness among scientists for how scientific and non-scientific knowledge affects policy decisions. FOSEP-Seattle sponsors seminars, discussion groups, public forums and social media on the web to foster the development of citizen-scientists who can participate effectively in public discussion about science. Events sponsored by FOSEP-Seattle over the past year include a seminar with a former U.S. Representative about how science is used in Congress, a seminar from a climate expert about communicating climate science, and a public event about the use of animals in research. Here, we discuss the role of FOSEP-Seattle in contributing to dialogue among the scientific community and between scientists and the public about these critical issues. FOSEP continues to be an exciting and rewarding outlet for developing leadership skills for its graduate student and postdoctoral members. We, along with the other FOSEP chapter at UC-Boulder, hope to expand our outreach capacity.