The Faculty Role in Advocacy: What, Why, and How

The Capitol Hill environment is completely unlike that in the halls of academia, and advocating for science policy requires a style of communication quite different from scientific discourse. Nevertheless, the experience, while challenging, can be extremely rewarding, and change how one approaches changing our educational system. Fortunately, there are a growing number of resources that faculty can draw upon to make the process easier and more effective. I will discuss my first trip to Capitol Hill, including the details of setting up and managing appointments with congressional aides, and the resources I found useful during my visit. I'll also describe the initial culture shock and how I quickly came to appreciate the intensity and clarity of the visits. In addition to providing a roadmap for other faculty wishing to advocate for science policy, I'll describe additional resources that are in development.