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GSA’s Policy Office—Working for the Geosciences

in Washington, D.C.

Geoscience offers more than an explanation of how our world training in legislative procedure and relationship-building before
was shaped—through it, scientists can, in turn, shape our world. meeting with congressional members and committee staffers.
Since its founding, the Geological Society of America has com- Additionally, GSA established the Science Policy Fellowship as
mitted itself to facilitating the open exchange of scientific an opportunity for recent M.S. and Ph.D. graduates to experi-
research and expertise within the geoscience community. ence science policy and increase communication between the
Concurrently, the Society seeks to communicate our science to office and GSA members. This exists in tandem with GSA’s
the public at large and, most importantly, to policymakers in longstanding GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellowship
Washington, D.C. To better enable this aim, GSA’s Policy Office program, which places a GSA member on Capitol Hill for one
was established in our nation’s capital to serve the needs of our year to work as staff for a member of Congress.
community and advance the application of the geosciences. These efforts—in addition to providing testimony, drafting
GSA’s Washington office has a threefold mission—to bring letters, and cosponsoring congressional briefings—aid GSA’s
geoscience and geoscientists into the policy process, to advocate Washington office in advocating for GSA’s priorities to policy-
for the use of scientific information in decision making in the makers, especially on policy issues that directly affect members.
public-policy arena, and to work on behalf of GSA membership White describes one of the foremost among these to be increasing
concerns in D.C. As Kasey White, GSA’s Director for Geo- federal research and development funding. At a time when geosci-
science Policy, notes, “Many of the issues at the forefront of pol- ence has enormous potential to shape society, geoscience research
icy discussions have a geoscience component—natural hazard has been specifically targeted for funding cuts in multiple pieces
mitigation, climate change, mineral, energy, and water resource of legislation—making GSA’s efforts more critical than ever.
management, to name a few. GSA’s policy office brings forward We need your help in maintaining a strong presence in
the geoscience research underpinning these important issues to Washington, D.C., through GSA’s Policy Office. Your generous
increase science in decision making.” support will help us to continue advocating for the inclusion of
The office fulfills this mission in a variety of ways, primarily science in policy decisions and, most importantly, continue the
by engaging the GSA community to increase member involve- fight to increase funding for geoscientific research. To learn
ment in public-policy development activities and providing more about how you can make a significant gift to this cause,
them with the tools and information necessary to advocate for please contact Cliff Cullen at +1-303-357-1007 or ccullen@
science. It achieves this through events such as Geosciences geosociety.org. You can make an immediate gift to GSA’s Policy
Congressional Visits Day, where participants receive practical Office at gsa-foundation.org/fund/policy-office.

From left: GSA Section–sponsored
students Sylvia Nicovich, Vanessa
Swenton, and Kendall FitzGerald
meet with Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
(D-OR) during the 2018 Geoscience
Congressional Visits Day. GSA’s
Director for Geoscience Policy Kasey
White presents the 2018 USGS
Coalition Leadership Award to Rep.
Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX).

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