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Government Affairs

Policy Webinars • Supporting open science and sustainable public access
With health and safety concerns limiting access to Capitol Hill, • Advancing scientific research on the microbiome
GSA joined with other geoscience societies to hold webinars to
facilitate the ability of geoscientists to engage in policy remotely. GSA Science Policy Fellow
These webinars are archived in GSA’s members-only online toolkit. GSA welcomed Morgan Disbrow-Monz to begin a one-year
• Connecting Close to Home: Engaging Federal Policymakers in term as the “in-house” GSA Science Policy Fellow in August
Your Community 2021. Disbrow-Monz earned her Ph.D. from the University of
• Experiences of Being a Geoscience Congressional Fellow: Minnesota, where her research focused on better understand-
A Primer for Applicants ing the microstructural processes in natural ice that play a major
• Geoscience Policy Update role in glacier and ice sheet movement. Morgan reflects, “As a
• Engaging with Policymakers in and out of D.C. lifelong scientist with a limited policy background, the fellowship
Additionally, GSA and its partners held several virtual briefings is providing me with the essential skills, mentorship, and profes-
for congressional staff about key geoscience issues, including: sional network to be an effective communicator in the policy
• The Devastating Power of Tsunamis & What They Mean for the arena. … I rely on creative communication strategies to serve as a
Coastal U.S. liaison between GSA members and policymakers, which includes
• Unpredictable & Dangerous: Lessons from the 2022 Tonga writing about current legislation on GSA’s Speaking of Geoscience
Eruption blog, expanding GSA’s public toolkits for effective meetings with
• Minerals for the 21st Century Economy policymakers, developing informational webinars, and interacting
with members directly at GSA’s various meetings.”
GSA Letters and Testimony
GSA submitted testimony requesting increased funding for the “This position fulfills my curiosity needs by allowing me
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Science Foundation to continue expanding my knowledge of scientific issues
(NSF), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration but with an emphasis on building human relationships
(NASA) for fiscal year 2023. GSA is an active member of coali- to promulgate that knowledge.” —Morgan Disbrow-
tions that also submitted testimony and letters in support of geo- Monz, 2021–2022 GSA Science Policy Fellow
science agencies, including the Coalition for National Science
Funding, the Coalition for Aerospace and Science, USGS GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellow
Coalition, the Energy Sciences Coalition, and the Task Force on Amanda Labrado began a one-year term in the office of
American Innovation. Representative Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as the GSA-USGS
Among the letters GSA sent to policymakers included the fol- Congressional Science Fellow in September 2021. Labrado is a
lowing statements: biogeochemist who received her Ph.D. from The University of
• Supporting the “Reconciliation in Place Names Act,” which Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where she studied how microbes facili-
creates a process to review and revise offensive names of tate the formation of minerals on the top of salt domes. She writes,
public lands “Engaging in the policy-making process has allowed me to utilize
• Calling on Congress to lead with science to understand and the skills geoscientists learn to sharpen in different ways. The
address the effects of climate change ability to make observations, analyze data, apply knowledge, and

November December

Changes to the GSA Fellowship A working group of scientific Division
Program, as recommended by leaders was formed to further
the Fellowship ad hoc Committee analyze the Divisions members and
and approved by Council, were non-members survey results, make
implemented. These changes included recommendations to strengthen
updated criteria for nominators, clarified scientific Division memberships, and
eligibility requirements for nominees, GSA’s ad hoc Committee on Nominations better serve their members.
and new nomination categories. and Awards submitted its report to
Council outlining proposed revisions
designed to improve inclusivity and All Division
equity of GSA’s awards as well as websites were
increase diversity and inclusion on all updated to
committees. cleaner design.

18 Annual Program Report | FY 2022