On September 30, ESAL and the Ecological Society of America co-hosted a webinar on “Scientists as Citizens: Getting Involved with Local Government.” ESAL volunteers made the case for how scientists can impact city, county, and state policy and presented time-tested strategies for effective engagement.

On October 12, ESAL co-hosted “Science, Technology, and the Vote”, a virtual panel with the AAAS Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues. Panelists discussed how science and technology can help ensure the fairness, integrity, and security of the voting process.

On September 8, ESAL co-hosted “Beyond the Bench: Scientists Shaping State & Local Policy”, a virtual event with the American Chemical Society. A panel of three California scientists shared their transition into science policy and advice for local engagement.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, researchers are being called to more broadly engage in their local communities. ESAL participated in an online panel hosted by the Society Civic Science Initiative sharing ideas for STEM professionals to respond in novel and creative ways.

ESAL and fellow organizations participated in a Twitter chat led by the Science Network of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The virtual conversation addressed the importance of scientific engagement in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ESAL Founder & Chair, Arti Garg, spoke as a panelist in a Town Hall discussion entitled “100 Years of the 19th Amendment: A Discussion on Progress and Challenges,” at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

ESAL had a strong presence at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Through speakers and events, our group shared ways that scientists and engineers could get involved in their communities right away, and have an impact on the biggest challenges we face.

At the American Geophysical Union’s 2019 Fall Meeting, ESAL hosted two sessions about scientists engaging as citizens in their communities. They brought together diverse groups of scientists who shared experience, advice, and inspiration about impacting city, regional, and state policies.

On December 10, 2019, geoscientists and policy enthusiasts joined for a Science & Democracy happy hour in San Francisco, a public event that coincided with the American Geophysical Union’s 2019 Fall Meeting. The event was organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists along with ESAL and other partner organizations.