Distinguished Panel to Discuss Science and Current Policy in a Pre-election Dialogue

PASADENA, Calif.—California Institute of Technology and Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists will participate in a forum to discuss the relationship between science and public policy, in an event hosted by the Social Activism Speaker Series in conjunction with the Union of Concerned Scientists and ScienceInPolicy.org. The panel includes Caltech president and Nobel laureate David Baltimore; Caltech vice provost and professor of physics David Goodstein; Caltech professor of environmental science and engineering Janet Hering; and JPL research scientist Ashwin Vasavada. This event will take place on Wednesday, October 20, at 7 p.m., in Ramo Auditorium at Caltech. It is free and open to the public.

The distinguished panelists represent a diverse array of topics in which government policy and scientific research influence one another. President David Baltimore, Nobel Prize–winner in 1975 for his work in virology, will address the relationship between molecular biology, medical research, and public health. Physicist David Goodstein is an expert on energy and energy policy, and recently published Out of Gas, a comprehensive look at dwindling energy supplies and potential alternatives. Janet Hering is an environmental scientist who studies the spread of pollutants in aquatic ecosystems with the aim of informing environmental policy in both developed and developing nations. And finally, JPL planetary scientist Ashwin Vasavada is an expert on climate change and has worked as an aide on science policy for U.S. Representative Vernon Ehlers.

This event is cosponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit organization advocating rigorous scientific analysis and innovation with the goal of a healthier environment and a safer world, and by ScienceInPolicy.org, a group of scientists examining the environmental and science policies of the current administration.

The forum is part of the Social Activism Speaker Series, which focuses attention on current social and political issues by inviting prominent activists and experts to share their experiences and perspectives with the Caltech community and the public. This series is coordinated with the help of the Caltech Y, and is made possible by contributions from the Moore-Hufstedler Fund, Student Affairs, the Alumni Association, Campus Life, the Diversity Program Fund, the Graduate Student Council, Jack and Edith Roberts, and the Associated Students of Caltech.

Ramo Auditorium is located near the center of the Caltech campus. Free parking is available in the lots south of Del Mar Boulevard between Wilson and Chester avenues, and in the Wilson Avenue and Holliston Avenue parking structures between San Pasqual Street and Del Mar Boulevard.

For more information, visit http://sass.caltech.edu or contact Greg Fletcher, Caltech Y, (626) 395-6163.

###

Media Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges (626) 395-3227 debwms@caltech.edu

Visit the Caltech Media Relations Web site at: http://pr.caltech.edu/media