Stony Brook Librarian, Bob Tolliver, Head, Science & Engineering and incoming president of the Geoscience Information Society, was invited to speak at the American Geosciences Institute’s
(AGI) Leadership Forum as part of a panel on issues of concern to the geosciences. The AGI Leadership forum brings together leaders of 51 national geosciences organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, and the American Meteorological Society. Other speakers at the Leadership Forum included the Acting Deputy Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, members of the House and Senate committees on natural resources, and the Director, Board of Science Education at the National Academies. Bob spoke on the importance of access to data and information in the geosciences including research and data produced by federal agencies.
Following the Leadership Forum, Bob attended AGI’s Geosciences Congressional Visits Days (Geo-CVD). The Geo-CVD started with a workshop on communicating with Congress and preparation for the following day’s visit to Capitol Hill. Bob prepared for the visit with the three other attendees from NY, including geoscientists from Columbia University, the University of Rochester, and the Paleontological Research Institute in Ithaca. The following day, the NY group meet with the offices of our two state senators, the four house representatives from their districts, and staff members of the Environmental Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, & Technology Committee to discuss the importance of geoscience funding and access to data and research produced by our federal science agencies. The Geo-CVD was a great opportunity to learn about communicating with our government about issues in science and education.
