Science and The Shutdown #239
November 15, 2013
Image from Wikimedia Commons
When the United States Congress forced a 16-day government shutdown, nearly all government research funding was put on hold. Now that the latest budget impasse is over, we'll discuss the lingering effects of that funding gap. We're joined by Andrew Rosenberg, Director of the Center for Science and Democracy, John Sonntag, Instrument Team Lead for NASA's Operation IceBridge, J. Marshall Shepherd, Director for the Program in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia, and Casey Dreier, Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator for the Planetary Society, to learn how long-term projects were disrupted by the shutdown, and how they're trying to recover.
Guests:
- Andrew Rosenberg
- John Sonntag
- J. Marshall Shepherd
- Casey Dreier
Guest Bios
Andrew Rosenberg
Dr. Rosenberg is the director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Previously, he served as the northeast regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He has served on multiple federal scientific advisory bodies and is a professor of natural resources and the environment at the University of New Hampshire. He received his Ph.D. in biology from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
John Sonntag
John Sonntag is a senior scientist with URS Corporation and the Instrument Team Lead for NASA's Operation IceBridge. He has a background in engineering and earth science at Texas A&M University and the University of Texas, and has previously worked as an analyst for NASA's Airborne Topographic Mapper team.
J. Marshall Shepherd
J. Marshall Shepherd is a Georgia Athletic Association Professor and Director for the Program in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. He's also a member of the Initiative on Climate and Society, and the current President of the American Meteorological Society.
Casey Dreier
Casey Dreier decided to devote his career to furthering the cause of planetary exploration after witnessing the launch of MSL Curiosity on November 26th, 2011. It was that kind of experience. As Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator for the Planetary Society, he helps craft and implement the Society's advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. to further the cause of solar system exploration. He also works to foster strong relationships between the Society and its members, reaches out to new members from traditional and non-traditional space backgrounds, and integrates new technologies and methods of communication into the Society's work flow and outreach efforts. His overall goal is a strong and vibrant Planetary Society that voices loud support for space science and exploration in Washington, D.C., and in other countries around the world.
