College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University

Science policy

Undergraduate attends prestigious conference on science and society.
No agenda. Little time to consider the offer.

Many would be reluctant to make a decision based on that information alone.

But Robert Dietz, a senior double major in political and environmental science, heard two words that made the decision to go to a conference at Rice University easy.

Not exactly two words, but two names - Neal Lane.

"I got a call from Dr. (Yong) Lee (professor of political science) and he wanted to know if I would like to attend this symposium," Dietz said. "Since it was a closed invitation, he needed a response right away."

Once Dietz heard that the symposium ("Bridging the Gap Between Science and Society") would not only examine the interplay between public policy and scientific research but also celebrate the 65th birthday of Neal Lane he jumped at the chance to attend.

Dietz had met Lane on campus last spring when the current Rice professor and former National Science Foundation director and science advisor to the President during the Clinton Administration spoke during an Institute of Science and Society event.

"I realize that if I want to make a difference in environmental protection, then I have to get involved politically," Dietz said. "I saw this symposium as an opportunity to learn more about the problems that exist because of the so-called gap between science and society.

"It was a chance to see how things played out in the science policy arena."

The "Bridging the Gap Between Science and Society" symposium was sponsored by Rice University's Department of Physics and Astronomy, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the National Science Foundation.

After attending the conference last fall with Yong Lee (who also serves as the co-director of the Institute of Science and Society), Dietz says that experience was everything he thought and hoped it would be.

"As one of only a handful of students at the gathering, and by far the youngest among them, I seemed to be a black hole juxtaposed against a brilliant universe," he said. "But being a black hole had its benefits. To be certain, I did absorb a great deal from the collective influences of those around me.”"

During the symposium, Dietz says he learned more about environmental and energy issues of the present and the future. He also attended discussions on the topics of national security, science education, and international cooperation.

But Dietz says perhaps the most important benefit to attending the conference was the opportunity to reflect on his education and the experiences that he needs for a career in science policy.

"I'm going to stay at Iowa State a little longer so that I can have a better background in chemistry and possibly geology," said Deitz, who plans to enroll in a graduate program for environmental science and science policy after graduation. "I need a solid grounding in these areas to have an impact on meaningful changes in the implementation and communication of an evolving body of vital scientific knowledge."