Last week from March 31-April 2, Astronomy graduate student Brandon Radzom participated in the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) Congressional Visits Day program. Brandon traveled out to Washington, D.C. with nearly 20 other peers in astronomy across the country to advocate for science on Capitol Hill.
For the first two days of the program, participants received training from experts on the federal appropriation process, the federal budget, and how to effectively communicate with legislators. Then, on April 2, Brandon met with several members of Congress on the Hill, including Indiana Senators Jim Banks and Todd Young. During these meetings, he shared the impact of federal science funding across the state and country, and advocated for robust, sustained funding for agencies that are critical to the astronomical community like NASA and the National Science Foundation.
Participants of the AAS' Congressional Visits Program.
The College of Arts