HR: 0800h
AN: ED51B-0019    [Abstracts]
TI: Integrating policy issues into a university space weather curriculum
AU: * Fisher, G
EM: fisher@dc.ametsoc.org
AF: American Meteorological Society, Atmospheric Policy Program 1120 G St, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005
AB: The integration of science and policy has been a challenge, or even absent, in graduate research programs at universities. While some universities offer science policy courses on a broad scale, offering science policy courses catered to graduate science students has been a major challenge for various reasons. This presentation will discuss a project aimed at integrating policy into a space weather curriculum. The goal is to educate the next generation of space weather scientists to gain an understanding and appreciation of policy so that they can assist policy makers to make sound public policy decisions. Space weather is a field where policy, societal, and economic aspects are becoming increasingly important as our society is becoming more dependent on activities and technology that are affected by conditions in the space environment. Solar and geomagnetic events can impact many different sectors that affect our daily lives--navigation, satellites, communications, pipelines, electric power systems, and human health in space and flight. A new generation of scientists are increasingly interested in the social and policy impacts of their science. It is important that young scientists are prepared to fully participate in the challenging opportunities that lie ahead, including communicating to policy makers, making sound public policy decisions, and communicating science to the public. Although this project is focused on the development of a space weather policy curriculum, it is anticipated that the project will serve as a model for broader science policy curricula.
DE: 7500 SOLAR PHYSICS, ASTROPHYSICS, AND ASTRONOMY
DE: 7800 SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS
DE: 6620 Science policy
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting