Photo by Chet Susslin/National Journal

Science Leader to Speak June 11 on Advocating for Research

Rush D. Holt, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and executive publisher of the Science family of journals, will speak on campus June 11 on “Becoming an Advocate for Research.”

“Now, more than ever, researchers need to become public advocates for science, communicate its value to the public and celebrate its many contributions to our communities,” said Holt. “Science is a global good that informs and improves our lives. And the research community must work together to ensure it continues to thrive.”

One of the organizers of the March for Science, Holt served for 16 years as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, and established a long track record of advocacy for federal investment in research and development, science education and innovation. He is one of only a few members of Congress trained as a physicist. Holt served from 1988 to 1998 as assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. He received his doctorate in physics from New York University and is an elected fellow of AAAS, the American Physical Society and Sigma Xi.

Holt’s talk, which is free and open to the public, will start at 5 p.m. in Atkinson Hall auditorium and will be followed by a reception. Registration for the event, which is being sponsored by UC San Diego’s Research Communications Program and Office of Research Affairs, is required and available here.