With the increasing intersection of science and policy, from debates on what to do about climate change to the March for Science to policies regarding the future of energy in the U.S., one West Virginia University course is training undergraduate students to understand where science and public policy cross paths.
“Both areas — science on the one hand and public policy on the other — individually have such a huge impact on people’s lives,” said Paul Cassak, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and instructor for the course. “Having an appreciation of where they intersect provides the means for students to maximize their impact in both areas.”
The Science and Public Policy course, or Physics 493A, was first introduced after Cassak conducted a poll with the department’s undergraduates, who’d voiced interest in a science and public policy course.
“Given that WVU recently added the John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics, it seemed like it could be of interest not just to the physics and astronomy department, but broadly across the College and even the University,” Cassak said. “There seems to be a heightened sense of awareness of the political process in many sectors of public and student life, including science, so I thought that the time would be right for a course such as this one.”
Before going in-depth into the science and policy topics, Cassak opens the course with a discussion of what science is and what policy does. The course later highlights topics about the people and agencies in the federal government that impact science. Discussions range from the environment to ethics to pseudo-science while also examining how science bills are created and how the science budget is set.
“Cassak has done an excellent job teaching us the background about how policy is developed, whether in Charleston, West Virginia, or Washington, D.C.,” said Tyler Brewster, a senior political science major. “The most impactful knowledge I’ve gained so far is the differing perspectives and backgrounds of my colleagues in the class.”
The course features multiple guest speakers throughout the semester, including representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“At the end of the day, you do not need to be a physicist or other scientist to understand the important role that science plays in our day-to-day lives,” said Miguel Henriquez, a physics major. “As citizens in the 21st century, it is our job to be educated in the decision-making process because this process will ultimately decide how we tackle the tougher issues being felt globally. This class is a first step toward understanding that process.”
During the semester, students travel to Washington, D.C., and the state capitol building in Charleston, West Virginia. Each field trip allowed the students to meet with elected officials in science and/or public policy fields. The field trips were made possible by support from the Department of Physics and Astronomy as well as the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s Opportunity Fund, established by Don and Linda Brodie.
“It was important for me to provide the students with this genuine experience of interacting with policymakers at the state and federal levels,” Cassak said. “I think all the classroom discussion in the world would not replace the actual experience of walking into the offices of policymakers and having open discussions with them about science and the state and country.”
Besides guest speakers and field trips, the course is designed to be discussion-driven. The students are informed from the beginning of the semester that the course is not intended to encourage them to think a particular way, but to discuss the factual basis of each topic and the challenges in making policy.
“Much of the class time was spent with the students discussing the topics of the course, either as a class or in small groups before reporting back to the class as a whole,” Cassak said.
WVU students in any major or department can enroll in the course, which does not have prerequisites.
“Having students with a breadth of backgrounds has added layers of genuine discussion, which truly allowed for an open exchange of ideas between people of different sensibilities,” Cassak said.
Over half of the students who completed the course were physics majors; however, students also represented the John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics, the Reed College of Media and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.
“It doesn’t matter what your major is,” said Maria Francis, a strategic communications major with an emphasis on public relations in the Reed College of Media and political science minor. “Being scientifically literate is so important to our daily lives, especially now, and the course will give anyone insight into things they may not have thought about before.”