Science marches on
Professor Stuart Cooper joined hundreds of thousands of scientists and science supporters in the non-partisan March for Science which took place in Washington DC and 600 other locations worldwide on April 22, 2017 (Earth Day).
The poster he carried was made by award-winning Professor John Clay's daughter, Meredith Clay, who was eight years old when she made it.
Cooper attended the Washington march representing Sigma Xi (President-Elect and Board Member of the Columbus Chapter); AAAS, otherwise known as the American Association for the Advancement of Scientists (Council Representative for Engineering); and The Ohio State University.
Participants braved nearly-continuous rain, miles of walking, and few creature comforts in a demonstration of commitment and support for science and the role it has played in their lives.
"It rained steadily through the middle hours of the March and I got soaked through, but we made a point and it was fun to be there," Cooper said.
Sources report that of the hundreds of thousands who participated, up to 70% were not scientists themselves, but community members who wish to see the sciences strongly supported.
The March for Science is hoped to be the beginning of a longer conversation about the value of STEM education and the role science plays in public health and safety, innovation, economic prosperity, and daily life.
