The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia

Displaying items by tag: federal science cuts

Copy of Conservation on Tap Facebook Cover 1

KNOXVILLE — Discover Life in America has a newly established partnership with Schulz Bräu Brewing Company to host its monthly Conservation on Tap speaker series.

The latest installment of the series at the new venue is 7 p.m. April 16. Join Conservation on Tap at Schulz Bräu Brewing Company, 126 Bernard Ave, Knoxville.

Join us for an insightful presentation by Phil Francis, Chairman of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, and former acting superintendent of GSMNP, as he provides an update on the current challenges facing the National Park Service and our national parks.

Francis will discuss the critical resources that need protection and the staffing necessary to ensure the preservation and maintenance of these cherished public lands. This event is a must-attend for anyone passionate about the future of America’s national parks and the efforts needed to safeguard them for generations to come. Learn more at: protectnps.org.

Come support local conservation efforts and enjoy a wide selection of 20+ beers on-tap (and plenty of nonalcoholic beverages) and some authentic German fare from Schulzes Schnitzel Kitchen.

Published in Voices

bafkreicdlcqwzycxaxv422ixsse37f6ahdbqscuwdp426fsdfwqbmcptoySarah Nelson stands with a copy of The Journal of Undergraduate Research, which ran her first scientific publication in 2003. It was researched during her time as an intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Nelson is now a senior research scientist.  Derek Armstrong via BlueSky  

Federal science cuts, in Oak Ridge and beyond, threaten American health and innovation

Sarah Nelson, MPH, PhD, is a senior research scientist in Seattle studying the genetic causes of complex health conditions. Hellbender Press has previously reported on changes to Oak Ridge federal facilities since the start of the second Trump Administration. This op-ed was originally published by KnoxNews.

OAK RIDGE — My mother has been cleaning out the attic in her Oak Ridge house and very reasonably decided my sisters and I should become the stewards of the memorabilia from our childhoods and early adulthoods. The box she recently mailed me included my first scientific publication, from my undergraduate summer internship at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Mammalian Genetics Section (the “Mouse House”) in 2002.

Over 20 years later, I am a senior research scientist and author on 60+ scientific publications mostly related to understanding how genetic variation contributes to different human diseases.

Even before I received that box in the mail, I had been reflecting on why I chose a career in scientific research — mainly because, since January, I am no longer sure if and how I will be able to continue pursuing it. Federally funded scientific research is being attacked and dismantled by the administration of President Donald Trump, threatening the entire scientific enterprise. The situation is dire, and I urge you to join me in staying informed and speaking out against these existential threats to science. 

Published in News