Ingrid J. Paredes is a PhD candidate in chemical engineering at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in 2015 and 2016.In 2019, she served as the co-chair for March for Science NYC. Omar Gowayed is a PhD candidate in materials chemistry at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. He received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University in 2014. In 2019, he served as the co-chair for March for Science NYC. Here’s an update from Ingrid and Omar about March for Science!
On May 4, 2019, we – Omar, Ingrid, and Edin – wrapped up a successful year of organizing with March for Science NYC, an official satellite of March for Science.
We’ve come along way since our first run in 2018, when we organized our march based in Washington Square Park. Organizing the 2018 march was the first time any of the our organizers had planned an event on such a large scale, and on top of coursework, research, jobs, and our personal lives, it was overwhelming. In the end was a success, with over 2,000 attendees marching from Washington Square Park to Zuccotti Park, but we knew that going forward we’d have to take the lessons we’d learned to make the 2019 march bigger and better.
One of our biggest challenges was defining our mission statement. Often in our meetings, we’d return to the discussion: why exactly were we marching for science, and why does it matter to New York City?
Every organizer’s relationship to science is different, and so each of our answers to those questions are different. But in order to make a true impact, we knew we had to define what exact policies we stand for when we stand up for science.
It took a bit of soul searching – in July 2018, we spoke to other satellite organizers March for Science’s inaugural conference to see what strategies were effective; in August 2018, we held a science-based happy hour at Caveat to gauge public interest in our cause; in November, we met with academics and policymakers working on the intersection of science and policy at National Science Policy’s symposium. We wanted to ensure that we didn’t replicate any of the great work existing organizations were doing. We wanted to ensure that our movement would amplify existing work and mobilize scientists and scientist enthusiasts to join these efforts to become active citizens. That’s why we chose our theme, Educate to Empower, coined by Edin — a message that we bring to our events, whether outreach-based like happy hours or informational like voter information nights. We decided that it’s not enough for us to be scientists; we must stand up for science.
We want to ensure that we create a safe space for a diverse set of scientists to advocate for:
- The open access of scientific information to the general public.
- The use of science for the common good and in preservation of an informed democracy.
- The protection of human and environmental science.
In essence, we stand for science for good. Right now, what that looks like is a Green New Deal – a resolution that will fight climate change in an equitable fashion. That’s why this year, we focused our efforts in highlighting the work against political inaction regarding our climate crisis to sexual harassment within academia. Our speakers represented scientists, activists, and grassroots organizers Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson(Ocean Collectiv), Dr. BethAnn McLaughlin (Me Too STEM), Aracely Jimenez(Sunrise Movement), and Alexandria Villaseñor(Earth Uprising) who spoke about the need for us to stand up against injustices against and within science.
“To advocate for science, we need to address inequity within science,” March for Science lead organizer Dr. Lucky Tran said to the crowd. “We need accountability. We need justice.” The crowd would later chant —
When clean air is under attack, what do we do?
Stand up fight back!
When clean water is under attack, what do we do?
Stand up fight back!
March for Science New York City organizers introduced each speaker on stage, holding behind them signs by artist and activist Athena Soules of NYC Light Brigade. Each organizer touched on why they March for Science, giving the crowd notes about their personal relationship to science.
“In my six years of scientific research, I have meet two queer scientists of color. We are not at the table,” said Micah Savin, director of diversity and inclusion for MFSNYC. “And this explains why we minority populations are hit hardest by climate change and climate-related disasters. The continued destruction of indigenous lives and sacred lands for the construction on the Dakota Access and Keystone Pipelines is evidence of this. Without evidence-based policy informed by diverse scientists, we see that there are far-reaching consequences on our environment, which disproportionately impact minority communities and this will continue to do so until diverse representation is achieved in science.”
Three of the four speakers discussed the intersection of science and social justice in context of the Green New Deal, a resolution presented in congress earlier this year for solving our climate crisis.
“We felt it was crucial to feature dialogue from scientists, activists, and grassroots leaders at this year’s event to highlight how science and policy must work hand-in-hand to address the challenges we all face together due to climate change. There’s a strong focus on climate and the Green New Deal this year because it’s a terrific example of how science can work with policy to serve the common good,” stated Alexandra Serio, communications director for March for Science New York City, in the organization’s event press release.
The excited crowd of roughly 600 people then joined behind the rally’s speakers to march down Broadway. By the march’s end at Pace University, the crowd amassed 2,000 people. Many of them remained at Pace for the organization’s Science Expo, curated by MFS NYC organizers Josh Acklin, Tiffany Kilfeather, Micah Savin, and Jairo Munoz.
At the expo, attendees listened to stories about scientists’ work and activism and met with local science and outreach groups to learn about how to engage with science advocacy beyond the march. Groups included NYU-based Scientist Action and Advocacy Network, 500 Women Scientists NYC, and March for Our Lives. “The expo was a truly special part of the march,” said TIffany Kilfeather, a lab manager at NYU. The event allowed not just the public to engage with science, but also for local outreach and activist groups to network with each other, leading to opportunities for future engagement. We wouldn’t have gotten here without the efforts from each of our lead organizers, partner institutions, and volunteers. Their work was crucial to the event and building our movement. Our voices are stronger together. As for the organizing group — our next steps are to continue supporting local efforts like the Youth Climate Strike on May 24, and to continue growing our team as we move into election year in 2020.
NYU Green Grants are awarded to improve the university’s operational environmental performance, foster environmental literacy and community engagement, advance applied research and design, and demonstrate the viability of best practices and technologies for sustainability. The Green Grants Selection Committee awards up to $20,000 for the most feasible, impactful, and innovative projects that have potential for institutionalization on campus or are self-sustaining.