Biophysical Society Bulletin | July/August 2018

Public Affairs

From the 2017-2018 BPS Congressional Fellow Hello again, Biophysical Society members! I am continuing to enjoy my time on Capitol Hill, and I’ve been fortunate to have several unique experiences. One of these experiences was visiting the Illinois 11th Congressional District and joining a congressional delegation trip to Argonne National Lab and Fermilab in May. In the district, I had a chance to visit the place that constitu- ents had been calling from for the past eight months. I visited a high school, a manufacturer, and a local union, and learned a great deal about the education and workforce development efforts taking place in the 11th District of Illinois and across the country. I also was able to join a delegation of congressional members and staff to visit Argonne National Lab and Fermilab. On the tours of these world-class research facilities, I got to see quantum computers and atomic force microscopes, and see up-close large-scale projects such as the Advanced Photon Source and neutrino experiments. This was an incredible trip, and I was able to return to our office in Washington, DC, with a greater understanding of the places and people that Congressman Foster is working to represent. I also returned with a more comprehensive view of the research and collaboration that takes place at the US National Laboratories. I am grateful to the Biophysical Society for this experience! Please contact Sean Winkler at swinkler@biophysics.org if you are interested in setting up a Congressional visit with BPS! — Yasmeen Hussain

Yasmeen and other members of the delegation 300 feet underground at the NOvA neu- trino detector at Fermilab. Photo credit: Reidar Hahn/Fermilab

Yasmeen participating in a demonstration of the Oleo Sponge, a material developed at Argonne National Lab which selectively picks up oil rather than water and could be used in oil spill management.

Apply to be the 2019-2020 BPS Congressional Fellow!

Are you interested in working on Capitol Hill and learning more about science policy? All members who have obtained their PhD and are eligible to work in the United States may apply. Application deadline: December 22, 2018 Visit www.biophysics.org for additional information.

July/August 2018

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