Local community leaders, Nobel laureate meet with 600 physicists and students at Fermilab Nov. 6-8

Media contact
  • Kurt Riesselmann, Fermilab Office of Communication, media@fnal.gov, 630-840-3351
  • Martha Heil, American Institute of Physics, mheil@aip.org, 301-209-2088

Discussions on energy policy, community engagement, outreach

How can the local community effectively give feedback to scientists? How can scientists understand the needs of the US Congress and their local elected officials?

Illinois State Representative Mike Fortner, of West Chicago; Nobel laureate Leon Lederman, of Batavia; and Craig Jones, community activist and a member of the Fermilab Citizens’ Task Force, of Campton Hills, will be among the speakers addressing these and other questions at a meeting held at the Department of Energy’s Fermilab and the Naperville Holiday Inn Nov. 6-8.

Nearly 600 physics students, faculty and civic leaders from across the country will attend the 2008 Quadrennial Congress of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society. The congress’s topic is “Scientific Citizenship: Connecting Physics and Society.” Presentations include: (Full program is at: http://www.sigmapisigma.org/congress/2008/program.htm)

“From Researcher to Representative, Learning to Listen to the Community” (Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1:30 p.m., Fermilab, Ramsey Auditorium) – Mike Fortner, Illinois State Representative and Associate Professor of Physics, Northern Ill. University – Louis J. Lanzerotti, Mayor of Harding Township, NJ; former School Board Member of the Township; and Distinguished Research Professor of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology. – Craig Jones, Member of the Fermilab International Linear Collider Citizens’ Task Force

“Is U.S. Science Policy at a Turning Point?” (Friday, Nov. 7, at 9:15 a.m., Fermilab, Ramsey Auditorium) – Richard Garwin, IBM Fellow Emeritus at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center

“What Presidents and Physicists Need to Know About Science” (Saturday, Nov. 8, at 8:30 p.m.; Naperville, Holiday Inn Select, Grand Ballroom) – Leon Lederman, Physics Nobel Laureate; Director Emeritus, Fermilab; Pritzker Professor of Science, Illinois Institute of Technology; Resident Scholar, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

“Einstein as Citizen: Addressing Race and Racism” (Friday, Nov. 7, at 8:30 p.m.; Naperville, Holiday Inn Select, Ballroom) – Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor, co-authors of the book Einstein on Race and Racism

“Energy Efficiency: Benchmarks & the Citizen’s Response” (Saturday, Nov. 8, at 9:30 a.m., Fermilab, Ramsey Auditorium): – David Goldston, Director of the Harvard Energy Studies Program – Julia Phillips, Director, Physical, Chemical, and Nano Sciences Center, Sandia National Labs

Reporters planning to attend the congress can register by sending their contact info to Kurt Riesselmann, Fermilab Office of Communication, kurtr@fnal.gov, (630)840-3351, by Nov. 7.