ASA and AIP choose new Congressional Science Fellow

May 11, 2010 — The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) are pleased to announce the selection of Peter Norgaard as their jointly-sponsored Congressional Science Fellow , who will work on Capitol Hill in 2010-11. Norgaard has a background in mathematics, physics, aerospace engineering, and computer science and is slated to complete his PhD in Physics from Princeton University this summer.

Norgaard’s policy interest, communication skills and excellent scientific credentials make him well prepared to serve as the AIP-ASA 2010-11 Congressional Science Fellow. Peter will work to provide lawmakers with the best possible information about existing and emerging science and technology, and identify and communicate information so they are able to address science-related issues more effectively. He hopes to gain experience on Capitol Hill that will ultimately make him a better researcher, policy maker, teacher, and citizen.

Norgaard’s variety of research experiences combined with his continued interests in literature, history, and politics enables him to effectively communicate scientific topics in many ways. Peter’s research focuses on numerical simulations of fluid and plasma dynamics, applications of this include space propulsion and fusion energy. In addition, Norgaard’s laboratory experiences include work at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Norgaard has a passion for communicating scientific information effectively to individuals or groups of varied technical backgrounds. Consequently, he has consistently pursued opportunities to present his work to both scientific and general audiences. This has led to presentations at scientific meetings and University sponsored colloquia, seminars to incoming freshmen about extracurricular research, and the annual Department of Energy (DOE) Computational Science Fellows Conference in Washington, DC.

ASA recently partnered with AIP to co-sponsor a Congressional Science Fellow and help expand AIP’s fellowship program from one fellow to two. Norgaard will follow in the footsteps of past ASA Congressional Fellows who have worked as professional staff on committees and as congressional office staff. Congressional Fellows have made major contributions to the legislative process, researching hearings, and drafting major portions of legislation that covered topics as diverse as science education and judicial misconduct.

The Congressional Science Fellowship program enables qualified, highly-motivated scientists to actively participate in the federal government’s policymaking process. Fellows gain insight into the workings of government, learn how to contribute their voices and knowledge to the policy-making process, and perform a public service by providing skilled support to help inform policy decisions. Applications are due January 15 of each year. Application instructions can be found at: http://aip.org/gov/fellowships/cf.html . All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.