For students in Penn State's Science Policy Society, a trip to D.C. to meet with policy-makers, advocates, researchers, fellows, and directors of agencies is a dream come true. In this long-form reflection episode, you will hear how a short 3-day trip in April left an impression on each student and, as we were surprised to find, our hosts as well. You will hear how our burning questions were addressed, myths were demystified, and connections we began have continued to be fostered. A heartfelt thank you to Penn State University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) for helping to fund and make our trip possible.
Hosts: Maya Tanikawa-Brown and Ian Schneider; Guests: Erin Murray, Logan Larose, Dani Buchheister, Ava Spangler, Macy Hannan, and Tori Gamel; Edited by: Ian Schneider, Maya Tanikawa-Brown, and Marilena Papavassiliou; Organizations and people mentioned: AAAS, National Park Service - Joy Beasley, USDA - Sheila Fleischhacker, Wayne Connelly - @usda_museum_historical_society, Helena Chapman (NASA), John Hayes (NASA), and Kevin Conner, Congressional Research Services - Matt Barry, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Bureau of Reclamation - Brendan Tate, Environmental Protection Agency - Judy Lieberman and Khanna Johnston, AAAS Congressional Research Fellows and former SPS member - Chris Sala, SPS members - Hanna Leapaldt, Evan Fitzmaurice, and Matthew Hollingham, Environmental Activist - Laurene Allen; Music: Alexey Anisimov. (n.d.). Ambient Electronic Soundscape [Audio track]. Adobe Stock. Stock photos, royalty-free images, graphics, vectors & videos | Adobe Stock© 2026 Adobe. Premium Asset Licensed Under a Penn State Education License.
