Scripps Ocean Acidification Researcher Wins Science Communication Fellowship

Victoria Fabry, a visiting research scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, is among 19 environmental researchers from across North America who have been awarded Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowships for 2009.

Fabry is a biological oceanographer who studies the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems. A professor at Cal State University, San Marcos, she is joining colleagues from Scripps and elsewhere to design and deploy carbon dioxide measurement networks off the West Coast.

We could not be more pleased for Vicki, said Scripps Director Tony Haymet. She is a great collaborator and a leader in her field.

Based at Stanford University s Woods Institute for the Environment, the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program was founded in 1998 to help academic scientists make their scientific knowledge accessible to decision makers. Each year the program selects up to 20 mid-career academic environmental scientists as fellows. They receive intensive communication and leadership training to help them deliver scientific information more effectively to journalists, policymakers, business leaders, and the public.

These 19 outstanding researchers are engaged in cutting edge research about Earth s environmental systems, said Pam Sturner, the managing director of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program. Through our program, they will gain new skills and connections to make sure their research is heard and is useful to decision-making.

The 2009 fellows come from a wide range of disciplines, including marine science, ecology, engineering, geography, and economics. They will join a network of 134 past fellows who are active in science outreach and are working to infuse scientific understanding into public and private sector discussions about the environment.

I m very honored to have been named a Leopold Fellow, said Fabry. Communication is so vital to enhancing the role of science in decision-making and this will help that process.

The fellows were chosen for their outstanding qualifications as scientists, demonstrated leadership ability, and strong interest in communicating science beyond traditional academic audiences. Each fellow participates in two week-long training sessions that include practice media interviews and testimony at a mock congressional hearing. The fellowship also offers peer networking and mentoring through the Leadership Network of program advisors, trainers, and past fellows.

Academic scientists work hard to understand environmental problems and to develop potential solutions, but actually solving problems requires a two-way flow of information and communication between scientists and decision makers, said Pamela Matson, dean of Stanford University's School of Earth Sciences and scientific director of the program. The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program trains academics to close the gap between knowledge and action.

The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program is funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

For a complete list of fellowship recipients, visit the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program at http://leopoldleadership.org.

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