APA's Summer Science Fellows visit the Hill for Policy Day
The twelve talented undergraduate fellows visited the offices of their Congressional representatives
On July 11, APA’s twelve Summer Science Fellows visited Washington, DC, for Policy Day, organized by APA’s Science GRO. The Summer Science Fellowship is a 6-week long intensive summer training program that places talented undergraduate students, selected by APA, in the psychology laboratories of some of the most outstanding researchers in the Washington, DC, area. The fellows met at APA headquarters, where Science GRO staff gave an overview of the office’s goals and activities and discussed how psychologists can advocate for the scientific discipline and use their expertise to educate policy makers at the federal, state and local levels. Then the fellows visited the Hill for a tour of the U.S. Capitol and to visit the offices of their home districts’ Congressional representatives. As a highlight of the day, the fellows had the opportunity to meet with Kim Montgomery, PhD, Legislative Assistant in the office of Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) who works on science and technology issues, health issues, women’s issues and Medicare/Medicaid issues. A former APA Executive Branch Science Fellow, Dr. Montgomery shared her career path and her experiences working on the Hill. The Fellows asked Dr. Montgomery questions both about working in a Congressional office and about how they as students can become more involved in policy issues. For more information on the program, please visit the APA’s Summer Science Fellowship webpage.