To publicly show support for the crucial work of the scientific and medical community, Stand Up for Science 2025 demonstrations were held across the country on March 7.
The main event was held in Washington, D.C., with satellite gatherings in more than 30 U.S. cities, including Albany, and solidarity events around the globe. The scholarship, research and teaching that go into discovering fundamental truths about how the physical world works are perceived to be under threat through federal policy changes and proposed funding cuts.
“It seems these days that there is more and more skepticism about well-established scientific results, like climate change and vaccine efficacy, and this skepticism is creeping more and more into politics,” said Matt Bellis, Ph.D., professor of physics, who took part in the Albany event. “This has the potentially devastating effect of decreasing funding in both applied and basic science. If you’re unsure about the benefits of basic science, just look at what studying Gila monsters did for weight loss or how learning about microbes in hot springs impacted genetic studies...including our ability to make a COVID-19 vaccine!”
Will gatherings like Stand Up for Science move the needle in terms of public or government support?
“I do know that if we don’t make our voices heard, then nothing changes for the better,” said Bellis.
Recent impacts at the federal level include the dismissal of hundreds of probationary employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS); a proposed indirect cost cap at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); termination of NIH grants related to transgender research and diversity initiatives; the review of thousands of National Science Foundation (NSF) grants containing keywords such as “women” and “diversity;” attempted closure of facilities housing the Alaska and Hawaii Volcano Observatories; as well as the United States’ withdrawal from several climate initiatives.
“I participated because I think policy making needs to be based on some degree of shared truth, and that science is a tool for that,” said Dirk de Jong, Ph.D., associate professor of social work. “I also believe that science provides support for gender diversity and for the trans community that is under siege right now.”
Br. Jacek Orzechowski, O.F.M., associate director of Siena’s Laudato Sí Center for Integral Ecology said it was important for him as a Franciscan friar to attend the rally.
“It is deeply troubling, intellectually and morally, that climate science is being undermined and financially gutted,” said Br. Jacek. “As the reality of the climate change emergency becomes increasingly destructive, the dismantling of NOAA hinders its ability to provide us with lifesaving forecasts of hurricanes, floods and wildfires.”
He said as the 10th anniversary of the Laudato Sí encyclical is observed it is fitting to note Pope Francis’ call to “civic and political love” and a cultivation of “a genuine culture of care for the environment.”
“Standing up for objective, verifiable science, defending it from willful ignorance and disinformation, and ensuring that it is used at the service of human dignity, justice, and the common good of earth's community – this is an intrinsic part of our Franciscan tradition.”
Donna Bradbury, senior director of Siena's Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women, noted the bond that quickly developed among those at the event.
"It was encouraging to see so many people show up for this protest," said Bradbury. "Mostly strangers to each other, we instantly formed a community of people with a common interest: that science, as well as those who support and implement its theories and methods in myriad ways, be respected and honored for all it has done to support humankind's well-being."
