Please see the note below from Patricia Ehrkamp.
Peter Wissoker
*From:*Political Geography Specialty Group Listserve
[mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Ehrkamp, Patricia
*Sent:* Monday, April 01, 2013 2:49 PM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* Coburn amendment (cuts to social science research): please act!
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to you with a request: Apparently the AAG leadership has
not heard from its members about their concerns about recent cuts to
social sciences research funding (the Coburn amendment which cut funding
for political science research at the U.S. National Science Foundation.
For those of you not in the U.S. or not familiar with these
developments, please see here:
http://prospect.org/article/take-political-science.)
When a colleague and I inquired as to whether the AAG was collaborating
with other professional organizations in the social sciences to mount a
public opinion campaign on the importance and contributions of social
science research to society we were told that such efforts are currently
not underway. The AAG has a representative/liaison with Congress, and
we were told to contact our elected political representatives, but this
is, as of now, the extent of any effort.
More importantly, the AAG, as of this morning, had only heard
expressions of concern from 2 geographers (out of some 10,000 members.)
This either means that geographers are not concerned about the threat
to research funding, or are not expressing their concern. I ask
that--if you are concerned and are so inclined--you please drop a short
email to the AAG leadership (names and email addresses are below) to let
them know that such cuts should be on top of the AAG's priority list,
and that they ought to be discussed during the upcoming council meeting.
Please feel free to make constructive suggestions as to what the AAG
as our professional organization (and we as its members) could do, i.e.,
help with a public opinion campaign, etc. You can leave a comment on
the AAG's facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/geographers?fref=ts) or
via twitter (@theAAG) or email the following people:
AAG President Eric Sheppard ([email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>)
AAG Executive Director Doug Richardson ([email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>)
AAG Government Relations John Wertman ([email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>)
Thanks,
Patricia
Patricia Ehrkamp, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
University of Kentucky
817 Patterson Office Tower
Lexington, KY 40506-0027
http://geography.as.uky.edu
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
