Washington D.C.
Two of the SURFI Team members, Jeff Brookins and Philip Staublin traveled to Washington D.C. with a group from Michigan Tech to attend Congressional Visit Day, which is organized by the national chapter of the Material Advantage program. They worked with two other Michigan Tech students to schedule meetings with Michigan congressmen to discuss research funding programs. In Washington, the students spoke to staff members from six offices and advocated for the continuation of funding to programs such as NIH and NSF. Using zinc stents as an example of benefits of NIH research, they hoped to provide officials with justification for opposing research budget cuts. The visit provided good experience and demonstrated the importance to the sciences of active involvement in public policy.
