The ESA Science Policy Committee (SPC) was created in 2013. It is charged with leading the effort to establish a science policy agenda for ESA that will guide and focus the Society's outreach efforts with governments, NGOs, and other organizations. The committee's tasks included developing a framework for gathering input from throughout the Society, and determining how actions may benefit the Society and its members. The committee consists of a Chair (ESA Past-President), a representative from each Section and Branch, one student member, two Ad hoc members, one of whom is also the Society's EPA-OPP Liaison. Click here to see a roster of the Science Policy Committee (ESA member link only).
There are two subcommittees -- one that supervises the Science Policy Fellows program and one that oversees the ESA position statements authoring and approval process (including working with the writing committees).
The committee's activities include:
- Overseeing the selection of Science Policy Fellows and developing their educational program
- Working with the contracted advocacy firm in Washington DC to updated legislators and agency leaders on topics of entomological importance
- Development of position statements for the Society
- Overseeing the activities and reports from the EPA-OPP Liaison
- Finding events, speakers, and opportunities to positively present entomology to national leaders
- Developing methods by which all ESA members can be kept informed and engaged on important policy issues
- Organizing Summits to foster understanding of entomological issues in the federal governing bodies