Eighteen Science Policy Advocates Receive 2023 5 Sigma Physics Honor

Mehmet Dogan, a physicist originally from Turkey, knows how difficult it is to get a visa to work in STEM in the United States.

After he received his doctorate in the U.S., he “had to go from visa to visa for years, leading to uncertainty, missed opportunities, and an overall career delay,” says Dogan, who works as a technical advisor at a law firm, Ropes & Gray LLP.

This experience made him excited to partner with APS staff to advocate for the Keep STEM Talent Act, legislation that would provide a pathway for permanent residency to international students and scholars with advanced STEM degrees from U.S. institutions.

“Advocating for this and similar reforms is hugely important to me as a person,” he says.

APS recently awarded Dogan and 17 other APS members with the 5 Sigma Physicist Honor for outstanding science policy advocacy in 2023. Recipients demonstrated substantial, impactful advocacy actions with APS Government Affairs. Besides Dogan, the honorees are Timothy Atherton, Ramón Barthelemy, James Bowen, Wouter Deconinck, Michael Falk, Scott Franklin, Savannah Garmon James Isenberg, Elena Long, Tucker Manton, Arantxa Pardue, Kyle Reeves, Robert Rosner, Elizabeth Simmons, David Strubbe, James Vary, and Wennie Wang.

APS staff figured the Keep STEM Talent Act would be of interest to members of the Society’s Forum on Early Career Scientists (FECS). So they partnered with the forum on a grassroots email campaign, which Dogan, the forum’s 2021 international affairs officer, supported. The campaign inspired 153 advocates to send 423 messages to Congress. APS staff also held a training for the forum’s executive committee leadership on the specifics of the legislation and provided tips on scheduling and meeting with members of Congress.

“I had the full support and participation of FECS in my efforts,” Dogan says, and APS Government Affairs “made it extremely easy to collect and submit letters and contact policymakers.”

Besides the Keep STEM Talent Act, the honorees advocated for the Noyce Scholars Program, Methane Emissions Mitigation Research and Development Act, LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, and federal funding for science research and development.

Research funding is an important issue for honoree James Isenberg, professor emeritus at the University of Oregon whose work centered on gravitational physics and geometric analysis. He has been a “very proud recipient” of funding from the National Science Foundation for more than 40 years.

“Personally, without that NSF research support, my scientific and mathematical career would have been diminished,” he says.

Isenberg said while he had written op-eds in the past, he hadn’t thought much about contacting Congress. This changed after he received an email from Charlotte Selton, APS member advocacy senior associate, about signing up for an advocacy webinar.

“I participated in that, and subsequently, Charlotte discussed with me very practical tips on how to best proceed individually with advocacy for science,” he says — tips, he adds, he was able to apply in his own advocacy work, including crafting emails to his elected officials and communicating effectively in virtual congressional meetings.

Visit APS’s Action Center to contact your elected representative on science policy issues, or learn more about the 5 Sigma Physicist honorees.