Richard Watkins

Present Position

Program Coordinator, Chancellor’s Science Scholars Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; CEO and Founder, The Science Policy Action Network, Inc.

Chapter Affiliation

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, President

Statement

At present, we find ourselves at a place where our future holds numerous challenges. These challenges harbor the potential to end life as we have come to know it. Our ability to predict and adequately respond to these challenges depends heavily on the strength of the scientific enterprise. The strength of the scientific enterprise is derived from the support of society. Therefore, it can be stated, that a society that embraces science is a society that thrives. With this in mind, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, must improve the interface between the scientific enterprise and society. In this regard Sigma Xi must strive to:

1. Advocate on behalf of scientific research,
2. Support scientific, technological, engineering, and math (STEM) education at all levels,
3. Engage the public through relentless scientific outreach. 

A scientist produced by today’s scientific enterprise is capable of advocating on behalf of scientific research, enhancing STEM education, and engaging in scientific outreach. In fact, now, more than ever, today’s scientist is very aware of the breadth of utilities that their abilities of critical thought provide to them. Moreover, the skill set of today’s scientist can and should be leveraged to effectively advocate for scientific research, engage the public, and enhance STEM education.

The three-pronged approach of advocacy, outreach, and education is not new to society nor is it a novel concept to the scientific enterprise; however, as time has passed, a distance seems to have been created between the scientific enterprise and society. This distance between the scientific enterprise and society is evidenced by public-supported legislation that aims to cut science funding, American performance in standardized testing in science and math, and lack of public understanding of science. The scientific enterprise must vigorously work to bridge the distance between the scientific community and the public. Sigma Xi needs to position itself as an organization to lead this effort.

With the publication and distribution of American Scientist, and the creation and public outreach initiatives such as Science Café, Sigma Xi has brought science to society; however, with an ever-increasing focus on social media, efforts to bring science to society can be amplified. In addition, Sigma Xi should continue to create fresh, new ideas to bring society ever closer to the scientific enterprise. Once brought together, there will be no challenge that the scientific enterprise will not be able to address. There will be no challenge not looked upon as an opportunity for innovation and creativity. With innovation and creativity permeating through every nook and cranny of our society, our society will thrive and flourish, and when the ink dries, history will celebrate the efforts of those who blurred the lines between the scientific enterprise and society. Society will celebrate the efforts of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities:
Since receiving the honor of being inducted into Sigma Xi, I have enjoyed being involved with the organization. From attending events such as Science Café, to developing surveys to improve the state of the scientific enterprise, being involved with Sigma Xi has exposed me to a movement that is essential to science as an institution.  In this regard I have actively sought and obtained leadership within Sigma Xi at both the national level and the local chapter level.  At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s chapter of Sigma Xi, I serve as president, where I have focused on making the chapter more relevant to the University.  In contrast, at the national level, I have served as the associate director of the Doctoral Research Constituency, the largest constituency within the society.  As associate director, I met frequently with the director, and worked together to ensure that the society is responsive to the questions and concerns of the constituency.  In addition to serving as the associate director of the Doctoral Research Constituency, I also represented the Southeast Region on behalf of the regional director at the 2015 Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.  I currently serve as interim director of the Southeast Region.    

Prior to being inducted into Sigma Xi, I served the University of North Carolina in numerous capacities. I served on the attorney general staff where I worked with my fellow attorney general staff members to uphold the integrity of the UNC’s honor system. In addition to this, I also served on the executive branch of the graduate and professional student government as the City and Local Relations chair. As the City and Local Relations chair, I worked with the local government to support and improve the economic, cultural, and research experience of downtown Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I also served on the legislative branch of graduate and professional student government, where I represented the specific interests of the department of microbiology and immunology. Taken together, I served on every branch of UNC’s graduate and professional student government.  In addition to service through the graduate and professional student government, I also co-founded the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Science Policy Advocacy Group (SPAG). The mission of SPAG is to create a platform that gives science direct influence over policy while at the same time providing everyone access to science.  Years later SPAG remains active at UNC.  

While I was heavily engaged in service and leadership, my passion for research remained very much alive.  Throughout graduate school I was actively engaged research within The Center for AIDS Research at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC CFAR).  The research conducted at UNC CFAR resulted in several papers and a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology.  From there I went on to continue working within UNC CFAR as a postdoctoral research fellow, I saw my work result in yet another publication, however it was not long after, that an opportunity to work within institutional administration presented itself, an opportunity that I ultimately decided not to pass up.   

I currently find myself developing an institutional wide initiative that aims at generating the individuals that will eventually lead the international scientific enterprise.  This initiative is know as The Chancellor’s Science Scholars Program (CSS) and has the admirable ambition of revolutionizing science education at UNC.  Modeled after the wildly successful Meyerhoff Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, we at CSS intend to build upon the success of the Meyerhoff Program to create exciting new changes at UNC.  
For more information please see: http://chancellorssciencescholars.web.unc.edu 

In addition to my institutional capacities, I am also the founder and CEO of The Science Policy Action Network, Inc. (SPAN), a 501c3 public non-profit focused on science outreach, advocacy, and education in North Carolina.  The work of SPAN involves government, academia, and both large and small businesses.  
For more information please see: http://www.span-inc.org

Richard Watkins's CV.