How has being an AGU Congressional Science Fellow affected my career up to this point?  This is a bit like asking someone to describe the effect of obtaining a college degree on their subsequentn career.  Certainly life would have been different but in what ways is a little hard to know.

I can say that my perspective on polictics, politicians, and the role of scientists (and citizens in general) in public policy has been markedly altered.  I have been politicized, in the sense that I am more aware of the need to participate in public debate and to put more of the policy perspective into some of my lectures.  Most students have responded very positively to getting this kind of information.  I have also given a number of lectures on science and public policy and found that many scientists are anxious to become better informed about "how the system works."

While I was a Congressional Science Fellow I worked on the High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal Bill, which subsequently became law.  Partly as a result of the knowledge that I gained in that process, I am now a member of the Minnesota Governor's Task Force on High-Level Radioactive Waste and a member of the Science Advisory Committee on Low-Level Radioactive Waste.  I am also the Chairman of the AGU Public Affairs Committee.  Few, if any, of these things would have happened if I had not been an AGU Congressional Science Fellow.

That, however, was not the question asked above.  Certainly, my career has changed direction.  It is also clear that the fellowship year and subsequet related activities have taken a toll in time and energy.  In terms of the standard measures of career success applied in the academic world, the fellowship was almost a total loss.  While one may occasionally hear colleagues appaulding one's efforts in public service, the bottom line is, and is likely to remain, publications and research grant support.  No one applying for the fellowship should have any illusions about that.  On the other hand, for someone looking for a career in governmnet or industry, the fellowship should be a very big plus.  Those who have taken that route can better tell you that story.

Having stated the case this bluntly, it is appropriate that I ask one more question, one which I have asked myself on a number of occasions since departing Washington D.C.  Would I do it again?  Without hesitation the answer is yes.  I learned things that I could not have learned as well any other way.  I was fortunate enough to have been able to affect an important piece of national legislation.  I met many interesting people.  I had a great time.  It was worth the price.

George Shaw, AGU Congressional Science Fellow, 1981-982.

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