Press Advisory: 2018 New Jersey March for Science to be held in Trenton:
Free, nonpartisan science-themed gathering open to the public

On Saturday, April 14, 2018, the second annual New Jersey March for Science will take place in Trenton to peacefully show support for science and its critical role in understanding and addressing important issues facing our state and nation.

Where : The steps of the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, Trenton, NJ 08608
When : April 14, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
Who : Scientists, educators, students, health care professionals, and anyone who considers themselves
supporters of science. The event is free, nonpartisan, and open to the public. (Note: To help plan, organizers ask that
participants register in advance via Eventbrite so they can keep a running estimate of attendees.)
What : A speakers program followed by a march and science education fair/rally/teach in.

Last April, more than a million people worldwide—including some 6,000 people across New Jersey—participated in Marches for Science. Together, these were the largest science advocacy demonstration in history. This year, participants will again march in solidarity with the March for Science in Washington D.C. and an estimated 70 satellite events scheduled to take place simultaneously around the United States and the world.

“Last year we marched because we were concerned that America’s leadership was turning away from science and evidence-based policy,” said Matthew Buckley, professor of physics at Rutgers University and founder of the 2017 New Jersey March for Science in Trenton. “The past year has unfortunately confirmed those concerns.”

Since the initial March for Science, the federal government has enacted sweeping rollbacks of environmental protections, created policies in opposition to scientific evidence, defunded basic research, and disrupted the free expression and movement of scientists.

“I still believe that the American people respect and support science, but we all need to make that clear to the people elected to lead us,” Buckley said.

A fundamental idea of the March for Science movement is that science is a powerful tool to improve the nation and the lives of the people living in it, whether the focus is on climate change or medicine, public safety or education.

Assemblyman and physicist Andrew Zwicker, who spoke at the 2017 march in Trenton and is a member of this year’s steering committee, said, “We march not just to demand evidence-based decision-making from all of our elected leaders, regardless of their ideology, but to protect our children and grandchildren from political decisions that will have an impact for generations.”

Maria Santiago-Valentín, learning consultant, Founder of the NJ Coalition for Climate Justice and steering committee member of the 2018 march, agrees. “Science plays a huge role in education, and especially with students with learning and emotional disabilities. We need to continue funding research on mental and public health in order to best serve our students,” she said.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s scientists, and New Jersey has a lot riding on them. “Our state was home to Thomas Edison, and a refuge for Albert Einstein,” said Nicole Pezold-Hancock, founder of the 2017 March for science in Princeton and a co-lead organizer of this year’s event. “We have a history of fostering great scientists here and, hopefully, a future too. Public and private laboratories line Route 1 from New Brunswick to Trenton. If the top doesn’t invest in them, we all lose down the line.”

Many fear that, without robust support at the federal level, the United States will fall behind as a leader in new technologies, from medical devices to clean energy. “Science drives innovation,” said Christine Clarke, another march committee member and Environmental Director for Action Together New Jersey. “In order to stay competitive in the global economy, our country needs to invest in and stay at the forefront of developing science and technology.”

The 2018 New Jersey March for Science is being organized by a diverse coalition of scientists, environmentalists, medical professionals, primary and secondary school educators, religious leaders, and members of the public who consider themselves to be advocates for science. March sponsors include the New Jersey Chapter of Sierra Club, Environment New Jersey, We Design For Good, Princeton Marching Forward, and the Rutgers AAUP faculty union.

For more information about the New Jersey March for Science, please visit www.njmarchforscience.com

About NJ March for Science
The New Jersey March for Science affirms the mission statement of the national March for Science: “The March for Science champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good, and for political leaders and policymakers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest.” We as scientists, students, teachers, doctors, engineers, and concerned citizens have chosen to March for Science to bring attention to important issues that we see as threatening the safety of our fellow citizens, our state, our national character, and the endeavor of scientific exploration. Visit our website for more information.

Contacts:
Dr. Matt Buckley, Co-Founder
Nicole Pezold- Hancock, Co-Founder
NJ March for Science
marchforsciencenj@gmail.com
www.njmarchforscience.com