>> Jessica Velez: Hi, my name is Jessica Velez
and I am the program assistant for the Genetics
Society of America (GSA) Early Career Leadership
Program (ECLP).
Today I’m joined by >> Anthony Arena: Arena
who is the co-chair for the Policy and Advocacy
subcommittee.
Anthony Arena will be sharing his thoughts
and experiences with the program.
Anthony, why did you join the ECLP?
>> Anthony Arena: So, my choice…well to
apply for this program, was when I was first
introduced to it by mentor.
So, I’m not from a genetic background, and
so, one of the things that he had mentioned
was maybe looking at the different that the
GSA had to offer.
So, I could have more of a sense of community.
I had already attended one GSA sponsored event
by that time, and had a really excellent time,
and really good experience.
And, I really liked the community and everyone
seemed involved.
And so, I wanted to find another way that
I could, one be involved and increase my network
of people and professionals.
As we know, it’s harder and harder to find
academic jobs nowadays, and so, we are also
looking for things that can pad our CVs and
give us a leg-up if we get the chance to have
any leadership roles.
And so, I mean, this literally say it in the
name.
It’s for early career scientist who want
to have some mentorship on how to be a good
leader and mentor to other people as well
their peers.
That was really the main driving force.
Uhm, when I looked into the program and I
say that they had the various different sub-committees,
I was interested in the Community and Outreach
Committee as well as the Policy Committee.
Because, who better to advocate for scientist,
but scientist.
So, really the idea that I wanting to help
develop and learn more about by doing this,
was how can I as a scientist be an effective
for science funding for research, both on
the local and federal level.
I thought that is program would be a nice
way to round that all out and really get that
experience.
And, also meet people that are like minded
and interested in the same kind of ideas.
>> Jessica Velez: Awesome, thank you!
What was the interview process like?
>> Anthony Arena: So, the interview process
was fairly easy.
So, we had to fill out, and I’m not sure
if that has changed since then, but we had
to fill out a written type of application,
so a couple of essays explaining why we were
interested in doing this, what committee we
would like to be on.
At the time there was a different director
named Sonia, and so, because she was in Pennsylvania
and I am in Chicago, Illinois, so obviously,
we couldn’t meet face to face.
So, we did a virtual interview, it was a phone
call and we talked for probably about thirty
minutes.
She kind of went over my responses that I
had given to the different prompts, uhm, and
really wanted to know what I personally wanted
to get out of the program.
Uhm, so she thought that I would be a good
for the policy subcommittee.
And so, I was more than happy to join on and
do that.
So that’s where we are now today.
>> Jessica Velez: What has been your favorite
project that you have worked on?
>> Anthony Arena: So, my favorite project
sadly did not get to come to fruition.
One of the things that we were doing, so the
GSA was hosting a conference this April called
TAGC or The Allied Genetics Conference 2020.
And so, again not being from a genetics background,
I thought this was a really great opportunity
because you’re basically getting everybody
from all the sides of genetics coming together
in one group.
And so, this was happening in DC this year,
and so one of the things we were going to
do was a Hill Day.
What that is, is that we had recruited about
thirty scientist, that included graduate students,
post-docs as well as faculty.
Uhm, we had a least sixty plus, maybe even
more than that, applicants, so we vetted all
the applicants and picked the people that
seemed the most interested and had the most
passion about participating in some real hands-on
policy advocacy.
And what we were going to do was actually
go to Capitol Hill, uhm, and meet, uhm, with
congressional members and their staffers,
and actually advocate right there on the spot
to them for why we think that they should
help support funding and just science research
as a whole.
And so, we were pretty much all ready to go,
we had done all the trainings and everything.
And, then obviously coronavirus had hit and
unfortunately the event had to be cancelled.
But, I’m hoping that, you know, as we kind
of move towards developing a vaccine and things
start to get better that we’ll be able to
do such an event again.
And I think, you know, since we didn’t get
the chance to do it before there’s even
more of a want to have it happen.
Uhm, and so, I think we’re in a good place
to, kind of, regroup and maybe try again for
maybe next year.
>> Jessica Velez: Wonderful!
That sounds awesome.
Well, thank you again for your time today.
If any of our applicants have questions for
>> Anthony Arena: or myself, please send an
email to engagement@genetics-gsa.org.
