NEWS&ANALYSIS anything about it—but when you look at the work in rodents with memory motor tasks, you say ok, it’s still a big step but it’s rational. Q: Does collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NIH mean overlapping funding priorities? G.L.: No, but we like to think they’re synergistic and complementary. There are scientists—you and I know them—who

think big. They think, “I can do this if I only have the means to do it. Where am I going to get the means? Do I go to NIH, do I go to NSF? No.” DARPA is saying, “You want $20–30 million? We’ll give you $20–30 million.” What I’m hoping is that we’ll get two or three teams of really bold leaders who are doing this thing with different approaches. When you do that, you get a real big leader who now, instead of

giving me 20% of time on a grant, is going to give 50% time, or 60% time because this is what they’ve lived their career for. You want these guys full of tension because if this is going to cure people, I’d be working on it night and day—I wouldn’t take a damn vacation, would you? What DARPA is saying is here’s your chance. Here’s the golden ring—who’s brave enough to step up and actually grab it?

S C I E N C E E D U C AT I O N

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29 NOVEMBER 2013

VOL 342

SCIENCE

Published by AAAS

www.sciencemag.org

CREDIT: CHRIS CONDAYAN/AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY

Ann Reid has reconstructed a notorious flu communications at the National Academies’ turned out to be less exciting—and less virus in the lab and shaped science policy in National Research Council (NRC) in Wash- satisfying—than she had imagined. “I the United States and in Europe. In January, ington, D.C. “The work they did in the Dover found the policy work to be very frustratshe will put on a new hat—as first responder case was just spectacular; I’m not sure the ing,” she says. “It simply wasn’t evidenceto attacks on high-quality science education. ruling would have been the same without based. Decisions were being made based on Last week, Reid was named executive their help,” Labov says, referring to a federal political rhetoric.” director of the National Center for Sci- judge’s 2005 decision to reject a PennsylvaReturning to the United States, Reid ence Education (NCSE). She will succeed nia school district’s attempt to force teach- accepted an entry-level lab technician posiEugenie Scott, who is retirtion at the Walter Reed Army ing after spending 26 years Medical Center in Silver Spring, building the small, Oakland, Maryland. The job led to a California–based organiza20-year research career, includtion into a feisty and powerful ing her leading role in sequencdefender of the teaching of ing the virus that caused the evolution and climate change 1918 flu pandemic. The work, in U.S. public schools. by a team at the Armed Forces “Our role is to f ight Institute of Pathology, helped the good fight,” Reid says scientists recreate the virus. “We about the center’s mission. finished sequencing the virus in “I don’t think there’s any2004, after 7 years of work,” she thing more important than notes. “Now you could do it on having every child receive your lunch hour.” a good science education.” She eventually left bench sciThe center’s 15-person staff, ence and returned to the policy she says, serves as “the fire arena, first as a program mandepartment or FEMA [Fedager at the National Academies eral Emergency Management and most recently as director Agency]” in helping local of the American Academy of scientists, educators, and parMicrobiology (AAM) within ents combat efforts to underthe American Society for Micromine science-based instruc- Firefighter. Ann Reid is the new director of the National Center for Science Education. biology. An NRC report on tion. “As Genie likes to say, metagenomics also led to her ‘We don’t put out the fire. But we pass out ers to present intelligent design as a viable first formal foray into science education, as the fire extinguishers.’ ” alternative to evolution in science courses co-author with Labov on a 2007 paper titled Reid would like to expand the 4000- (Science, 6 January 2006, p. 34). “A Call for Bringing a New Science into the member organization by appealing to any Reid, 54, took a circuitous path to her Classroom (While It’s Still New).” academic and industry scientist “who under- new job. A college graduate at 19, Reid “Ann is an expert at navigating the stands how important it is for children to earned a master’s degree in international science-policy-society interface,” says have great science teachers.” She also hopes studies from Johns Hopkins University in microbiologist Bonnie Bassler of Princeto attract support from private foundations Baltimore, Maryland, before working in ton University, who chairs AAM’s board of and government agencies with interests that Paris for the Organisation for Economic governors. “Plus, she has a knack for makdovetail with the center’s mission. Co-operation and Development. “I was 21 ing complicated subjects understandable to “I think [the center is] the most effective and I wanted to change the world—today!” broad audiences. She will bring rigor and a group working at the grassroots level,” says she says. passion for science to her new role.” Jay Labov, senior adviser for education and But the realm of international diplomacy –JEFFREY MERVIS

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New Head of Advocacy Group Plans to ‘Fight the Good Fight’

Science education. New head of advocacy group plans to 'fight the good fight'.

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