Committees

Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy (CAPP)

Contact

Joel Parriott
Director of Public Policy
(On leave of absence until summer 2024)
Bethany Johns
Bethany Johns
Deputy Director Public Policy
Interim Acting Director

History: Established as Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy; merged with Committee on Communications to become Committee on Public Policy (June 1982, 160th Meeting); present name adopted at 161st Meeting, Jan. 1983; committee reactivated (165th Meeting).

Members: Appointed by the AAS President with the advice and consent of the Board of Trustees. Board of Trustee Liaisons appointed by President, with approval of the Board of Trustees; they serve ex officio.

Term: One year, June to June, from the close of one Annual Members' Meeting to the close of the next Annual Members' Meeting.

Chair: One year, June to June, from the close of one Annual Members' Meeting to the close of the next Annual Members' Meeting.

Charge: The committee shall communicate frequently in order to keep itself informed of current development in government science policies. It shall formulate and carry out initiatives of an informational and advocacy nature with governmental agencies and congressional committees. It shall bring frequently to the attention of the Board of Trustees the results of its activities and possible courses of action that Board may take. It shall maintain liaison with other professional societies which are engaged in closely related informational activities.

Mission: The mission of the AAS Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy is to support and develop policies that advance the astronomical sciences in the United States.

Board of Trustees Liaison

Paula Szkody

University of Washington, Seattle
Board Liaison

Term: Jun 2021 – Jun 2023

Divisions Liaisons

Kurt D. Retherford (He/Him/His)

Southwest Research Institute
DPS Liaison

Term: Jun 2015 – Jun 2023

Ryan C. Hickox (He/Him/His)

Dartmouth College
HEAD Liaison

Term: Jun 2020 – Jun 2023

Brian Welsch (He/Him/His)

University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
SPD Liaison

Term: Jun 2022 – Jun 2023

Committee Co-Chairs

Joel N. Bregman

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Co-Chair

Term: Aug 2015 – Jun 2023

Andrew J. Baker

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Co-Chair

Term: Jul 2022 – Jun 2023

Committee Members

John Gizis (He/Him/His)

University of Delaware

Term: Jun 2018 – Jun 2023

Richard F. Green

University of Arizona

Term: Jul 2022 – Jun 2023

Alberto Conti (He/Him/His)

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Term: Jun 2021 – Jun 2023

Heather Bloemhard

Vanderbilt University

Term: Jun 2018 – Jun 2023

Priyamvada Natarajan

Yale University

Term: Aug 2022 – Jun 2023

Emma M. Louden (She/Her/Hers)

Yale University

Term: Jun 2021 – Jun 2023

Megan Donahue (She/Her/Hers)

Michigan State Univ.

Term: Jun 2021 – Jun 2023

Joel R. Parriott

American Astronomical Society (AAS)
ex officio

Term: Jun 2013 – Jun 2023

Kelsey E. Johnson (She/Her/Hers)

University of Virginia
President

Term: Jun 2021 – Jun 2023

Dara J. Norman (She/Her/Hers)

NSF's NOIRLab

Term: Jun 2016 – Jun 2023

Blake M. Bullock

Northrop Grumman Space Technology

Term: Jun 2018 – Jun 2023

Britney E. Schmidt

Cornell University

Term: Aug 2022 – Jun 2023

Bethany R. Johns (She/Her/Hers)

American Astronomical Society (AAS)
ex officio

Term: Apr 2022 – Jun 2023

John O'Meara (He/Him/His)

W. M. Keck Observatory

Term: Jun 2018 – Jun 2023

Yaswant Devarakonda (He/They)

American Astronomical Society (AAS)
ex officio

Term: Apr 2023 – Jun 2024

Bahcall Fellow

Events & Deadlines

No upcoming events or deadlines.