Former Knauss Fellow a Director at COMPASS
January 2007 – Former Knauss Fellow Chad English is the new director of science policy outreach at the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS) in Washington, D.C.
COMPASS is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving communication of marine science to scientists, journalists, policy makers and the public. Most of its resources are focused on a few priority conservation issues, such as ecosystem-based management, offshore aquaculture and marine reserves.
As director of its science policy outreach program, English will focus on connecting science (and scientists) to policy makers. He will also soon be drafting a strategic plan for how to proceed with expanding the policy side of the COMPASS program, and he will be looking at emerging ocean conservation issues, such as ocean acidification, to decide on new topics the program should follow. If, for example, ocean acidification becomes one of these, COMPASS would produce information on relevant peer-reviewed articles and help disseminate findings to legislative aides. He would be expected to stay current on the state of scientific understanding of the issue.
“COMPASS is the best balance for me between science and policy,” said English who holds a doctorate in oceanography from the University of California. “This really is exactly what I want to do.”
Prior to joining COMPASS, English was a professional staff member of the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards and designee to then Subcommittee Chairman Vernon Ehlers (R-MI). The subcommittee has jurisdiction over most NOAA research enterprises. He, for example, helped oversee NOAA’s weather and research satellite programs.
The year before, in 2005, English was a Knauss Fellow on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, overseeing issues related to NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard. The last bill he worked on was the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the nation’s preeminent fisheries legislation.
“The Knauss Fellowship was a total immersion in the policy world,” English said. “It was not something you could pick up reading books.”
“After spending two years on the Hill, I understood the system well enough to decide where I wanted to fit in.”
“I could see that if I stayed on the Hill, my options would become less science oriented and more administrative. I missed science and I wanted to get back to science more deeply.”
“From my perspective, this position will be the most effective way for me to use my science background and what I learned on the Hill.”
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