PULLMAN, Wash. — Eugene A. Rosa, professor of sociology at Washington State University, has been appointed to the National Research Council Committee on Metrics for Global Change Research, an activity of the NRC division on earth and life science studies.
The group is part of the National Academies, which brings together committees of experts in the areas of science and technology. According to the National Academies, experts, such as Rosa, serve pro bono to address critical national issues and give advice to the federal government and the public.
Rosa is the Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professor of Natural Resource and Environmental Policy in the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service at WSU. In 2002 he became a faculty associate at the university’s Center for Integrated Biology. His current research focuses on environmental topics, particularly energy, technology and risk issues, with attention to both theoretical and policy concerns.
“As a social scientist, Gene provides leadership to environmental sociology in our department and to the subdiscipline nationally and internationally,” said Greg Hooks, chair of WSU’s sociology department. “For society, Gene contributes his time, energy and insights to scientific panels that provide guidance to policy makers on environmental and nuclear policy.”
The NRC Committee appointment is Rosa’s second national honor of 2004. In mid-February, at the national gathering of its members in Seattle, Rosa was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Founded in 1848 to represent all disciplines of science, AAAS supports scientific exchange and discussion of science and society issues. According to the AAAS, Fellow nominees must contribute to the advancement of science in a manner that is scientifically or socially distinguished. “Gene’s work passes muster on both fronts,” Hooks said.
Rosa joined the WSU faculty in 1978. He received a doctorate in social science from the Maxwell Graduate School at Syracuse University and completed postdoctoral work at Stanford University. His recent publications include “Footprints on the Earth: The Environmental Consequences of Modernity” (American Sociological Review, 2003), “Some Principles for Siting Controversy Decisions: Lessons from the U.S. Experience with High-Level Nuclear Waste” (Journal of Risk Research, 2003), and “Risk, Uncertainty, and Rational Action” (London: Earthscan Press, 2001).
