Several hundred people rallied in Santa Cruz Friday to support science in the face of significant threats to federal funding. “Stand Up for Science” rallies took place on the UC Santa Cruz main campus and at the coastal science campus.
Chair of the UCSC Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology department Karen Ottemann spoke to a crowd of at least 200 outside the science and engineering library.
“My brother had lymphoma, had a low chance of survival. He was treated with drugs that were cutting edge, targeted to his lymphoma, and he survived,” she said.
She emphasized that cuts to science funding affect everyone.
“There is so much left to do that would improve so many people's lives,” Ottemann said.
Similar rallies were held around the country. Since Trump returned to the White House, science and health agencies have paused or canceled various grants and programs.
Second-year PhD student Fabiola Avalos-Villatoro said two of the DEI programs that helped get her into research as a first-generation Latina student are now gone. Both were funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The federal freeze added confusion to the situation.
“During the NIH freeze, we got an email Friday night and they're like, ‘Oh, here's your updated contract. Today was your last day.’ What? I'm supposed to be here until September. What do you mean? It wasn't until after the freeze that they were like, ‘oh, let's see about you guys,’” said Avalos-Villatoro.
But she remains cautiously optimistic about the future.
“A lot of people are realizing, ‘hey, we actually kind of do need science,’” said Avalos-Villatoro.
“I'm hoping that the system is still in place in four years. I love what I do, and I want to keep doing it.”
Avalos-Villatoro said after the rally she planned to call some family members to let them know how the decisions are impacting her.
