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TTU at Junction's Arsuffi Speaks at Congressional Briefing

by Kelly Podzemny

Earlier this summer a faculty member at the Texas Tech University Center at Junction (TTU at Junction) was invited to attend a congressional briefing held in Washington, D.C. Two meetings were held on July 14, one for the House of Representatives and another for the Senate.

Dr. Tom Arsuffi, Director of the Llano River Field Station, spoke to the policymakers about the significance of field stations partnering with state and federal agencies and communities to advance research, science education, and public engagement regarding natural resources.

“Field stations, together with agency partnerships and stakeholder/landowner involvement, conduct research and education that promote resilience of natural systems,” Arsuffi wrote in his abstract prior to the briefings. “Building authentic relationships with community leaders, such as mayors, county judges, and ranchers, is critical to the Texas Tech University Llano River Field Station.”

The research conducted at the Llano River Field Station in Junction, and other stations like it, could eventually provide benefits nationally.

“The applied natural resource work we do at the Llano River Field Station has important local and regional human dimension benefits and reverberates to national scales,” Arsuffi said. “Making those types of connections, that Science Matters, are linkages that policy makers look for.”

Llano River Field Station was one of only three biological field stations invited to present during the proceedings. Dr. Sarah Oktay, Managing Director of the Nantucket Field Station, and Jeff Brown, Station Director of the Sagehen Creek Field Station, joined Arsuffi in speaking to the policymakers.

The Organization of Biological Field Stations and the American Institute of Biological Sciences organized both meetings.

ABOUT TTU AT JUNCTION

Home of the Llano River Field Station and the Outdoor School, Texas Tech University Center at Junction captivates visitors young and old with its nature trails and wildlife. It's complete with classrooms, meeting facilities, laboratories, lodging, dining hall, and outdoor amphitheater. It provides academic, research, and service programs to expand educational, economic, and cultural opportunities throughout the Texas Hill Country region.

Arsufi on Llano River
Dr. Arsuffi kayaking on the south Llano River.