Jan 10 - Jan 26: Orientation for New Representatives

Organized by Dan Palazzolo (Dept. of Political Science) and Marilee Mifsud (Dept. of Speech Communication), both of University of Richmond

• Introduction to the role of Representative
• Tools for how to attack complex problems
• Accumulation of different views in recombinant DNA debate
• Initial dissection of problem: Towards a schedule of subcommittee activities
• Decide on areas of expertise to be assumed by each Representative

Jan 10 - Jan 26: Orientation for New House Staffers

Organized by Jeff Elhai (Dept. of Biology) and Melanie Hillner (Science Library) University of Richmond

• Introduction to the role of House Staffer
• Techniques in seeking out primary scientific information
• Exercises in skepticism towards scientific claims

Jan 28 - Apr 21: Subcommittee meets in session

• Subcommittee acts on plan made up during orientation. Activities should include:
  • Presentations by members of subcommittee on specific issues
  • Witnesses called by subcommittee on issues of concern
  • Debate on direction of investigation and what witnesses are desired
• By about March 30, five small subgroups will have presented proposed policy on each of the five areas of focus. Each policy will be debated and voted on by entire subcommittee
• By April 24, each Representative will submit a proposed cover document to which the five policy statements will be appendices.
  

Jan 28 - Apr 21: Workshop for House Staffers on Recombinant DNA Technology

Organized by Jeff Elhai (Dept. of Biology), University of Richmond

• Staffers perform all the steps required to clone a gene and control the production of the protein encoded by the gene
• 1st HR Symposium on Recombinant DNA (approximately March 16)
  • Pairs of staffers present posters on idea for novel use of recombinant DNA.
  • Focus is on one experiment from the primary literature suggesting feasibility of idea.
• 2nd HR Symposium on Recombinant DNA (approximately April 15)
  • Staffers present posters on idea for cloning specific gene, using GenBank database as source of DNA sequences.