Under the leadership of Executive Director Peg Kay, the Washington Academy of Sciences and its Affiliated Societies hosted a series of conferences called Capital Science (or Cap Sci) beginning in 2004. These conferences were intended to showcase the panoply of scientific research in the Washington DC area.

The first Cap Sci was held on the weekend of March 20-21, 2004 at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia. The conference certainly lived up to its intention. Twenty-six organizations participated, running the gamut of physics to history, biology to chemistry, engineering to evolutionary systems, and all stops in between. It provided a dialog on Science, Ethics, and Religion, looked at women’s issues, and saw what young scientists could do. The president’s science advisor, the past and current directors of NSF, and the former Chancellor of the University of Maryland all took their turns on the podium; and Nobel laureate William Phillips delivered an enthralling talk. The NSF facilities and the NSF staff were superb, the food was good, and the conversations memorable.

Please follow the links below to see abstracts of previous Cap Sci conferences:

Capital Science 2004 – Abstracts

Capital Science 2006 – Abstracts

Capital Science 2008 – Table of Contents and Abstracts organized by WAS Affiliate

Capital Science 2010 – Table of Contents and Abstracts organized by WAS Affiliate