Chris Rothfuss holds a PhD in chemical engineering and now serves as the senator for Wyoming State District 9 and as the Wyoming Senate minority leader. Rothfuss spoke with ESAL about how his scientific background informs his work as a senator and how it has shaped the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jim Treglio is a retired materials scientist who mobilized a Community Emergency Response Team program in San Diego. Treglio shared his experience using his technical background to work with the local fire department and how scientists can contribute to community response efforts.
Many of the decisions and actions that address the COVID-19 pandemic take place at the local level. ESAL spoke with Sara Lamnin, a city council member in Hayward, CA, about ways that city government tracks emerging information on COVID, and how scientists and engineers can support their communities’ responses.
Kathryn Kundrod and Mary Natoli are Ph.D. candidates in the bioengineering graduate program at Rice University and active members of Rice University’s Cycling and Triathlon Club. ESAL interviewed them about their advocacy for transportation safety around campus and broadly in the City of Houston.
Jeanne Holm serves as a senior technology advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, as well as deputy chief information officer for Los Angeles. ESAL interviewed Holm about how her scientific training informs her work in LA on infrastructure, mobility, and air quality.
Jeffrey Warren is the acting executive director at the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory, headquartered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). With a background in geological sciences, Warren has served as the science and energy advisor to the North Carolina Senate. He has directed research at the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory since 2017.
Ken Massey uses Ph.D training in cardiovascular physiology to bring a technical background to local policy as part of the City Council and as Mayor of Farmington Hills, Michigan. ESAL interviewed Massey about his career trajectory as a scientist, educator, businessman, and elected official.
Ecologist Allison S. Smith is the community engagement strategist and brownfields program manager for the Louisville Metro Government in Kentucky. ESAL interviewed Smith on how her scientific background both motivates and informs the work in her community.
Philip Higuera is an associate professor of fire ecology at the University of Montana, focusing on the relationships between climate, vegetation, and fire activity. Higuera collaborates with community members, policy makers, and land managers to define “resilience to wildfires,” based on human values and the best fire ecology science.
