On this episode of "Questions of the Day" on CivicSciTV, an initiative of the Civic Science Media Lab, Fanuel Muindi interviews Taylor Spicer, the newly appointed executive director of ESAL. Spicer provides a behind-the-scenes look at how ESAL fosters civic engagement among STEM professionals at the local level.
“We are folks with STEM backgrounds, various career stages, ages, identities, who are coming together around a central interest and motivation to increase local civic engagement,” she explains. Rather than being prescriptive, ESAL supports a wide range of civic actions—from joining commissions to organizing cleanups—adapting to the interests of its growing 2,000-member network. As Spicer puts it, “We try not to be prescriptive for any place, any person, but trust that members understand more about where they live and what communities need.”
The conversation explores how ESAL is scaling impact by launching a new community platform, piloting a fiscal sponsorship model, and collaborating with groups like the National Science Policy Network and Eagleton Institute to generate research on local STEM engagement. Spicer is frank about challenges in tracking long-term impact: “We’ve been saying a bunch of things that, in reality, may not be how folks want to engage.” Still, she sees promise in ESAL’s unique position as an open, accessible connector for STEM professionals: “We are focused a little bit more on the skills and the information you need to show up in your local community.”
Despite the broader uncertainty in federal support, Spicer anchors her vision in a powerful throughline: “Really, right now, ESAL is focused on a message of hope.”
'We are focused on a message of hope': Inside ESAL with Executive Director Taylor Spicer; 2025. CivicSciTV Network. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMcDdZdnC6w.
