Local elected representatives and government staff often want science-informed perspectives for decision-making. Volunteering your time to help research issues or share your expertise can be a rewarding way to make a difference.
Information technology PhD student Xu Han recalls his experience building a data processing pipeline for analyzing data from the Office of Recovery Services at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and to better serve the people of Virginia.
Translational biology PhD candidate Frankie Edwards recalls his experience with analyzing data to find mobile service gaps in the Commonwealth of Virginia and how his work contributed to redesigning crisis services.
The MOST Policy Initiative connects Missouri scientists and policymakers during the development of new legislation. The initiative also runs the Missouri Science and Technology Policy Fellows Program, placing Ph.D.-level scientists in the Missouri General Assembly. Director Rachel Owen recently spoke to ESAL about MOST and its importance in Midwestern politics.
Rich Lechner is a lecturer at Stanford University and the VP of Business Development at UrbanLeap, a startup that provides a platform for local governments to harness innovative solutions. Previously at IBM, Lechner has a long background fostering urban sustainability through intelligent building design and smart infrastructure.
The inaugural post of our "Local STEM" series features the NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP). CUSP brings engineers and scientists together with city governments to tackle urban issues. We interviewed CUSP Executive Director Michael Holland to learn more about their work.
Christopher K. Tokita interned for New Jersey state Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker, Ph.D. While it may seem overwhelming to dedicate time to working in state government while also working toward a Ph.D., he found it to be very doable and rewarding. For him, it was an achievable way to explore public policy while continuing his scientific training and research.
Josh Lawler, Ph.D. is a Professor of Environmental and Forest Sciences and Co-Director, Center for Creative Conservation at the University of Washington. In November 2016, he got a call from the state of Washington’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC), a legislative office that provides nonpartisan analysis, which led to a rare chance to do research that directly informed state policy.
