“Our expertise is science; their expertise is what they need.” This statement by panelist Elina Kostyanovskaya referred to the importance of listening to vulnerable communities. It was one of several key takeaways from the webinar “STEM Students Responding to COVID in their Communities,” which was jointly hosted by ESAL and the National Science Policy Network […]

The AGU's Thriving Earth Exchange program connects communities with scientists to develop community science programs tackling natural hazards, resources, and climate change. These projects are driven by the philosophy that all communities should have access to science.

Peter Colohan, an expert in environmental information, has spent his career helping institutions like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Office of Science and Technology Policy become data savvy. Today, as executive director of the Internet of Water (IoW), he and his team help local and state governments modernize their water data collection in an effort to safeguard and effectively manage one of the most vital resources to human civilization.

Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE) generates original research on energy production and clean energy transitions with a focus on environmental justice. ESAL spoke with PSE's Elena Krieger to see how they empower community stakeholders to use science and data to create evidence-based policy.

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.

Leah Pagnozzi started "Take a Politician to Work Day" out of a desire to give a voice to her fellow scientists and engineers. The program’s main goal is to reach out and build connections with city and state representatives. They accomplish this by bringing representatives to campus for lab tours led by graduate students and post doctoral researchers. They hope to encourage the development of an organic connection between scientists and policy-makers.

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.