In December of 2023, ESAL elected three new members-at-large to our Steering Committee, expanding the committee to 8 members.

Julie Palakovich Carr is the only biologist with an advanced degree in the Maryland General Assembly, where she has been a representative since 2019. Learn more about the high-impact role of an elected official and the advantages that a scientific background affords policy makers.

ESAL spoke with Christine Task, a senior research scientist at Knexus Research Corporation and contracted technical lead of the Collaborative Research Cycle (CRC) hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Privacy Engineering Program. Learn more about how Christine is mobilizing the privacy research community to solve pressing problems facing the federal government.

As local governments confront complex policy challenges, the need for data-based solutions is essential. However, data is often incomplete, and successfully using the data that is available can be  administratively challenging for local policymakers who are ill-equipped to fully leverage the information at their fingertips. This creates a valuable opportunity for engineers and other STEM […]

STEM professionals of all career stages, whether well-established or just starting out, have a tremendous opportunity to engage with their communities. From public health to affordable housing, environmental conservation to arts and culture, scientists bring a unique insight valuable to local policy issues both within and outside of the scientific arena. However, the pathway to […]

Michael Hendricks, an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, is an advocate for civic engagement who particularly emphasizes integrating STEM into the legislative process. Learn about how he approaches research, teaching, and mentorship to center civic engagement.

Amy Sharma, PhD is the executive director of Science for Georgia, an organization whose mission is to advocate for the responsible use of science in public policy, improve communication between scientists and the public, and increase public engagement with science. She chatted with ESAL about the value of factual scientific support to state legislators and interpersonal relationships between scientists and other community members.

Local governments are increasingly facing STEM-related challenges such as climate resilience, election security, technology for community safety, public assistance programs, and vaccine policies. Advances in technology and engineering present real opportunities to improve these government services, but local policymakers are often ill-equipped to handle them and the associated social, legal, and political questions. Because engineers […]

Cynthia Prieto-Diaz, a biomedical engineer by training, actively contributes to scientific discourse by volunteering, engaging with city governments, and advocating for STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) involvement and consideration in local governance.Prieto-Diaz currently holds a position on the leadership team for 500 Women Scientists and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Cal Poly Pomona-Latin Alumni Network.