Making an impact in your community starts with the first step. Often this entails learning what actions your community has already taken and what ideas they are currently considering.
This July, ESAL is offering a way for you to take your learning to the next level by connecting with other civic-minded people in STEM. We will host our first learning cohort for The Toolkit from July 6th to 31st, 2026. Participants in the cohort get access to the course materials week by week and receive access to weekly discussion sessions to go deeper.
Join us in Atlanta for a key actors event to stress test together proposed solutions to impacts of data center expansion in the metro region.
Kate Burns serves as the director of state and local innovation at the Federation of American Scientists, building on her prior role as Executive Director at MetroLab, where she helped translate research into real-world policy initiatives.
ESAL spoke with director of the Environmental Innovations Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania Katie Baillie. Learn about her journey, approach to sustainability, and her advice for students and STEM professionals interested in making a difference.
Ellen Bruno, a cooperative extension economists, uses applied research and outreach for economic and policy issues that impact California’s agriculture and natural resources.
On September 27th, the Idaho Science & Technology Policy Fellowship program hosted a session on Tribal Sovereignty, Governance, and Law, providing an informational overview of the legal, cultural, and governance structures that define tribal nations within the United States.
ESAL chats with Karen Gardner, economist, researcher, and policy analyst for better healthy retail public health policy.
In a recent conversation with ESAL, Kavin Manickaraj, chief data scientist at Greenlink Analytics, reflected on how his concern for the well-being of the local community and effects of climate change informs his science and career path. Learn more about how Kavin wants to bridge the gap between science and political action.
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.
