Science and Public Policy
About this ebook
When the authors were navigating their grad school experience, and figuring out what to do next, the same question kept coming up: how does someone actually get into science policy? The reason the answer to that question seemed so out-of-reach is because there is no one way to get involved in policy as a scientist. There are actually myriad ways for scientists to get involved in policy, regardless of research experience, background, interests, or career stage. Not only does this book outline some of these avenues, it also serves as a sort of “Civics 100” to help scientists who are new to policy understand how things work in local, state, and federal government.
About the author
Sarah Vorpahl (she/her/hers) is currently a Senior Energy Policy Specialist at the Washington State Department of Commerce, where she focuses on distributed energy resources and equity in utility planning. She received her Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry from the University of Washington in 2017. She went on to serve as the 2017-18 Materials Research Society/Optical Society of America Congressional Fellow in the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders. Sarah is so thrilled to see an increasing number of her fellow scientists seeking ways to impact policy.
Nicholas Montoni (they/them/theirs) received a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physical Chemistry from the University of Washington in 2018. After working in state and local policy for both the Washington State Academy of Sciences and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Nick served as a 2019-20 American Institute of Physics Congressional Fellow in the office of Congressman David Price (NC-04). Nick's mission is to connect policymakers with relevant data and evidence to help them make informed decisions, and Nick hopes to see more scientists run for office in the future.
