CCST Newsroom

Making a Big Career Change After years of crafting my skills as a scientific researcher — refining my techniques, feeling confident in my workflow from reading papers to collecting data in the field, and completing my PhD — I was excited (and a little nervous!) to embark on this new science policy journey. I think I can […]

Register: The Human Health Benefits of Improving Forest Health in California Investigating the Links Between Forest Management, Wildfire Smoke, and the Health Sector Register to Attend With health impacts from wildfire smoke estimated to be one of the largest costs of wildfires, a new study from CCST and Blue Forest shows that improving the health […]

New Wildfire Smoke Study Finds That Improving Health of California’s Forests Benefits Human Health Increasing Forest Management Can Reduce Impacts of Wildfire Smoke to Human Health and Health Sector Sacramento, Calif. | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | September 12, 2023 With health impacts from wildfire smoke estimated to be one of the largest costs of wildfires, […]

  Reflecting on my life’s journey so far, I realize there is a common thread throughout that has guided and supported me along the way—a sense of community. I’ve been lucky to have and develop supportive communities around me at every stage of my academic and policy career. My close-knit friendships during college in Oklahoma, […]

Agrivoltaics is the co-location of solar panels on agricultural lands that results in the co-production of agricultural products and electricity. Globally, it is a growing area of research that has the potential to address challenges in the water-energy-food nexus. In the US, there has been a recent expansion of research into the compatibility of various […]

  “We are all stewards of this important and ongoing work.” As CEO Amber Mace looks toward a new professional chapter, she’s leaving CCST stronger than ever. After a decade of innovative and strategic leadership at the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), Amber Mace, PhD, is departing her position as CEO in late […]

  What did you study in grad school and why did you decide to go into policy? I earned my PhD in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University, where I studied nanotechnology and polymers to make carbon capture more efficient. But I remember the moment when I realized I needed to go into environmental and climate […]

SUBMIT A NOMINATION CCST has recently entered into a partnership with the California Research Bureau to support the CRB Nexus, a community of practice for policymakers and public scholars. CRB Nexus will establish a hub for connecting policymakers and researchers to each other as well as to policy relevant research, information, tools, training, and data. […]

  CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Meets $30 Million Endowment Goal, Thanks to $10 Million from State Budget Historic State investment affirms value and impact of the CCST Fellowship, as the program enters its 15th year of delivering scientific expertise to policymakers   California just made a historic move to help ensure that science […]

The following is an excerpt from CCST’s energy primer, Key Challenges for California’s Energy Future, featuring eight challenges on the road to a net-zero future. Key highlights are noted in bold. This overview section is authored by the Key Challenges for California’s Energy Future Steering Committee:  Jane Long, PhD, Chair, Steering Committee, Independent Consultant & […]

Download our 2022 Annual Report (PDF).     In 2021, we launched CCST’s five-year strategic plan, “Toward a Resilient California” – a call to action that outlines three clear, measurable goals to guide our work in this critical time for our state and the planet. They are ambitious targets that will amplify the Golden State’s […]

I am not a planner. Looking at my CV, it may seem like I was always intent on science policy, but in graduate school I did not have a five-year plan, let alone a singular career trajectory in mind. Instead, I found my way by staying curious and trying new things. My advice for PhDs […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: [email protected] SACRAMENTO, Calif.—A new impact report released by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) showcases the groundbreaking work of NASA field centers and Department of Energy national laboratories in California, featuring stories of how they are leveraging their world-class expertise and technologies to invest in California’s resilience to […]

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and Blue Forest Conservation (Blue Forest) have received funding from the National Forest Foundation, US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and USFS’s Innovative Finance for National Forests (IFNF) grant program to produce a peer-reviewed report aiming to connect forest management, wildfire smoke, and stakeholders paying high healthcare […]

  By Keleigh Friedrich, CCST Director of Communications Susan Hackwood is former Executive Director of the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and Professor Emerita of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Riverside. Dr. Hackwood received her PhD in Solid State Ionics from DeMontfort University, UK. Before joining academia, she was […]

  Training Tomorrow’s Cybersecurity Workforce The cybersecurity workforce is facing a shortage of trained professionals as we become more computer, data-driven, and network-based society. How can we prepare California’s workforce for the cybersecurity and IT labor market needs of the future? Join us for a CCST Expert Briefing as we discuss opportunities and challenges of […]

How does the ability to flip a switch and turn your lights on relate to my coastal ecology research—studying seaweed species and counting hermit crabs? More than you might think. A few months into my placement on the Assembly Utilities & Energy committee, I’ve been surprised to find much of what I learned about biology […]

Washington, DC—The California Council on Science and Technology is attending the 2023 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, themed around “Science for Humanity.” Returning in person this year, CCST coordinated two workshops, a scientific session, and an exhibitor booth for the CCST S&T Policy Fellowship in partnership with other state science policy fellowship programs. CCST has […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—At CCST’s Science Day symposium, CCST and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) bring California’s natural resource policymakers and researchers together to proactively bridge emerging research activity and State policy needs. This event provides an opportunity to forge new collaborations between academic and state partners. Facing an ever-growing set of natural resource challenges, California […]

  What is the potential role for desalination in California’s water portfolio? Watch this CCST Expert Briefing, held during CCST S&T Week 2023, for a discussion on innovations in desalination research and opportunities to resolve challenges related to energy intensity and brine disposal. Featuring experts from the UCLA, Cal Poly Pomona, UC Irvine, Stanford University, and […]

CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Program Places PhD Scientists into Policy Careers Apply to transform your PhD expertise into an impactful science policy career in California. START YOUR APPLICATION  |  Download Fellowship Flyer  |  Download Fellowship Poster Update 2/16: The application period had been extended by one month to March 31st. SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California Council […]