CCST Newsroom

CCST Board Member, Senior Fellows to Receive National Honors
Three leading science and technology figures associated with CCST are to receive the nation’s top honors by the National Science Foundation. CCST Board Member Bruce Alberts, a Professor of Biochemistry at UC San Francisco and Editor-in-Chief of Science, will receive the National Medal of Science. CCST Senior Fellow Burton Richter, Director Emeritus of the SLAC […]
Digital Education Search Engine Gooru Launched
Gooru, a search engine dedicated to revolutionize digitally enhanced education, has officially launched after more than two years in development, one of the latest and most comprehensive products designed to help K-14 teachers better navigate the plethora of digitally enhanced education curriculum resources being offered. “This is an innovative and valuable tool for teachers,” said […]
With Conclusion of 2013-2014 Legislative Session, Several Water and Greenhouse Gas Related Bills Up for Approval
The 2013-14 Legislative session concluded on Saturday, August 30 at 3:15 a.m., adjourning more than a day early and with little of the drama of prior years. A number of important science- and technology-related bills were approved by the Legislature this year and await the approval of the Governor. Most of these bills have already […]
CCST and Cal TAC Develop Digitally Enhanced Education Resource Guide
The California Teacher Advisory Council (Cal TAC) and its parent organization, CCST, have released a resource guide that is the culmination of more than two years of investigating digitally enhanced education (DEE), that included two symposia convened by Cal TAC. The guide focuses specifically on assessing the efficacy of digital teaching and learning, assessing what […]
CCST Releases Report on Well Stimulation Technologies
CCST has released an independent report that reviews well stimulation technologies, including hydraulic fracturing, used in on-shore oil reservoirs in the state of California. This study was commissioned by the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and will inform BLM’s oil and gas policies in California. The findings of this CCST report describe current well […]
2013-14 CCST Science and Technology Policy Fellows Praised by Legislature
The fifth cohort of CCST Science and Technology Policy Fellows has received formal recognition for their service by the leadership of both the California State Assembly and the Senate, with the Fellows earning praise for their contributions and dedication. “This is a terrific program,” said Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, in acknowledging the Fellows […]
Former CCST Council Chair Larry Papay Dies
CCST Board member and former Council chair Larry Papay passed away on July 28, 2014 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 77. “I knew Larry Papay for about twenty years beginning at Bechtel and continuing through my time on CCST,” said CCST Council member Jude Laspa, retired Deputy Chief Operating Officer of […]
State Task Force Report Provides Blueprint To Improve STEM Education In California
California is in a prime position for enhancing science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) education, and the state needs to do so in order to maintain its leadership in high-tech innovation, according to a report released on June 30 by State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, INNOVATE: A Blueprint for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in California […]
CCST Briefs Congressional Staff on Water and Education Work
CCST shared information on two of its projects with Congressional staffers in Washington, D.C. at a luncheon briefing hosted by the California Institute for Federal Policy Research. Julie Meier Wright, CCST strategic advisor and former California Secretary of Trade & Commerce, presented an overview of the latest CCST water report, “California Water – Achieving a […]
California Takes Careful Step on Road to Automated Vehicles
The California DMV’s release last week of official testing rules for automated vehicles made headlines around the nation. On the one hand, it represents a significant step towards making vehicles with self-driving capabilities a reality on California roads, and presumably elsewhere. On the other hand, the rules demonstrate just how challenging it is to devise […]
Scripps Research Institute Achieves Milestone with First Artificial DNA Base Pairs
A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in La Jolla have succeeded in engineering a life form whose genetic material includes an added pair of DNA bases not found in nature. The specially designed bacterium has demonstrated the ability to replicate the artificial DNA bases normally, marking the first known departure from […]
CCST Releases Report on Expanding Biofuels in California
Advanced biofuels have the potential to provide California with economic opportunities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the state’s climate and clean air policies. However, the state may not have sufficient incentives in place to attract the private investment to rapidly scale up production, according to a new report by the California Council on […]
CCST Delivers Roadmap to a Sustainable Water Future for California
A report from the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) released today envisions a path toward a sustainable water future for California achieved through a system management approach utilizing innovations in science, technology and management. Such an approach would rely on currently available and new science and technology, yielding greater efficiencies and opening new […]
Caltech Astronomers Chart First Moments After Big Bang
A project which began 13 years ago as an idea conceived by scientists at Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has led to the first direct evidence of gravitational waves from ‘cosmic inflation’ in the moments following the Big Bang. It is the strongest confirmation yet of theories describing the universe’s initial period of growth. […]
Cal TAC Releases New Report on Digitally Enhanced Education Symposium
The California Teacher Advisory Council (Cal TAC) has released the latest in a series of papers discussing the efficacy of digitally enhanced education, exploring what works, for whom, and under what conditions in classroom settings. A CalTAC convened symposium, one in a series supported by the Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation and the Stuart Foundation, […]
Former Board member Arthur Bienenstock to Advise Startup Developing New Training Technology
CCST Senior Fellow and former Board member Arthur Bienenstock, Stanford Professor of Applied Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, and Presidential Advisor, has signed on to work with enterprise start-up Morf Media Inc., a company specializing in mobile simulation training. “In many ways, the process of learning really hasn’t changed all that much since the days […]
Stanford to Collaborate on Stem Cell Genomics Center
Stanford University will be partnering with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the creation of a new Center for Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics, thanks to a $40 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The center will serve as a focus for collaborative efforts between multiple partner institutions, including UC […]
Four New Council Members Join CCST
The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) begins its 26th year with the addition of four new Council members, bringing new perspective and expertise from academia, the federal research lab, and the private high-tech sector. CCST is an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing California with sound analyses and reports on science and technology […]
Fifth Class of S&T Policy Fellows Goes to Work in Capitol
  The fifth class of the California Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program has begun work in Sacramento, and the program is planning for the next five years. “We are very proud of the legacy this program is building,” said CCST Executive Director Susan Hackwood. “The Science and Technology Policy Fellows are a resource unique […]
CCST Welcomes New Board and Council Chairs
The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is beginning 2014 with new leadership in both the Board and Council. Effective on January 1, Charles F. Kennel, distinguished professor of Atmospheric Science at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, became CCST Board Chair, and Corey Goodman, managing partner and co-founder of venBio, became Council Chair. “CCST is […]
Public Webinar to Discuss CCST’s Scientific Review of Oil and Gas Development Technologies in California
At the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is conducting an independent scientific review of oil and gas development technologies in California. On Thursday, January 16th at 9am PST, CCST will host a public webinar (instructions for joining the webinar are below). During the webinar, […]