CCST Newsroom

California, one of the nation’s leading science and technology states, was one of the hardest hit states in the country during the recent economic recession. The state lost 1.3 million jobs and faced years of government deficits which forced difficult decisions on programs and infrastructure essential to its high-tech economy. But despite the challenges, California […]

Arati Prabhakar, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), was recently cited by Forbes as one of 2014’s top five “unsung and underappreciated” leaders, someone who makes a difference through “capability, reliability, and authenticity.” She is the only U.S. leader on the Forbes list. Prabhakar also knows well the value of connecting the world of […]

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) released the first volume of an independent scientific assessment today on well stimulation in California, including hydraulic fracturing. This volume describes how and where operators deploy these technologies for oil and gas production in the state, and where the technologies might enable production in the future. The […]

Imagine a future in which humanity builds outposts in space – on the surface of the moon, floating in the clouds above Venus, or on the dusty plains of Mars – capable of manufacturing parts built to digital order, rather than waiting months or years for replacement supplies from Earth. This kind of self-sufficiency is […]

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is potentially important for advancing California’s energy future and climate goals, but deploying the technique depends in part on resolving regulatory uncertainties, according to the latest paper in CCST’s California’s Energy Future – Policy series. “Almost all solutions developed by the California’s Energy Future project to meet 80% reductions in […]

California remains one of the top science and technology states in the country, but is not keeping pace in its high-tech workforce development, according to the most recent analysis by the Milken Institute. The State Technology and Science Index, produced by the Milken Institute’s California Center, tracks and examines important factors behind technology-based economic development in […]

CCST Council Chair Emeritus Miriam E. John received the Navy Superior Public Service Award yesterday in recognition for her “extraordinary service to the Navy.” It is the highest award that the Chief of Naval Operations can bestow on a civilian and recognizes significant contributions to the Naval Services. John received the honor in recognition of […]

The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation has awarded a grant to the California Teacher Advisory Council (Cal TAC) at the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), to help Cal TAC build a new STEM Teaching Excellence Program (STEP) designed to strengthen STEM teaching quality and leadership in California. “Thanks to this support, Cal TAC will build on […]

Art Lopez, a member of CCST’s California Teacher Advisory Council (Cal TAC), was selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Center for Women & Information Technology as one of the top 100 computer science educators in the US, and participated in a workshop to help launch Computer Science Education Week in Washington, D.C. […]

California must nearly eliminate emissions from electricity to meet ambitious climate goals for 2050, but each of the primary available technologies for generating emission-free technology has problems and any choice will require concerted planning and early strategic investments, according to a new technical paper by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST). “We should […]

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) has seen significant changes over the past few years, expanding its reach and providing ever more opportunities for decision-makers to access and interface with the unique strength of CCST’s network of expertise. “There are no other states quite like California in the US and, within the state, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]