CCST Newsroom

Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brine Lithium is a key component of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and is considered critical for the clean energy transition. Watch this CCST Expert Briefing, a follow up to our recent briefing on the Lithium Supply Chain, where the panel discusses the technology required to filter lithium out of geothermal brines, the […]

Lithium Supply Chains: Charging Our Future with Sustainable Sources The degree to which the U.S. lithium battery supply chain relies on foreign imports poses a threat to U.S. national and economic security. California’s efforts to support lithium extraction from geothermal facilities and attract other steps of this supply chain is one piece of a broader […]

  There are many ways that being a scientist can help prepare someone to work in a policy role, and I’ve come to see that my work both inside and outside of the lab helped set me up for success. Subject matter experts play an important role in state agencies and legislative policy committees. Having […]

Update (11/13/2023): The application for the 2024 CCST Science Translators Showcase is now closed. Please join us for the event and sign up to hear about future opportunities and events from CCST. SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is excited to seek graduate students, postdocs, and early-career faculty in California for the […]

Appointed as an Independent Director, Jeff brings experience in the government, private sector, consulting, and academia SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Jeffrey Scott, a finance and strategy executive with over 30 years of experience in government, the private sector, consulting, and academia, has been appointed to the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) Board of Directors as an […]

  Where are you placed? I’m working in the office of Senator Maria Elena Durazo, who represents neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles for the 26th District. I staff her on policy issues that are addressed in the following Senate committees: Energy, Utilities, and Communications; Transportation; Agriculture; and Health. I’m also staffing several bills […]

Watch: The Human Health Benefits of Improving Forest Health in California Download the Full Report (PDF)  |  Download the One Pager (PDF)  |  View the Slide Deck (PDF) 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 […]

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 […]

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 & […]

Read Online  |  Download (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 global […]

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 […]