CCST Newsroom

  The last few months have introduced a lot of new things into my life. I moved from the Midwest, where I had lived most of my life, to California with my partner and our menagerie of animals. I began working nine to five instead of the sporadic hours of an academic. Most notably I […]

Toward a Disaster Resilient California: Decarbonizing with Hydrogen: Challenges and Opportunities California has made significant strides in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, but there remain many challenges to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Many experts believe that hydrogen could be key to decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel production, agriculture, and heavy-duty transportation. As […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Deputy Director for Research and Chief Research Officer Dr. Carol Burns has been appointed to the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) Board of Directors by University of California President Michael V. Drake, MD. “Participation on the California Council on Science and Technology is an important public […]

  Toward a Disaster Resilient California: Managing Salinity in the California Delta in a Changing Climate   The Delta supplies freshwater to two thirds of all Californians, a $50 billion agricultural industry, and critical habitat for many protected species. Increasing drought and sea level rise is making it more challenging for water managers to meet […]

    UPDATE: This call is now closed. SACRAMENTO, Calif.—CCST is interested in working with a graduate student or postdoc to develop an accessible primer on policy and technological issues relevant to California’s clean energy future, to help inform interested stakeholders and direction for CCST’s future work. The aim of the primer would be to […]

We will remember 2021 as a year of crucial, often frustrating challenges. Science and technology helped us to cope. A historic rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters protected many from severe symptoms and death. Yet, growing numbers of Americans grew skeptical of guidance from medical science and weary of government mandates to protect public health. […]

Toward a Disaster Resilient California: The Role of Microgrids in Providing Reliable and Equitable Access to Electricity   Communities across California are designing and installing microgrids to improve their resilience during disasters and to meet their climate change and environmental justice goals. What are microgrids and how can they help ensure all Californian’s have access to […]

SACRAMENTO, CA—The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is reassessing what it means to be considered an “expert” in the STEMM fields, and the body of expertise needed to effectively make policies stronger with science. As part of its ongoing efforts in this area, CCST seeks to partner with a diversity, equity, and inclusion […]

  Hannah Frye, PhD, is a 2022 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow placed with the California State Senate Business, Professions, & Economic Development Committee. From Missouri, Hannah studied the role of genetics and sex on memory mechanisms underlying opioid use disorder risk. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is seeking a diverse pool of candidates interested in participating in an upcoming interactive workshop focused on reimagining the public health system. The workshop will be held virtually during the mornings of June 14th and 17th (8am – 12pm Pacific Time). Interested participants may see the summary below, […]

Our annual CCST Science & Technology Weeks (S&T Week) are a celebration of science-informed policymaking in the great state of California — how scientific expertise can play an important role as we guide the future of California’s economy, society, and environment. So naturally, any #CCSTweek would have to give a big shoutout to our CCST […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—From extreme heat to wildfires, California faces a variety of complex, interacting scenarios in adapting to climate change. The type of science policy advice and resources required to plan and act on these disaster resilience scenarios was the focus of CCST events during the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022 CCST Leadership Awards for Science in Public Service. The CCST Science in Public Service Award is given to public servants who have clear track records of championing science and technology issues, and who value efforts to connect science to policy. This year’s awardees […]

Toward a Disaster Resilient California: Establishing a Data Infrastructure to Effectively Respond to the Next Disaster     In the fight against COVID-19, the scientific community worked together to provide answers to the policy community and the public as rapidly as they could, yet difficulties in sharing data complicated their ability to do so.  What […]

In a global society whose challenges require innovative and effective policy solutions, states are pathfinders. CCST CEO Amber Mace, PhD, and Senior Advisor Jun Bando, PhD, contribute to a national conversation about The Next 75 Years of Science Policy with a new essay in Issues in Science and Technology on the roles of states and […]

Toward a Disaster Resilient California: How Climate Change Impacts Renewable Energy Production   How is climate change impacting California’s renewable energy supply? Watch our CCST Expert Briefing to learn more about how renewable energy sources can be impacted by changing environmental conditions such as cloud cover, smoke plumes, wind speeds, and precipitation levels. Held February 7th, 2022. […]

  SACRAMENTO, CA—We are excited to introduce the 2022 Class of CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows. Now celebrating its 13th year, the program places PhD level scientists, engineers, and social scientists in Legislative and Executive Branch offices, training them for careers in public policy while helping to equip California’s decision makers with science-savvy staff. These sixteen PhD scientists […]

Recommend an Expert SACRAMENTO, CA—The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and Blue Forest Conservation 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 on the connections between forest health and public health. Public health impacts of wildfire smoke are […]

This fall, 2015 CCST S&T Policy Fellow Debra Cooper, PhD, was recognized as a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Sacramento Business Journal, a highly competitive achievement that recognizes outstanding young professionals. In the SacBiz profile, Debra reflects on her professional accomplishments, lessons learned, and her motivation to inspire Black girls, including her daughter. As […]

Update: The 2023 Application cycle is now closed. SACRAMENTO, Calif. | CONTACT: Puneet Bhullar The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is seeking PhD scientists and engineers for a year of public service and government leadership training in the California State Legislature and Executive Branch offices.  Applications are Due March 1st. CCST is recruiting and […]

  Toward a Disaster Resilient California: Remote Sensing Technologies and Water Resilience   Can we look to the sky to address California’s water challenges? As California continues to grapple with frequent drought and overdrafted aquifers, satellite based measurements offer a cost-effective way to generate high resolution data on groundwater resources across a wide geographic area. […]