CCST Newsroom

Day One Project: CCST Proposal Recommends Tracking Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke for Biden-Harris Administration
Photo of smoke from Camp Fire
  A new proposal written by experts from the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and Stanford University provides recommendations to reduce disaster costs through better tracking of wildfire-smoke health impacts. According to the proposal, the United States currently does not have a systematic method to track the health impacts and associated costs of […]
New Report Highlights Stories of COVID-19 Response by CCST’s Partner Institutions
  SACRAMENTO, Calif.—A new report released by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) highlights some of the ways in which CCST’s Partner Institutions have rapidly pivoted their resources, expertise, and research efforts toward responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. CCST’s Partner Institutions include eleven of California’s world-class educational and research institutions. The report can […]
CCST Partner Institutions in Action Against COVID-19
Download the Full Report (PDF)   California Responds To The Pandemic       In late 2019, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly began to spread across the globe and by March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Since then, academic and research institutions across California and the world have leveraged […]
Five Distinguished Leaders in Science, Engineering, Policy, and Philanthropy Appointed to CCST Board of Directors
Photos of the new Board members with a welcome message on a blue background
  SACRAMENTO, Calif.—As part of a major expansion, the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is proud to announce the appointment of five new members to the Board of Directors. Distinguished leaders in science, engineering, policy, and philanthropy, these new members bring a diverse set of experiences and expertise to drive CCST’s initiative on […]
From Oil Spills to Energy Bills: My Path from Science to Policy
Photo of 2021 Fellow Jane Park with her blog title.
Jane Park is a 2021 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow placed with the Assembly Committee on Utilities & Energy. From Northern California, Jane studied multigenerational impacts of crude oil exposure on development in natural fish populations. She earned her PhD in Integrative Genetics and Genomics from UC Davis and a BA in Biological Sciences […]
A message on the rise in anti-Asian violence and discrimination
Banner with logo and "Message from the Executive Director"
  A message from Executive Director Amber Mace delivered to the CCST community: As an organization dedicated to the application of evidence to policy, we denounce the distortions of science and fact perpetuated around COVID-19, which have injected new hatred into longstanding prejudices and scapegoating. We condemn the racist and misogynistic violence perpetrated against members […]
Finding the Right Fit: Taking on Toxic Substances in My Science Policy Placement
Photo of 2021 Fellow Grant Hisao and his blog title.
Grant S. Hisao is a 2021 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow placed with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Grant earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying biological molecules associated with infectious diseases. He conducted postdoctoral research in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Grant holds a […]
Update: Watch Technological Pathways for Carbon Sequestration in California
Screenshot of Zoom conversation.
A Virtual CCST Expert Briefing Technological Pathways for Carbon Sequestration in California Held Friday, March 12th 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM (PST) Watch the briefing now and download the one pager (PDF):   Watch our CCST Expert Briefing with experts on technologies to capture and store carbon to meet California’s carbon neutrality goals: Moderator: David Stout […]
Update: The 2022 Application Cycle is Now Closed
Fellows Application for 2022 Class Photo and banner
  SACRAMENTO, Calif. | CONTACT: Jeffery Song 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 California state agencies.  Applications are Due March 1st. CCST is recruiting and accepting applications for the 2022 Class of CCST Science & […]
CCST Hosts Resilience Workshop Exploring California’s COVID-19 Policy Challenges
Zoom screenshot of Amber Mace, Assemblymember Quirk, Julianne McCall, and Marko Mijic
    On February 18th, as part of CCST’s disaster resilience initiative, “Toward a Resilient California,” CCST brought together a group of experts and thought leaders from government, academia, and healthcare for a panel discussion and facilitated workshop about pandemic-related challenges the State is facing, “Exploring California’s COVID-19 Policy Challenges.” The event opened with a […]
Translating Manure Research to Environmental Policy: Q&A with 2021 Fellow Rylie Ellison
Photo of Rylie with the blog title and picture of her collecting wastewater.
Rylie Ellison is a 2021 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow placed on the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality. Originally hailing from Washington State, in her graduate research Rylie developed treatment methods for dairy manure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make it a better fertilizer. She earned her PhD in Agricultural & Environmental Chemistry […]
Top Five Lessons Learned: Delivering a Virtual Fellows Training Program During COVID-19
Title Card Top 5 Lessons Learned with photo of Jeffery Song
Jeffery Song is the CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows Program Manager. In this role, he provides end-to-end administration of all aspects of the Fellowship program, from recruitment and selection to training and coordinating placements. Jeffery worked most recently as a Transportation Policy Postdoctoral Researcher at University of California – Davis. Prior to that, he […]
Update: Watch the 2021 “CCST Science in Public Service Award” Presentation
Images of the 2021 CCST Science in Public Service Award Recipients
2021 CCST Leadership Awardees. Science in Public Service Award: Given to a public servant with a clear track record of championing science and technology issues and who values efforts to connect science to policy. 2021 recipients: Senator Robert Hertzberg, Assemblymember Chris Holden, and Former CEC Vice Chair Janea Scott. SACRAMENTO, Calif. | February 2, 2021 […]
Update: The 2022 Application Cycle is Now Closed
Fellows Application for 2022 Class Photo and banner
  SACRAMENTO, Calif. | CONTACT: Jeffery Song 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 California state agencies.  Applications are Due March 1st. CCST is recruiting and accepting applications for the 2022 Class of CCST Science & […]
CCST Annual Report 2020: Toward a Resilient California
CCST Annual Report featured image, San Francisco orange from wildfire, Sept 2020
  Download our 2020 Annual Report (PDF).   Message from the CCST Board Chair   As I look back on a year marked by a global pandemic, powerful social justice movements, turbulent elections, megafires, and a continuing climate crisis, I’m struck by how much CCST adapted – and delivered – in this environment. With the […]
Introducing the 2021 class of CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows
2021 CCST S&T Policy Fellows group shot
  SACRAMENTO, CA—We are excited to introduce the 2021 Class of CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows. Now celebrating its 12th year, the program places PhD level scientists and engineers 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. Applications are currently being […]
Update: The 2022 Application Cycle is Now Closed
Fellows Application for 2022 Class Photo and banner
SACRAMENTO, Calif. | CONTACT: Jeffery Song Start your application today. CCST is seeking PhD scientists and engineers for a year of public service and government leadership training in the California State Legislature and California state agencies.  Applications are Due March 1st. The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is recruiting and accepting applications for the 2022 Class of CCST […]
A statement on the insurrection at the US Capitol
Message from Executive Director Header Banner
The insurrection at the US Capitol was an extraordinary and horrific, though not surprising, moment. An armed mob, brandishing symbols of white nationalism and stoked by disinformation, used terrorism and force to overtake our nation’s Capitol. As an organization, we are dedicated to the proposition that evidence, transparency, and discovery are the key to improving […]
CCST to Host Panels on California’s COVID Response, Cost of Wildfires at NCSE Drawdown 2021
This week, the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) and Project Drawdown are co-hosting their annual conference around the theme Research to Action: Science & Solutions for a Planet Under Pressure, with a focus on projects that range from local to global. CCST will be holding two panels and participating in an NCSE career […]
Asking the Right Questions: Identifying Racial Disparities in Policy and Research
Asking the Right Questions, by Maria Montchal
Maria Montchal is a 2020 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow who was placed in the California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Maria received a PhD in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine. From New Jersey, Maria’s dissertation work focused on understanding how the brain allows us to remember when events occurred. She received a BA in […]
Confronting History: The Racist Myths Behind WWII-Era Chemical Experiments
Confronting History, by Grayson Doucette '20
Grayson Doucette is a 2020 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow who was placed in the California State Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water. Grayson received a PhD in Materials Science from Penn State University. His dissertation focused on controlling how molecules interact with one another to learn what makes a more efficient next […]