CCST Science Fellows
CCST Science Fellows Blog
California has one of the largest economies in the world, and so many critical issues facing our state today — water, energy, and public health, just to name a few — require a deep understanding of science.
Few California state decision makers have backgrounds in science, engineering, or technology. Yet, they are asked to make decisions on issues with significant science and technology aspects. To help the California State Legislature and Executive Branch make the most informed decisions for the state’s citizens and resources, the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) established the CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows program.
Now in its eleventh year, the CCST Science Fellows program helps the California State Legislature and Executive Branch access some of the talent and staff they need to make informed decisions. Whether you’re a prospective applicant, an interested funder, a staff member, decision maker, or an advocate, we hope this blog offers you a glimpse into our Fellowship experience, and a deeper appreciation for the valuable resources and programs that CCST strives to provide to California’s policymakers and citizens.
If our Fellowship mission has sparked new ideas and new possibilities in your own vision and mission, we would love to hear from you. Thank you for following us, and we’ll see you here and on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
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California Program Sends Scientists to Sacramento, Training PhD’s as Capitol Staffers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s State Legislature is looking for a few good scientists to trade their lab coats for business suits, and swap molecules and equations for committee hearings and bill analyses. That’s the opportunity being offered by the CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, led by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST). […]
Help CCST Make California Stronger with Science on #GivingTuesday
Do you donate to your favorite causes and organizations on #GivingTuesday? “Giving Tuesday” is a global day of giving created in 2012 that seeks to harness the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy. It has become a rallying point for nonprofits and charities for annual giving. As part of #GivingTuesday and […]
Fellows Profile: Debra Cooper, PhD
Debra Cooper, PhD, was a CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow in 2015. Cooper was placed in the California State Senate Office of Research (SOR), where she was hired as a Policy Consultant halfway through her Fellowship. Cooper received her PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University, where she studied medications to help reduce relapse to […]
Fellows Profile: Nathan Phillips, PhD
Nathan Phillips, PhD, was a CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow in 2014, and his placement was in the California State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee with then-Chair Mark DeSaulnier. He is currently a Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, and had applied to the Fellowship on sabbatical from his post. Phillips received […]
Fellows in Training: National Conference on State Legislatures
Vivian Ericson, PhD, was a CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellow in 2015. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Physiology from Stanford University, and her placement was in the Office of Assemblymember Cristina Garcia. Since the Fellowship, she has continued to work as a Legislative Aide with the Office of Assemblymember Garcia. [February […]
Stronger with Science
Amber Mace, PhD, is the Deputy Director of the California Council on Science and Technology, and she oversees the CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows program. Mace formerly served as the Executive Director of California Ocean Protection Council and as Assistant Secretary for Coastal Matters at the California Natural Resources Agency, after serving as a Sea Grant […]
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 […]
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 […]
Amber Mace to Join CCST as Deputy Director
Effective this month, the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) has a new deputy director. Dr. Amber Mace, associate director of the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy, will bring her experience and expertise leading effective science-policy organizations to the CCST team. In addition to providing strategic advice to the […]
Newly Appointed S&T Policy Fellows Arrive in Sacramento
The California Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program has placed its fourth consecutive group of fellows in the California state legislature, continuing to build on a growing legacy of making S&T expertise available to lawmakers in a way most states do not have. Each year, the program places ten professional scientists in yearlong appointments in […]
California Legislature Recognizes Science and Technology Policy Fellows
The 2011-2012 group of California Science and Technology Policy Fellows has received acknowledgments from both the Assembly and the Senate, marking the program’s third year of success. “As policy makers, our most urgent priority is to create the kind of twenty-first century jobs that will restore health to California’s economy,” said Speaker of the Assembly […]
Presidential Science Advisors Benefit from CCST Policy Fellow Alum
The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is one of very few state-level organizations in the nation designed to offer expert advice to the state government and to recommend solutions to science and technology-related policy issues. There are some issues however which need to be addressed at a national, rather than state, level. One […]
Policy Fellows Bring S&T Expertise to Legislature
As 2012 gets underway, lawmakers in Sacramento are returning to confront the difficult fiscal challenges of the State. In addition they will continue to navigate California’s ever-evolving science and technology related policy issues. Thanks to a small group of dedicated experts, they have a little extra help. The California Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program […]
Inaugural Class of S&T Policy Fellows Recognized by Legislature
As the first year of the California Science Technology & Policy Fellows program comes to a close, both houses of the California Legislature recognized the fellows placed within their respective chambers for their service. “We want to thank all of the science fellows for a marvelous year,” said Senator Joe Simitian (Palo Alto) on August […]
CCST Policy Fellows Look to Opportunities in Federal Laboratories
The inaugural group of CCST Policy Fellows, who continue to connect with the broader S&T community, met with senior personnel from several federal funded laboratories on May 7th as part of an ongoing seminar series covering topics ranging from water and budget to state agency employment options. “This was a terrific opportunity to connect the […]
Legislative Offices Welcome Inaugural Class of California S&T Policy Fellows
The first California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships have begun, placing 10 science and technology advisors to serve one-year terms in a variety of committees and legislator offices in the California State Legislature. “The California Council on Science and Technology Legislative Offices Welcome Inaugural Class of California S&T Policy Fellows has assembled a most impressive […]
CCST Places First California Science and Technology Fellows
The California Council on Science and Technology has awarded the first California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships, placing 10 science and technology advisors to serve one-year terms in the California State Legislature. “CCST’s S&T Fellows Program is an exciting opportunity for both the fellows and the state legislators they will support,” said CCST Council Vice […]
Senior Fellow Gutiérrez Works to Send Policy Fellows to Sacramento
CCST Senior Fellow Carlos Gutiérrez has long been known for providing opportunities for students to experience career enhancement through intense participation in research projects directed by faculty mentors. It is no surprise, then, that he has been actively involved in CCST’s newest program, providing professional development opportunities of a different sort to scientists and engineers […]
AB 573 will enable California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships
AB 573 (Portantino) was introduced to enable CCST to provide up to 10 Ph.D. and equivalently trained scientists and engineers fellowships in the State Legislature. This CCST professional development program, referred to as the California Science and Technology Policy Fellowships (Fellowships), will place fellows in legislative offices for a one-year assignment. Fellows will assist legislators […]
New Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program Launches
CCST is pleased to announce the launch of a new fellowship opportunity for professional scientists and engineers to spend a year working in Sacramento with the California State Legislature. The California Science and Technology (S&T) Policy Fellowships provide a professional development opportunity that will enable members of the scientific community to contribute to scientific and […]
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To engage leading experts in science and technology to advise State decision makers - ensuring that California policy is strengthened and informed by scientific knowledge, research, and innovation.
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