The AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) is the premier opportunity for outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about public policy while contributing valuable knowledge and analytical skills to address today’s most pressing societal challenges. STPF fosters a network of STEM leaders who understand government and policymaking. Fellows gain invaluable knowledge of and experience with processes and priorities that drive public policy as well as a holistic understanding of our nation’s scientific enterprise.
Join us on May 28 at 2 p.m. ET for the first of a six-part live chat series with fellows. Learn how fellows have been impacting science policy for 47 years. Ask questions to find out how STPF can enhance your career.
View the full chat schedule here.
The AAAS S&T Policy Fellowships are open to U.S. citizens who hold doctoral level degrees in any of the following:
- Biological, Physical or Earth sciences.
- Social and Behavioral sciences.
- Computational and Information sciences.
- Mathematics and Statistics.
- Medical and Health Sciences.
- Engineering disciplines (applicants with an M.S. in engineering and three years of professional experience also qualify).
The application deadline is November 1.
CHAT PARTICIPANTS
MODERATOR
Kat Song, STPF Communications & Digital Strategy Director
FELLOWS
Ambika Bumb, 2019-20 Executive Branch Fellow, U.S. Department of State, Office of Crisis Management and Strategy
Health, Science, and Technology Advisor for Department of State’s Crisis Management and Strategy within the Office of the Secretary, Dr. Ambika Bumb’s technical training is in nanomedicine. She is currently a Board member for the International Biomedical Research Alliance and has formerly been Strategic Advisor to the Energy Sciences Area of Berkeley Lab and CEO of the biotech Bikanta. She graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering and a Minor in Economics, while being recognized with the Helen E. Grenga Outstanding Woman Engineer and E. Jo Baker President’s Scholar Awards. She then obtained her doctorate from the NIH-Oxford Program while also on the prestigious Marshall Scholarship and followed that up with two post-doctoral fellowships at the National Cancer Institute and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The NIH recognized her post-doctoral work with the Orloff Technical Advance Award as a “platform” technology with implications that will broadly advance medicine on multiple fronts. Her work has led to 16 patents and the spinout of the biotech Bikanta. She has received much recognition for excellence in engineering, was profiled early in her career in Nature as a successful young scientist on the fast-track, and named as one of 40 under 40 influential Bay Area business leaders. Complementary to her scientific and commercial interests, Dr. Bumb has also been involved in science outreach/education and national policy initiatives, such as the National Nanotech Initiative, Nano Task Force, guest writing for Techcrunch, and Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
Regina Pope-Ford, 2019-21 Executive Branch Fellow, National Science Foundation, Division of Engineering Education and Centers
Regina Pope-Ford, PhD joins NSF as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in the Division of Engineering Education and Centers, Engineering Education Research Program. Prior to joining NSF, she served as an Assistant Professor of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering & Technology at Bradley University. Pope-Ford received her BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, a MSEIE in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University, and a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University with a concentration in Human Factors. Her research includes the study of musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry, the impact of mobile technology on the musculoskeletal system of children ages 10-12, and the effects of shift work on nightshift workers. She has over 25 years of industry experience in design, test, analysis, and project management.
Pope-Ford has a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and is an advocate for diversity and the inclusion of underrepresented groups in engineering and all sciences. This passion is demonstrated through her organization of summer enrichment camps for K-12 learners; her work as co-owner of Science & Math Innovators Inc. (SMI), a STEM nonprofit providing elementary and middle schoolers immersive STEM experiences; as well as her work to establish the West Side Alumni Foundation (WSAF) for West Side Leadership Academy in Gary, Indiana and service on the board of the Gary Alumni Pathway to Students (GAPS).
Brian Gray, 2019-20 American Institute of Physics Congressional Fellow, Office of Representative Jan Schakowsky
Brian is currently an American Institute of Physics Congressional Science Fellow/Health Policy Fellow in the Office of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. He was a 2017-19 AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in the Office of Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation (NSF). He has served as the founding Director of Tutoring at Columbia University’s Tutoring and Learning Center and the founding Assistant Director for Community Engagement at Harvey Mudd College. Brian has published more than 20 articles on everything from sriracha to antiparasite behavior.
He earned his PhD in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology from the University of California, Riverside, where he studied the population-level consequences of rapid evolutionary change, and a B.S. in biology from UC Riverside. During his graduate studies, he co-led his departmental outreach and service group, helping transform it into an award-winning organization that continues to dedicate hundreds of hours promoting inclusive STEM education in the surrounding community annually. He also taught courses on human sexuality, with a focus on inclusion and consent. Brian is a recipient of the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute Fellowship. He is a proud first-generation college student.