STPF@50: Shaping Science Policy
STPF Speed Networking
The Annual Meeting started off with a speed networking event for current fellows and alumni. Attendees enjoyed some light refreshments while rotating through five rounds of speed networking. We hope you met up with old friends and left with new ones!
Alumni Lounge & Coffee Chats
In this alumni-exclusive space, there were daily coffee chats, refreshments, swag, and outlets for alumni to recharge. Different decades of classes came together for their class photos and alumni were invited to attend the happy hour in the Alumni Lounge featuring a drink created by our very own Communications Director Kat Song, named “STPF Forever!” Recipe here
In case you missed the coffee chats:
Richard Scribner and Joel Primack chatted about the growth of STPF, from 4 to 4,000.
Alum Kristin Lewis chatted with Dan Barry and alums Michael Fernandez and Kim Montgomery about science policy efforts at all levels, from local to global.
10 alumni shared projects they’re involved with or working on at the very first Alumni Innovation Showcase. The speakers were: Adam Shapiro, Alex Dehgan, Anna Quider, Drew Story, Hanny Rivera, Janet Chen, Julian Reyes, Kevin Cooke, Roberto Delgado, Stephanie Davis. See below for their information.
STPF@50 Scientific Sessions
Throughout the AAAS Annual Meeting, the STPF@50 scientific sessions highlighted the advances in the development of science policy as a discipline and its adaption and application across professional sectors.
The first STPF@50 scientific session was about science policy, knowledge and skills featuring STPF director Rashada Alexander, Andrew D. Maynard, and Rob Stanley. Panelists discussed the evolution of science policy as a discipline, as well as how it could embed this knowledge in more areas and levels of government and localities.
Another session spoke about the impacts of scientific evidence on policymaking through science policy fellowships, featuring Skip Stiles, alum Ali Douraghy, alum Jon Kaye, Louis Riggs and an STPF program manager, Olivia Monahan.
Current STPF fellow Christopher Jackson and alums Ian Simon, Benjamin Zaitchik, and Arti Garg chatted about taking their skills and careers out of the lab and into their communities.
In the last session, “The Future of Science Policy: An Expanding Universe”, Deborah Stine, Joel Primack, and alums Rebecca Aicher, Arti Garg and Alex Dehgan discuss the important role of engaged scientists and the future of science policy in the unique opportunities to infuse multidisciplinary scientific evidence into the policymaking process.
STPF@50 Celebratory Mixer
If you were among the nearly 600 (!) souls gathered to celebrate, we hope you had a great time. Whether or not you were able to attend, we hold you in spirit and hope you’ll stay connected with STPF toward the next fifty years!
See the new video that kicked off the event, highlighting the impact of the program on US policy and individual lives. Watch to the end to learn how you can pitch in to help support more fellows for better policy.
We also unveiled a fantastic series of video shorts featuring STPF alumni and other key figures in STPF history including Nobel Laureate Steven Chu, former NIH Director Francis Collins, Senator Sherrod Brown, and AAAS CEO Sudip Parikh.
Lastly, thank you to Arizona State University for sponsoring this event. Here’s to bringing more years to science policy! 🥂
Friday, March 3
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4 to 4,000: Society Partners & Founders Tell All
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Speakers:
Richard A. Scribner (Founding Director of the AAAS S&T Policy Fellowships)
Joel Primack (Distinguished Professor of Physics Emeritus, University of California, Santa Cruz)
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet several of the individuals responsible for the launch of the fellowship program, including the founding program director. You don’t want to miss this tell all about the early years of the fellowship.
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Alumni Lounge – Group Photos (70’s, 80’s, 90’s)
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Please arrive in time for a group photo by decade! Find the time range when you were a first-year fellow. Photos will be taken at the following times:
1:00 pm: 70’s
1:20 pm: 80’s
1:40 pm: 90’s
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STPF@50 Scientific Session: Science Policy Knowledge & Skills
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Washington Convention Center
Moderator:
Adriana Bankston (University of California Federal Governmental Relations)
Speakers:
Rashada Alexander (AAAS, Washington, D.C.)
Andrew D. Maynard (Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ)
Rob Stanley (National Science Policy Network, Oakland, CA)
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Special Session: Arati Prabhakar
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center
Speaker: Arati Prabhakar (Office of Science and Technology Policy, Washington, DC)
Saturday, March 4
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STPF Recruitment Booth
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Join staff, alumni, and current fellows to learn about how the STPF experience can impact your career. The Recruitment Booth will be available from the opening to the closing of the Exhibit Hall. Stop by!
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Alumni Lounge
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center Exhibit Hall
The Lounge is an alumni-only space in the exhibit hall for you to recharge–metaphorically and electronically. Stop by throughout the meeting for daily coffee chats and light afternoon snacks, Alumni group photos, and special giveaways.
At 2:00 p.m., the Lounge will have afternoon coffee and tea.
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From Local to Global Science Policy Impact
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Alumni Lounge
Moderator:
Kristin Lewis (AAAS Mass Media Fellowships)
Speakers:
Emileigh Clare (Assistant Director, AAAS Member Engagement)
Michael Fernandez (Director, Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues)
Kim Montgomery (Director of International Affairs and Science Diplomacy at AAAS)
Did you know that AAAS has several science policy programs and initiatives in addition to STPF? Join Saturday’s coffee chat to learn about AAAS’ efforts at the state, regional and international level. Plus find out how you can get involved in these efforts as an STPF alum.
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Alumni Lounge – Group Photos (00’s, 10’s, 20’s)
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Please arrive in time for a group photo by decade! Find the time range when you were a first-year fellow. Photos will be taken at the following times:
11:00 am: 2000-09
11:20 am: 2010-17
11:40 am: 2018-22
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STPF@50 Scientific Session: Impact of Scientific Evidence on Policymaking through Science Policy Fellowships
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Washington Convention Center
Moderator:
Rachel Owen (Agronomy Crops, and Soil Science Societies of America)
Speakers:
Skip Stiles (Wetlands Watch, Norfolk, VA)
Ali Douraghy (U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.)
Jon Kaye (Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Palo Alto, CA)
Louis Riggs (Missouri House of Representatives, Jefferson, MO)
Olivia Monahan (AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships, Washington, D.C.)
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STPF@50 Scientific Session: Out of the Lab, Into the Community
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Washington Convention Center
Speakers:
Christopher Jackson (Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally, Berkely, CA)
Ian Simon (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD)
Benjamin Zaitchik (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD)
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STPF@50 Celebratory Mixer
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Renaissance Washington DC Downtown - Potomac 3
The annual science policy networking mixer will be elevated for this 50th anniversary milestone. Building on a history of successful stakeholder networking among program supporters, fellows, and prospective applicants the event will raise a glass to success and growth.
Don’t miss this shindig on Saturday, March 4 from 7-9 p.m. ET at the Renaissance Washington DC Downtown.
Sunday, March 5
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STPF Recruitment Booth
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center Exhibit Hall
Join staff, alumni, and current fellows to learn about how the STPF experience can impact your career. The Recruitment Booth will be available from the opening to the closing of the Exhibit Hall. Stop by!
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Alumni Lounge
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center Exhibit Hall
The Alumni Lounge will be available until 1:00 p.m. ET. Stop by before the meeting concludes!
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Alumni Innovation Showcase
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Alumni Lounge
Come hear how you can get involved with STPF alum and their big ideas (ongoing work, volunteer opportunities, collaborations)! Each speaker will have 5 minutes to present and there will be a Q&A with the audience after all presentations have concluded. Don’t miss the last event in the Alumni Lounge — there will be coffee!
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STPF@50 Scientific Session: The Future of Science Policy
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Washington Convention Center
Moderator:
Rebecca Aicher (AAAS)
Speakers:
Arti Garg (Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally, Hayward, CA)
Alex Dehgan (Conservation X Labs & Arizona State University, Washington, D.C.)
Deborah Stine (Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Analysis & Education LLC, Pittsburgh, PA)
Joel Primack (Physics Department, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA)