(211c) A Pathway to a Career in the Federal Government

Chemical Engineers have a unique background that can be applied to applications in medicine, energy, processing, computation, and many other sectors. These sectors touch society in our every-day lives, and policy-makers decide what regulations and policies to implement to ensure that the public is benefiting from them. Chemical Engineers are uniquely suited to help inform policies and the decision makers who enact them. The AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (STPF) is one way for chemical engineers to get an introduction to a career in policy.

As an AAAS STPF executive branch fellow, I served at the Department of Energy. During the presidential transition I worked in the Office of Science International Program, where I helped prepare briefings and transition materials for the Secretary of Energy and other leaders in the department. I then served a year in the Vehicle Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, where I helped manage programs from Universities and National Laboratories that aided in planning infrastructure for autonomous and electric vehicles. My work in this office included writing reports and collaborating with other agencies the conclusions from our research findings that can help in city planning and regulations and incentives.

The executive branch fellowship has given me expertise in the way the difference branches of the government interact. Using the skills learned from experiences in the Department of Energy and my chemical engineering background, career options include program management, energy policy advising, science communication, and many others.