SciPol Connect is a podcast by the Penn State Science Policy Society that aims to connect listeners with the experiences of leaders working in science policy. Whether you’re considering a career in science policy or just like to geek out over science, this is a great podcast for you. Check us out on Spotify!
Episodes
Astrophysics to Nature Conservation: A Talk with Dr. Sydney Chamberlin
Many people who pursue careers at the intersection of science and policy describe their journey as nonlinear, but oftentimes in retrospect, it seems obvious that the relevant skills and passions, like science communication, were present in them all along. In this episode, we chat with Dr. Sydney Chamberlin, Project Manager for Climate & Nature-based Solutions at the Nature Conservancy. Sydney is an astrophysicist by training and even contributed to methods of detecting gravitational waves, which were first observed during her postdoc at Penn State. We discuss her “meandering” transition to a role in science policy and some of the groundbreaking work she engages in today with the Nature Conservancy.
“So, what’s next after you graduate?”
Grad students in hard sciences are often made to believe that their career options post-graduation are limited to research positions in academia, industry, or national labs. However, the skills one develops during a PhD program are transferable to more job types and settings than expected. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ashley White, who currently works at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab as both the Director of Communications for the Advanced Light Source and the Head of Strategic Development for the Energy Sciences Area. She discusses her non-traditional career path, difficult decisions she has had to make, and how the skills she has learned along the way make her uniquely qualified in her current job. We’ll talk about the importance of her role at a national lab and a little bit about what kind of research actually goes on at LBNL.
The Voices Behind Science Education Standards: A Talk with Dr. Scott McDonald
Have you ever wondered who decides what is taught in schools and how those standards are written? Recently, the PA Board of Education assembled a committee to update the science standards for PA public schools for the first time in almost 20 years! The Penn State Science Policy Society interviewed Dr. Scott Mcdonald, a Professor of Science Education at Penn State, who was involved with the Steering Committee in developing the new standards. Check out this episode of SciPol Connect to hear the interview for a behind-the-scenes look at how these standards were written, some of the biggest issues facing STEM education, and career advice on pursuing science policy and science education!
Ambassador Dave Balton
In our very first episode, we talk with Ambassador Dave Balton – Senior Fellow at the Wilson Center – about his career and the use of science in shaping ocean policy.
