At the annual STPF orientation for new fellows and along with many other experts, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director and STPF alum Arati Prabhakar shared many words of wisdom.

This month, the 51st class of STPF fellows began their year in Washington. This year’s cohort -- including Carlos Martinez, Shakira Grant, Bek Petroff, Jacqueline Smith and Alvin Tran -- comes to their fellowships from widely varying backgrounds, but with a shared vision for applying their scientific training and expertise to help inform federal policymaking. “I have to tell you, we’re living in a golden age of science. We know more about the universe, our planet, and ourselves than we’ve ever known before.”

In a festive event complete with cake and a champagne toast, STPF and the U.S. Department of State celebrated a milestone in the two organizations’ shared commitment to science-informed policymaking: more than 40 years of STPF fellows bringing their scientific expertise to the State Department.

In the third episode in our “Science Helps Us…” series, we explore how hydrologic science can help bring people to the negotiation table. Water is a resource that defies political boundaries –

In the second episode in our “Science Helps Us…” series, we explore the ways that science shapes the ways we tell stories – and how science helps make those stories a reality. Our guests, Brian