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Sci on the Fly
April 6, 2026
Surviving and Thriving during the AAAS STPF Executive Branch Finalist Week
Congratulations on making it to finalist week! Finalist week can be very busy and hectic, particularly as you request and navigate interviews with host offices you are interested in. My goal with this post is not to overwhelm you, but to offer several strategies for starting finalist week off on the...
Sci on the Fly
April 6, 2026
Surviving and Thriving during the AAAS STPF Executive Branch Finalist Week
Congratulations on making it to finalist week! Finalist week can be very busy and hectic, particularly as you request and navigate interviews with host offices you are interested in. My goal with this post is not to overwhelm you, but to offer several...
Sci on the Fly
March 20, 2026
Taking Space to Learn from Failure
In 1999, NASA's aspirational $148 million Mars Polar Lander mission turned into the "Mars Polar Crasher" when it poorly judged its footing and lost control while descending to Mars’s surface. The accident devastated over 100 scientists and engineers who had...
Sci on the Fly
January 29, 2026
How to write a one-page briefing memorandum for your AAAS STPF Executive Branch semi-finalist interview
You’ve made it to the semi-finalist stage of the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship - congratulations! Now you are probably wondering how to write a briefing memorandum for your semi-finalist interview assignment. As a scientist, it’s unlikely you...
Sci on the Fly
January 27, 2026
Imagining a Forest for the Future (Part 2)
Reflections on the Forests of the Present In part one, we explored the importance of forests to life on earth and wildfire as a natural force on the landscape (Post-wildfire growth, Glacier National Park, photo above) . Now, we will take that awareness and see...
Sci on the Fly
December 1, 2025
Imagining a Forest for the Future (Part 1)
Reflections on the Forests of the Past I was privileged enough to be able to spend a brisk fall day at the Tannersville Cranberry Bog Preserve recently. Wetlands often get a bad rap (think Washington politics “drain the swamp” messaging), but what I...
Sci on the Fly
May 19, 2025
Forecasting to Ride the Waves of Change: The Next Decade of Ocean Science
As policymakers and science practitioners, we face mounting challenges that demand foresight. A new Decadal Survey report from the National Academies of Sciences, " Forecasting the Ocean: The 2025-2035 Decade of Ocean Science", lays out a vision to improve...
Sci on the Fly
January 7, 2025
How Congress Can Support Early Career STEM Talent
Disclaimer: This article was written in the author’s personal capacity and does not represent the views of the U.S. House of Representatives. When I graduated with my Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, I understood the importance of scientific research to some...
Sci on the Fly
November 21, 2024
Alumni Spotlight Series: Arati Prabhakar, PhD
For the second installment of the Alumni Spotlight Series, we’re featuring the phenomenal journey of White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director, Arati Prabhakar. Arati shares how her adventure into science and technology policy immediately...
Sci on the Fly
November 1, 2024
Cultivating reciprocity through wildland fire science in the era of climate change
In the New Jersey Pine Barrens, vividly colored Pink Lady Slippers and yellow fringeless orchids dot the open sandy woodlands, and native bees buzz around the post-burn flourishing understory. In the Sierra Nevada, fishers and fox squirrels forage in a...
Sci on the Fly
September 18, 2024
The Courtroom Enters the Information Age
This entry is part of a series on the role of science (and technology!) in the Federal Judiciary. When it comes to technology, the courts have adopted new machines and applications at a slow and incremental pace. For instance, in 2013, Justice Elena Kagan...
