Commentary by Developing Civic Scientist Leaders

Ongoing pressure to curb federal government spending for scientific research, and increasing criticism of scientifically sound research, have created a pressing need to train the next generation of civic scientists — scientists and engineers who step beyond their campuses, laboratories and institutes and into the center of their communities to engage in active dialogue with their fellow citizens.

The Developing Civic Scientist Leaders (DCSL) Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy engaged science and engineering graduate students through a Spring 2020 seminar course, where they learned about federal policymaking and the relationship between science and policy, and developed blogs on a specific science policy topic.

Blogs

Is My Neighborhood Polluted? The Case for Mobile Monitoring in Houston
By Blake Actkinson, Graduate Student, Department of Civic and Environmental Engineering

The Unspoken Threat of the Anthropocene
By Robert Laroche, Graduate Student, Department of BioSciences, Rice University

Texas Should Adopt Stricter Standards on Persistent Chemical Pollutants
By Jordin Metz, Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry, Rice University

Biomanufacturing at Epi(demi)c Proportions
By Kathryn Brink, Graduate Student, Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology Program, Rice University

Facing our Climate Contradictions
By Lauren Howe-Kerr, Graduate Student, Department of BioSciences, Rice University

How Can we Prevent the Next 'CRISPR Babies'?
By Adam Navara, Graduate Student, Department of Bioengineering, Rice University

The Ones the Covid-19 Relief (CARES) Bill Left Behind
By Robert Laroche, Graduate Student, Department of BioSciences, Rice University 

Sears: Once your Ordinary Department Store, Now a Vehicle for Tech Sector Gentrification
By Nicole Mitchell, Graduate Student, Department of Computer Science, Rice University

Destroying Environmental Protections During Covid-19 Will Cause More Respiratory Illness
By Jordin Metz, Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry, Rice University

Environmental Policy Update: More Deregulation by the Trump Administration
By Jordin Metz, Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry, Rice University

Restoring Natural Bodies of Water – An Emerging Crisis
By Prakash Reddy Chintakunta, Graduate Student, Applied Physics Graduate Program, Rice University

Preparing for the Next Employment Revolution
By Janelle Clark, Graduate student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University

Supporting Resourceful Space Exploration
By Robert Bullard, Graduate Student, Professional Science Master’s Program, Rice University