Recent CCEE alumnus Morgan DiCarlo (Ph.D. 2022) was named to the 51st class of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) program. STPF fellows are chosen from a select group of scientists to engage in a one-year immersive educational opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the public policy arena while leveraging their expertise to help confront major societal issues in the U.S. government.
DiCarlo’s fellowship is with the Environmental Protection Agency where she will serve as Translational Science and Climate Change Research Fellow in the Office of Research and Development. Dr. DiCarlo completed her Ph.D. in civil engineering at NC State, where her research focused on community dynamics during water-related hazards. She is also a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina and a TEDx speaker.
“Having been an STPF fellow myself, the start of each fellowship year brings both fond memories and excitement for the future,” said Rashada Alexander, Ph.D., STPF director and alumna fellow. “The 51st class of STPF fellows are quite the gathering of minds: these are expert-level scientists and engineers who have chosen to devote a year or more to help ensure that the nation’s policies are informed by science.”
Fellows will learn first-hand about federal policymaking and implementation. They will also gain invaluable skills in communication, diplomacy, collaboration and consensus-building.
“Being a part of this fellowship gives me the exciting opportunity to continue to develop professionally, while applying my graduate training to launch an impactful career addressing water and climate challenges at the federal level,” DiCarlo said.
The 2023-24 fellowship class is sponsored by organizations including AAAS, the Moore Foundation and partner societies. Of the 276 fellows chosen, 38 will serve in Congress, one will serve at the Federal Judicial Center, and 237 will serve in the executive branch among 19 federal agencies or departments. New this year, among the 38 fellows in Congress, six are members of AAAS’ special AI Rapid Response Cohort – experts in artificial intelligence and related areas recruited to help confront pressing issues such as privacy, intellectual property rights, employment, and innovation in the field.
The STPF program supports evidence-based policymaking by leveraging the knowledge and analytical mindset of science and engineering experts, and trains leaders for a strong U.S. science and technology enterprise. Fellows represent a vast array of disciplines, backgrounds and career stages. After the fellowship, many remain in the policy arena working at the federal, state, regional or international level, while others pursue careers in academia, industry or the nonprofit sector.