Student Opportunities

Graduate Student Policy Fellowships

The AIBS Public Policy Office offers a unique science policy training opportunity for current biological sciences graduate students. Through the competitively selected AIBS Graduate Student Science Policy Fellowship, current graduate students are able to spend three to six months in AIBS' downtown Washington, DC, Public Policy Office. During this period, the Fellow is exposed to how Congress, the White House, federal agencies and the scientific community work to develop our nation's science policy.

To learn more about this program, please contact the AIBS Director of Public Policy or click here to review our program flyer.

Policy Internship Opportunities in Washington, DC

AIBS periodically offers paid and unpaid science policy internship for current and recent graduate students in the biological sciences. Interns work as a public policy assistant in the AIBS Public Policy Office in downtown Washington, DC. The individual assists public policy staff with specific science policy projects that may include planning a Capitol Hill briefing, preparing policy documents, conducting science and science education policy research, and attending congressional and executive branch meetings. This unique public policy training opportunity provides young scientists with valuable practical experience with how public policy is actually formulated.

For more information, contact .

Emerging Public Policy Leader Award

As part of its focus on engaging scientists in the public policy process, the American Institute of Biological Sciences has established the Emerging Public Policy Leader Award program. Each year, through a competitive application process one or two highly qualified graduate students in the biological sciences or science education that demonstrate a potential to become science policy or science education policy leaders are named Emerging Public Policy Leader. Award recipients are brought to Washington, DC to participate in Congressional Visits Day, where they meet with members of Congress and senior members of the Washington, DC science policy community.

Applications coming soon!
2010 Graduate Student Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award

Learn more about past EPPLA recipients

2009 EPPLA Recipients

Adam Roddy is a graduate student in Integrative Biology at the University of California at Berkeley. His Ph.D. research is focused on understanding how flower water requirements may relate to broader ecosystem dynamics, such as the water cycle. Roddy earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Swarthmore College in 2006, where he received the Leo M. Leva award for outstanding biology undergraduates. Throughout his academic career, Roddy has been active in outreach: he organized a public seminar series on teaching evolution, helped produce science materials for middle school students, and worked with educators to develop high quality community schools in Kenya.

"I am excited to participate in the Congressional Visits Day because...as a scientist, I want to emphasize the importance of funding basic research because of its application to environmental policy and its educational value," said Roddy. "A strong interface between scientists and politicians fosters the development of sound policies."

Anna Maria Stewart is a graduate student at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Stewart's research focuses on the effects of climate and socioeconomic factors on the distribution of dengue fever. She is developing a model to identify current and future human populations at risk of dengue fever in Ecuador. Stewart hopes her research may help public health policymakers to mitigate and anticipate future epidemics. In addition to working toward her doctorate, Stewart is pursuing a Master's in Public Administration at Syracuse. Stewart is former recipient of a National Science Foundation GK-12 teaching fellowship and Vice President of the SUNY-ESF Graduate Student Association.

"As a young scientist conducting research at the intersection of science and public health policy, participation in the Congressional Visits Day is an invaluable opportunity for me to observe and engage in the public policy process," said Stewart. "The EPPLA is a critical step towards achieving my ultimate goal of becoming a scientist who advises intergovernmental agencies."

2008 EPPLA Recipients

Cheryl Logan is a doctoral candidate in biological sciences at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station in California. Before her doctoral studies at Stanford, Logan earned undergraduate degrees in molecular and cull biology and integrative biology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2002. She was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2005 to study the effects of environmental change on marine fishes. Logan's dissertation research examines how long-jawed mudsuckers, a common estuarine fish, are able to adapt to changes in water temperature that might occur with climate change or heat effluent from power plants.

"Participation in the Congressional Visits Day will allow me to utilize and build my communication skills, interact with members of Congress, and convince them of the value of federal funding for basic and applied biological research. This opportunity will provide me with preparation for my desired role as a well-rounded professor in educating communities and students as well as influencing critical environmental management decisions," said Logan.

Logan is active in the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), a research consortium involving marine scientists from four universities along the western coast of the United States who are working collaboratively to develop a comprehensive understanding of how coastal marine ecosystems function. As part of her involvement with PISCO, Logan has engaged in public outreach at Hopkins Marine Station and has participated in workshops on science communication and public policy.

Caroline Ridley is a doctoral candidate in plant biology at the University of California at Riverside. Before graduate school, Ridley earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Grinnell College in 2001. She was awarded a US Environmental Protection Agency Science to Achieve Results Fellowship in 2005 to support her doctoral research investigating how hybrids formed between the cultivated radish species and a wild cousin have developed into a weed that has successfully invaded areas prone to human and natural disturbance throughout California. By understanding the genetic and evolutionary factors that have led to this new invasive radish hybrid, Ridley hopes her research will inform invasive plant management throughout the state. Ridley is a member of AIBS, the Society for the Study of Evolution, and the California Invasive Plant Council.

"Science policy is a long-standing interest of mine," Ridley said. "My central concern is the disconnect that exists between scientists who practice their discipline and lawmakers who allocate funding for it. I look forward to speaking with my congressional delegation and persuading them that a strong financial commitment to scientific research is deeply important to the health and welfare of people and the environment." In addition to her research, Ridley has served her university community. Most recently, she chaired the Registration Fee Advisory Committee, a group composed of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff that determines what and how student services on campus will be supported by the mandatory registration fees.

2007 EPPLA Recipients

Amber Szoboszlai is a graduate student in marine science at the California State University's Moss Landing Marine Labs at Monterey Bay, California. In research for her master's degree, which she expects to complete in May 2007, Szoboszlai is examining how some species of algae growing in the intertidal zone may modify environmental conditions to promote the settlement and growth of the juvenile stages of another coexisting algal species. Szoboszlai was awarded a 2007 California Sea Grant State Fellowship with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) to synthesize biological research projects conducted at MBNMS with management needs and goals. Following her fellowship in September 2007, she will begin her Ph.D. research in marine ecology at the University of California, Davis.

Sarah Wright is a doctoral candidate in Botany at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2006 for her dissertation research examining the effects of climate change on the range limits and timing of the life cycle of wild lupine, the only host plant of the endangered Karner blue butterfly. Wright is engaged in a number of science education and outreach activities including the University of Wisconsin's Center for Biology Education Adult Role Models in Science Program and the National Phenology Network Implementation Team's Citizen Science and Outreach working group. She intends to pursue a career in science education following the completion of her Ph.D.

Kyle Brown, a doctoral candidate in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, and Jenna Jadin, a doctoral candidate in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics at the University of Maryland, received honorable mentions.

2006 EPPLA Recipients

Madhura Kulkarni is a doctoral candidate in biogeochemistry and environmental biocomplexity at Cornell University. She earned an undergraduate biology degree from Duke University in 1999 and a master of science in marine, estuarine and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland in 2003. She has received a variety of awards and grants, including a NASA Earth Systems Science Fellowship and a National Science Foundation Integrated Graduate Education and Research Training Fellowship. Kulkarni's doctoral research is a study on nitrogen pollution management.

Christopher Hofmann is a doctoral candidate in biology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He earned an undergraduate biology degree in 2000 from Towson University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He has received a variety of awards and grants, including two National Science Foundation Fellowships. His doctoral research involves the use of color to define species limits in birds.

AIBS also named two honorable mentions this year: Holly Menninger, a PhD candidate in behavior, ecology, evolution and systematics at the University of Maryland, and Mindy Richlen, a PhD candidate in marine science at Boston University.

2005 EPPLA Recipients

Ms. Karen Deen Laughlin - Ms. Laughlin is a doctoral candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University. Her research involves the ecological risks of gene flow from genetically engineered virus-resistant crops to wild crops. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant. Laughlin earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science and policy from Duke University.

2004 EPPLA Recipients

Ms. Allison Vogt - A master's student in ecology at the University of Georgia, Ms. Vogt is researching the effects of habitat degradation caused by increasing urban development on the biotic responses of fishes. She hopes to apply her findings to show whether regional planning regulations and federal environmental laws are adequate for the region. After finishing her master's degree, Ms. Vogt plans to pursue a law degree, with an emphasis on environmental law and public policy.

Ms. Heidi Weiskel - Ms. Weiskel is a doctoral student in marine ecology and policy at the University of California at Davis. As part of the UC Davis multidisciplinary National Science Foundation funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program on invasive species, Ms. Weiskel's research focuses on the impacts of hatchery-raised salmon on native salmon.

2003 EPPLA Recipients

Ms. Esther Ellsworth - Ms. Ellsworth is a master's student in the Human Dimensions of Biology program within the Department of Biology at Arizona State University. Ms. Ellsworth's research centers on areas where biology and society interact, such as developmental and evolutionary biology. After completing her degree, Ms. Ellsworth plans to pursue a policy position in the federal government.

Ms. Lisa Wall - With a bachelor's degree in biology and a certificate of teaching excellence, Ms. Wall was a high school biology teacher in Florida prior to returning to the University of Central Florida to pursue a master's degree in biology and a doctorate in education with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction. Her graduate studies focus on ways to improve student science education through linking high school students with real world environmental and field-based biology research.

Congressional Science Fellows

AIBS has in the past sponsored Congressional Science Fellows through the AAAS fellowship program (http://www.aaas.org/spp/), and often in partnership with AIBS member societies and organizations. This AIBS program is currently on hiatus and may be reactivated at a later time. Contact .

For an historical overview of the AIBS Congressional Science Fellowship Program, see the February 2000 BioScience editorial by 2001 AIBS President, Judith S. Weis: http://www.aibs.org/bioscience-editorials/editorial_2000_02.html

Past AIBS Congressional Fellows include:

Robert Gropp, Ph.D.

Dr. Gropp was the 1999-2000 AIBS Congressional Fellow. A botanist and ecologist, he worked in the office of Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), where he dealt with energy, environment, and pollution issues. Contact: .

Laura Lyman Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Laura Lyman Rodriguez, PhD: A Fellowship Year in Review. (BioScience, October 1999)

Congressional Fellowship Program Bridges the Gap Between Science and Policy (AIBS News, November 1998)

Dr. Rodriguez was the 1998-1999 AIBS fellow, cosponsored by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Dr. Rodriguez is a cell biologist by training, and worked in the office of Representative Vernon Ehlers (R-MI). She is now a Policy Analyst, Office of Public Affairs, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB): .

Richard Pouyat, Ph.D.

Richard Pouyat, PhD: Science and environmental policy - making them compatible. (Policy Forum, April 1999)

AIBS Sponsors a Scientist on the Hill. AIBS News, July/August 1997.

Dr. Pouyat was the AIBS Congressional Science Fellow from 1997-1998, cosponsored by the Ecological Society of America and the Society for Conservation Biology. Dr. Pouyat is an urban forest ecologist and now works as part of the Long-Term Ecological Research Network's (LTER) Baltimore Ecosystem Study group. Pouyat's experience working on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) afforded him much insight into the interface of science and policy: .