For additional spotlight stories please visit the Archive page.

Posted on: 9/22/2012 12:00:00 AM... Jennifer A. Nekuda Malik was no stranger to public policy when she began her tenure as the 2011-2012 MRS/TMS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. She noted, however, that a year of working as a staffer on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee with its chair, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), “changed the way that I think about policy, the role of science in policy, and the role and responsibility of scientists in communicating science to the public.”

Nekuda Malik traces her interest in public policy back to high school, when she was selected as a delegate to Wyoming Girls State, part of a national program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary to engage emerging leaders in the study of government through such educational experiences as forming model governments and conducting mock trials and legislative sessions. She deepened her interest and understanding of these issues as a McBride Honors Students at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines), completing a series of courses on the relationship between technology, public policy, ethics, and the global economy and earning a minor in Public Affairs, along with a B.S. in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering. Nekuda Malik highlighted in her application for the Fellowship that funding and incentives generated by science policy also enabled the collaborative project between Mines and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on thin film CIGS solar cells that served as the basis for her Ph.D. thesis. “Clearly, science policy [had] already had a profound impact on my life,” she said.

Nekuda Malik learned of the MRS/TMS Congressional Fellowship opportunity while completing post-doctoral work on structural optimization of hybrid and organic materials for photovoltaic applications at Imperial College London. “I immediately knew I would apply,” she said. “[The] Fellowship would allow me to combine my love and knowledge of science with my interest in policy to become an advocate for the advancement of science and technology.”

With her placement on the ENR Committee, Nekuda Malik managed a portfolio of issues that included solar, wind, and nuclear energy; rare isotopes; critical materials; high performance computing; technology transfer; advanced manufacturing; and Department of Energy programs and oversight. While her contributions ranged from meeting with the gamut of stakeholders on energy issues to writing legislation, Nekuda Malik said organizing and staffing Senator Bingaman for committee hearings was particularly rewarding work. “There is a lot of background work that goes into a hearing,” she said. “This includes finding expert witnesses who will testify, working with the minority staff to ensure we have a balanced hearing, writing the background memo for Energy Committee staff and energy legislative assistants, drafting the chairman’s opening remarks and questions, and staffing the chairman during the hearing. It is very rewarding to see everything come together for the hearing.”

“The Fellowship definitely exceeded my expectations,” she continued. “The experience and network I have gained here have broadened my understanding of policy and allowed me to meet and work with people who are at the forefront of many of the most important issues facing our country.”

Given her work with the ENR Committee, Nekuda Malik views energy as presenting some of the most significant challenges and opportunities facing materials science and engineering today. “It is important for scientists to remember that the technologies that we work on are very important, but are also only one part of the puzzle,” she said. “Truly the energy mix in the U.S. will be an ‘all of the above’ mix for years to come, so I think it is important for scientists to be aware of what our energy mix looks like now, as well as the environmental impacts and national security implications of that mix, and consider how they might leverage their research to help make a difference.”

Now that her Fellowship has concluded, Nekuda Malik will be building on what she has learned to pursue her interests in science advocacy and outreach, as well as development of environmental and energy policy. “The experience the Fellowship affords you is truly amazing and can be applied in so many different ways to a range of careers,” she said. “It definitely expands your horizons. I would encourage any colleague who is considering applying for the opportunity to do it.”

Editor’s Note: TMS and the Materials Research Society (MRS) are now accepting applications for the jointly sponsored 2013-2014 Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship until January 4, 2013.

A prospective Fellow must have a record of success in research or scholarship in a field relevant to materials science, while also demonstrating a strong interest in applying scientific and technical knowledge to U.S. public policy issues. Additional critical qualities include the ability to work quickly and communicate effectively to both scientific and non-scientific audiences on a wide variety of topics, as well as being able to work cooperatively with individuals having diverse viewpoints. An applicant is expected to be a member or an applicant for membership of TMS or MRS, and must have a Ph.D. by September 1, 2013. U.S. citizenship is not required, but applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Science and Engineering Fellows Program is operated as a cooperative effort of approximately 30 national scientific and engineering societies that provide an opportunity for accomplished scientists and engineers with public policy interests to learn about and contribute to the policy-making processes in Congress.

For additional information on the 2013-2014 MRS/TMS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship, contact Mary Samsa, TMS professional development specialist, at Mary Samsa. To review Fellowship application details, go to this link.

Lynne Robinson is a news and feature writer for TMS.