Prominent speakers and alumni of the STPF program welcomed a new cohort of fellows this year, with resumes ranging from a presidential candidate’s chief advisor to one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in AI. These speakers showed the incoming class of fellows a glimpse of what their potential futures could look like after completing their fellowship.
Incoming STPF fellows, who have impressive academic backgrounds in science and technology, are placed in the three branches of the U.S. government to help bring science to policy in federal decision-making. During two weeks of orientation, the STPF program invited speakers to talk about what to expect during the fellowship and how to prepare for a potential career in policy as a scientist.
One such speaker included Ike Irby, chief advisor to Presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Irby served as an STPF Congressional Fellow for then-Senator Harris in 2017, when she was “brand new to DC,” he said. With a background as a science teacher, a marine scientist, and then an STPF fellow, he followed Harris to the White House as a top climate advisor when she became Vice President.