Jaclyn Kellon ’13 Earns Science & Technology Policy Fellowship

Kellon, who studied chemistry at Goucher, is among 284 highly trained scientists and engineers who will spend a year serving professionally in federal agencies and congressional offices as a Science & Technology Policy Fellow. The U.S. government employs these highly trained scientists and engineers' while they learn first-hand about federal policymaking and implementation.

"Upon entering college, I never thought I would end up with a degree in chemistry. I still had a fascination with history and public policy and was unsure how to bring my curiosity for chemistry together with those seemingly disparate interests," said Kellon. "I attended an environmentalism seminar at Goucher that discussed how to achieve significant positive environmental impacts, the world needed to change from a linear to a circular economy… and this could only be accomplished by an interdisciplinary approach. Without the initial push from Professor Ahmed-Schofield to take general chemistry, the continued support from her and Professor Kevin Schultz, and the seminar sponsored by Goucher, I would not be where I am today: using science to inform the policies that impact our daily lives."

For nearly half a century, the fellowship program has been in place as part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science mission to advance science and serve society. The program aims to support evidence-based policymaking by leveraging the knowledge and analytical mindset of science and engineering experts, and foster leaders for a strong U.S. science and technology enterprise. Fellows represent a full spectrum of disciplines, backgrounds, and career stages.

"Particularly in this age of COVID-19, we are proud and grateful to usher in the 48th class of Science & Technology Policy Fellows in September," said STPF Director Jennifer Pearl. "The present state of the world demands a strong link between science and policy."

Since the program's inception in 1973, more than 3,400 fellows have supported the U.S. government's executive, judicial, and legislative branches. After the fellowship, many fellows remain in the policy arena working at the federal, state, regional, or international level. Others pursue careers in academia, industry, or the nonprofit sector, leveraging their fellowship experiences to enhance their contributions and broaden their reach. 

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. The nonprofit is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more.