October 14, 2022
Congratulations, Dr. Nicole Arroyo – AAAS S&T Policy Fellow!
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) recently announced the 50th class of the Science & Technology Policy Fellows (STPF), who will help inform actionable, science-based policies throughout the U.S. government. Among the 300 highly trained scientists and engineers selected, Nicole Arroyo, Ph.D., of University of Washington will spend a year serving at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the Office of Communications and Government Relations.
Dr. Arroyo earned her PhD in immunology in 2019 for work conducted in Dr. Marion Pepper’s laboratory on the development of the immune response to malaria infection. Subsequently, she was an adjunct professor of biology at several Seattle-area community colleges, including Seattle Central College and Tacoma Community College. Dr. Arroyo has a long history of involvement in science communication efforts, including serving as an instructor with the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound.
Fellows like Dr. Arroyo will learn first-hand about federal policymaking and implementation, while the U.S. government benefits from the contributions of highly trained scientists and engineers.
“My goal in participating in the AAAS STPF program is to utilize my technical background in immunology and experiences teaching biology to diverse audiences to help policymakers make informed decisions,” said Arroyo. “Working with these organizations at a time when public trust in science is low is especially meaningful to me.”
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 full spectrum of disciplines, backgrounds and career stages. After the fellowship, many fellows 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.