The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) earlier this month announced Associate Professor of Biochemistry Shanen M. Sherrer, PhD, and other members of the 51st class of the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) program. STPF fellows are chosen from a select group of doctoral-level scientists and highly experienced master’s-level engineers to engage in a one-year immersive educational opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the public policy arena while leveraging their expertise to help confront major societal issues in the U.S. government.
Sherrer is the first faculty member from St. Mary’s College to be awarded a policy fellowship from AAAS.
Among the 276 highly trained STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professionals selected, Sherrer will spend a year serving at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
As an AAAS STPF fellow, Sherrer will be working within the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a branch of NIH, sharing her scientific knowledge while working on various projects.
Sherrer and other fellows will learn first-hand about federal policymaking and implementation. They will also gain invaluable skills in communication, diplomacy, collaboration and consensus-building. “I look forward to supporting the policy processes of NCI that guide current and future cancer research endeavors,” said Sherrer. “I chose to pursue this public service opportunity because of the huge impact it will have on many stakeholders – from fellow scientists to the next generation of cancer researchers and health professionals as well as the general public. The skills and experiences gained while being an AAAS policy fellow will also prepare me for the next steps in my career.”
The 2023-24 fellowship class is sponsored by organizations including AAAS, the Moore Foundation and partner societies.
The STPF program, founded in 1973, 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 vast array of disciplines, backgrounds and career stages. After the fellowship, many 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.
Visit www.aaas.org/stpf to learn more about the AAAS S&T Policy Fellowships.
