A year as AGU's Congressional Science Fellow

Abstract

When I applied for AGU's Congressional Science Fellowship, I promised that I would be completed with my degree requirements before the fellowship began. Thanks to a flexible advisor, I defended my dissertation on August 28, packed my office on August 29, and drove to Washington the next day to participate in a two‐week orientation for the fellowship. The orientation, organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for incoming Science and Technology Fellows, introduced us to various aspects of the federal government, science policy and life in Washington. During my first week in Washington, I thought my biggest challenge would be finding time to format my dissertation between all the receptions and dinners AAAS scheduled for the Fellows.