The Penn Science Policy and Diplomacy Group is a graduate student-led organization creating training opportunities in science policy, diplomacy, and communication.
As part of PSPDG’s 1st Annual Science Diplomacy Trip to Washington, DC, Penn students visited the Delegation of the European Union to the United States and met with Dr. Florent Bernard (Science Counsellor), and Deniz Houston (Digital Policy Officer) for a discussion on science diplomacy, international collaboration, and transatlantic policy engagement. Photo courtesy of Dimitris Boufidis, the Science Diplomacy Chair .
What is PSPDG? What is the best way for interested students to get involved?
The Penn Science Policy and Diplomacy Group (PSPDG) is a graduate student-led organization creating opportunities for Penn trainees to gain hands-on experience in science policy, diplomacy, and communication. This includes hosting a variety of training workshops, organizing teams for projects including TTRPGs, memo writing, our blog, and our podcast, and hosting larger capstone events, including an annual Science Policy Symposium and a trip to DC!
Students interested in getting involved with the group can join or lead working groups that facilitate these workshops. Students can connect with us on Slack, Bluesky, Instagram, and our Website. We also host monthly general meetings with dinner and drinks, as well as social events that are open to all members of the Penn community!
What are some upcoming events that you are most excited about?
Dimitris Boufidis (Science Diplomacy Chair) and Hailey Parikh (Science Policy Chair): One event we are especially excited about is our upcoming trip to Washington, DC. After last year’s successful inaugural science diplomacy trip, this year we’re expanding it into a two-day experience that brings together science diplomacy and science policy. Last year, we met with science attachés from several embassies, the Science Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State, and other key players in DC’s science diplomacy ecosystem. This year, as part of the science policy segment of the trip, we plan to visit the U.S. Capitol building, executive agencies like the EPA, the U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit, and think tanks including the Atlantic Council.
How can PSPDG help graduate students in terms of professional development?
Miles Arnett (President): PSDPG has unlocked a field of connections and job opportunities that I might never have learned about otherwise. We’ve met science policy advisors to legislative offices, science communication professionals with jobs in media and education, science diplomacy attachés at embassies, and many others.
We support our members in pursuing these roles by creating networking opportunities with trips to the AAAS Annual Meeting and by developing relationships with external organizations such as the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy (SNAP) and campus entities like Perry World House. Our alumni have gone on to the Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship, Science and Technology Policy Fellowships at USAID, and a variety of professional policy roles.
Why did you get involved with PSPDG? How has it impacted your grad school experience?
Rose Albert (Vice President): My background is in environmental justice advocacy, and I chose to pursue a PhD to provide scientific support to communities most impacted by the climate crisis. Through PSPDG I’ve written memos and op-eds, spoken with Congressional staffers, and gained mentors to explore policy careers. My favorite aspect of PSPDG is that our initiatives are highly student interest-driven, such as our third annual Environmental Justice and Policy Panel on April 29. PSPDG is also an amazing community of graduate students, and I’ve enjoyed the new friendships I’ve made through the group!