Like a house of cards? Exploring the intersection of science and policy during graduate school

Why is your science important to society? How is science used (or not used) in the policy-making arena? Can you explain your research/science in a succinct and accessible matter? Through a unique graduate traineeship program at Washington State University, students were able to answer the aforementioned questions in the affirmative. Not only were we immersed in political science theory, students also engaged in science policy fellowships at various federal agencies and non-governmental organizations. I briefly describe my own experiences at the science-policy nexus and hope they inspire the next generation of involved and informed scientists.