July 13, 2023
By Ian Sargent

Earlier this summer Caroline Greiner, an M.S. student in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, attended the six-day Science Outside the Lab workshop in Washington D.C.

The event is sponsored by the Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure and invites a select cohort of graduate students to meet and interact with policymakers, regulators, journalists, and others who work at the crucial intersection of science and government.

Greiner, a Charlotte native, saw firsthand the input science has in advising a large bureaucracy and in turn, how various agencies provide the framework for regulating and promoting scientific innovation. 

“I wanted to attend the Science Outside the Lab workshop to learn about opportunities in science policy for people with technical STEM backgrounds,” Greiner said. “I learned so much about how science policy is spread across different levels and branches of government and how STEM students can contribute to and find a career in science policy.”

During her time in D.C. Greiner met scientists working in various roles of state and federal government. This included visits to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Senate. 

“The highlight was attending a meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) on the National Mall and learning about science diplomacy,” Greiner said. “I thought the only way scientists could be involved in the government was to work as a scientist or engineer at a national lab or for the National Institutes of Health, but that is not the case. It turns out the government likes the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of STEM grad students!”

Greiner holds a degree in biomedical and health sciences engineering and sees herself working at the cross-section of healthcare and the environment, both fields that permeate policy discussions as much as scientific ones.

Greiner plans to continue developing her skills as a science communicator as well, and recently led a project that designed and painted a mural based on the Fibonacci sequence. It is currently on display on the third floor of Price Gilbert Library.