Education

• Ph.D., Geophysics, Yale University
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Yale University
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Boston University

I hold a PhD in Geology & Geophysics and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University. As an undergraduate mechanical engineer, I applied the basic math and science skill I learned growing up to help solve technical societal challenges. I specialized in fluids and energy problems, conducting research on how bubbles flow through constricted areas, which has applications to understanding blood flow. As a graduate student I took my fluid mechanics expertise and used it to understand basic properties of the earth, including how subduction zones operate, which are regions that often produce large earthquake hazards.

I worked as a design engineer in the aerospace industry where I represented the thermodynamic analysis group on a multidisciplinary team working to improve the fuel efficiency for Embraer’s aircrafts. In this position I got to work in a fast-paced team environment, and found that time and money constraints sometimes prevented exhaustive analyses. In these cases I was able to draw on my experience as a PhD researcher where working with ambiguity and sometime incomplete information is not uncommon to make the best evidence based decisions possible with the data at hand. I also used my presentation skills from my PhD to present findings, write reports, and provide technical insight during strategic internal company meetings and weekly calls with international customers.

I was the 2015-2016 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Science Fellow, sponsored by the Geological Society of America (GSA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). As a AAAS fellow in U.S. Senator Edward Markey’s office of Massachusetts, I uses my STEM background to tackle national challenges in energy, the environment, and STEM research and education. I worked on a broad portfolio of topics that include U.S. energy security, clean energy, protection and sustainable use of natural resources, climate change mitigation and adaption, development of a competitive STEM workforce, and federal investment in STEM research and education. In this position I helped Senator Markey draft and introduce legislation, and prepare for congressional hearings, Senator floor speeches, legislative votes, and Capitol Hill events. I also met with constituents who represented areas in my portfolio, from renewable energy companies to university scientists, to listen to their concerns and suggestions on upcoming legislation.

Read more about my experience in Congress

• The STEM Advocate: Eng Alumna Goes to Washington - Sara Cody

• If You're Not at the Table, You're On the Menu - Karen Paczkowski

• Geoscience COMPETES - Karen Paczkowski

I was a Science Policy Fellow in the government affairs office of the Geological Society of America (GSA), where I worked as a liaison between scientists and policymakers. I kept GSA’s 26,000+ science members informed, represented, and involved in the public policies that may affect their work.

I helped plan and implement Congressional Visits Days, where scientists come to DC to meet with their Congressional Senators and Representatives to impart the importance of the science research they are conducting in their state and district. In preparation for these visits, I trained scientists to better communicate the value of their science to both policymakers and the public through communications workshops, webinars, and on-site training sessions. In particular, I organized a communications exercise that taught scientists how to tailor their message to engage different audiences, from federal officials to the general public, without compromising the factual information of their work.

Read some of my Nonprofit work

• Senate Energy Committee Passes Bipartisan Energy Bill - Karen Paczkowski

• The American Innovation Act Supports Investment in Basic Science Research - Karen Paczkowski

• Geoscientists Meet with Policy Makers on Capitol Hill - Karen Paczkowski

• More

In addition to peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, I have also published non-technical articles and presented to the general public on upcoming science-related legislation, science policy events, and the importance of federal investment in science. For almost a decade I have worked to foster dialogue and build relationships between scientists and policymakers as a four-time contributor to the Science-Engineering-Technology and Geoscience Congressional Visits Days. With a coalition of professional geoscience and STEM organizations, I helped develop a concise, unified message advocating for federal support of basic research. I stressed the benefits of federally supported research in meetings with offices of U.S. Representatives and Senators, and U.S. House and Senate committees, and to the public in local letters to the editor. I have built on my person experience to encouraged fellow scientists, especially students, to contribute to policy in outreach publications in the American Geophysical Union’s Eos newspaper and sponsored blog posts. I’ve helped first-time science participants prepare for their own meetings through communications workshops, webinars, and on-site training sessions.

Read more about my experience in Science Communication

• Advocating for the Future of Science on Capitol Hill - Karen Paczkowski

• A geoscientist adds her voice to the policy conversation - Karen Paczkowski

I have a strong, consistent history of helping students and young professionals connect with different career options and realize their own career goals. I have served on several career panels, including as a panelist on AIBS’s Communications Training Bootcamp for Scientists and as a panelist on the Women Scientists and Engineers on Capitol Hill and moderator on Careers on Capitol Hill panels at Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) annual Women in STEM Policy Seminar. I have also given several lectures on career opportunities for scientists at predominate science conference and workshops, including two presentations, Bridging Science & Policy and Policy, at the Geological Society of America’s annual meeting, and a presentation, Science Policy Careers, at the National Park’s Service’s Mosaics in Science Internship Program’s annual trip to DC.

On the one-on-one level, I currently counsel undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing non-academic careers. I help these students understand the options available to someone with their training and direct them towards opportunities that fit their goals. While in graduate school at Yale, I mentored undergraduate women majoring in STEM fields through the Women in Science at Yale Mentoring Program. I advised these impressive women on course selection, internships, career opportunities, and how to navigate the culture of STEM classes and workplaces. When I moved down to DC I joined the YaleWomen DC Mentoring Initiative, a program that organizes small-group meetings of Yale alumni committed to advancing the influence of women in society. I have also volunteered at the Department of Energy National Science Bowl, a nationwide science competition of school aged children and at the Peabody National History Museum, where I executed activities designed to engage children in the wonders of STEM.