Eagleton Science Fellows to Help State Officials Develop Evidence-Based Public Policy

The latest cohort is comprised of doctoral-level scientists, engineers and health care professionals

Organizers of the Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowshipprogram at the Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics have announced the latest cohort of fellows serving as full-time science advisers in New Jersey state government.

For the next year, the new group of seven Eagleton Science Fellows will aid state political officials in the development and implementation process of evidence-based public policy.

"The Science Fellows drive forward the program's initiative to bridge the gap between science and politics," said Kristoffer Shields, the interim director of the Eagleton Science and Politics Program and director of the Center on the American Governor. "They bring their scientific training and expertise to New Jersey state government while developing an understanding of how state government works and how their work fits into the field of public service."

This latest group of accomplished doctoral-level scientists, engineers and health care professionals come to the program with a varied background in the ways their work contributes to their communities.

Meet the 2025-2026 Eagleton Science Fellowsserving in legislative and executive branches of the New Jersey state government:

• Emily Boltcreed, Ph.D., studied biomedical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, fellowship placement at the N.J. Senate Majority Office

• Lindsey Fernandez, Ph.D., studied computational cancer modeling at the University of Pennsylvania, fellowship placement at the N.J. Department of Human Services

• Zach Goldberg, Ph.D., studied geography at Penn State, fellowship placement at the N.J. Board of Public Utilities

• Iram Mansoor, Ph.D., studied chemistry and chemical biology at Rutgers University, fellowship placement at the N.J. Board of Public Utilities

• Carolyn Schaefer, EGD 9/2025, studied nuclear engineering and engineering physics at University of Wisconsin-Madison, fellowship placement at the N.J. Board of Public Utilities

• Sophia Vicente, Ph.D., studied engineering education at Virginia Tech, fellowship placement at the N.J. Assembly Majority Office

• Hao (Nick) Zhang, Ph.D., studied materials science and engineering at Johns Hopkins University, fellowship placement at the N.J. Board of Public Utilities

"Eagleton is grateful to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Rutgers University, the Board of Public Utilities, and the NJ Legislature for their support of the Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship," said Elizabeth C. Matto, director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics. "Training Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers in the intersection of science and politics improves not just the practice of these fields but democracy itself."