This summer I had the opportunity to intern at the MIT Washington Office, which facilitates communication and interactions between the MIT campus and policymakers in Washington, D.C. My responsibilities centered around reporting on Congressional hearings, think tank discussions and media forums and examining these events’ relevance to MIT as well as university interests and U.S. R&D efforts more broadly. I authored articles regarding these events and related policy developments for a weekly newsletter distributed among MIT leadership and faculty. In addition I conducted a policy analysis on the consequences of President Trump's travel ban for the scientific community, with some consideration of its potential implications for national security.

I very much appreciated the mentorship provided by the MIT Washington Office staff, which enabled me to learn a great deal about key emerging technologies of interest to policymakers, federal R&D funding, issues concerning campus protests and First Amendment rights, and the multi-faceted, evolving relationships between STEM experts and policymakers.