Now she is helping to inform policy at the highest level as the assistant director for environmental science, engineering, policy and justice for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Goldman began the job in July and will serve a one-year term while on sabbatical from the Union of Concerned Scientists, where she is the research director for the Center for Science and Democracy.
Goldman, an atmospheric science major at Cornell, first became interested in the ways science impacts public policy during a course in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning called Green Cities. The course revolved around how decisions made by a society impact the urban environment and its intersection with nature.
“That course really made me think about the career options that could combine science and policy, allowing me to lead, organize, and communicate while also using technical skills,” said Goldman.
After completing an externship with a Cornell alumnus working on air quality policy for transportation at the Federal Highway Administration, Goldman was set on working in policy and advocacy in some capacity.
“It was this incredibly valuable experience because I got to meet all these people with technical degrees that were doing all kinds of neat things that made concrete impacts on the world,” said Goldman. “It opened my eyes to the world of Washington, D.C., and public service, and all the potential there is to use science for public good.”
After finishing her undergraduate degree at Cornell and her graduate degree at Georgia Tech, Goldman found herself back in Washington, reconnecting with the Cornell alumnus she worked with years ago and landing a role at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
