Aubrey Paris ’15

Looking Back

Aubrey Paris ’15 looks back at her four years at Ursinus and credits her decision to attend Ursinus as the catalyst for a chain reaction that introduces her to the world of science policy. Early on in her academic career she declared a double-major in chemistry and biology, jump-starting her appreciation for a broad array of scientific topics.

Aubrey began research as a first-year student with biology professor Robert Dawley. These experiences in the lab led to her honors chemistry research on carbon dioxide reduction. She also had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for two weeks to conduct field research as part of Dr. Dawley’s Biology of the Neotropics class.

Parlee Center for Science and the Common Good

Aubrey was named one of the first fellows for the Parlee Center for Science and the Common Good, exploring science and its impact on society. Her role as a fellow prompted her to take an ethics class, learn about issues with global medical infrastructure, and compete in the U-Imagine Center’s BEAR Innovation competition with a proposal for improving disease surveillance.

Internships

While at Ursinus, Aubrey was awarded an internship with the Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP). Drawn to the institute in part due to its focus on global health, Aubrey worked on programs related to infectious disease, food security, climate change, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. More certain that ever of her passion for science policy, Aubrey decided she wants to be considered a scientific expert in the field and set a new goal: to obtain her Ph.D.

After Ursinus

Aubrey earned a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship right after graduation, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry and materials science from Princeton University.

Using the creativity and leadership skills she developed at Ursinus, Aubrey designed a thesis project focused on discovering and understanding new alloy catalysts active in the electrochemical transformation of carbon dioxide to chemical feedstocks and fuels. Remaining passionate about the love of interdisciplinarity that Ursinus instilled in her, she continued working for the ISGP and became a founding co-host and manager of its podcast, “The Forum.”

After earning her Ph.D., Aubrey applied for a science policy fellowships within the federal government. Reflecting on the interview process, which she describes as “intense,” Aubrey recalls her confidence: “Do you know what every interviewer asked? They asked about my entrepreneurial experience with the U-Imagine Center. They asked about my work with the ISGP. They asked about my podcast, and the Parlee Center, and the importance of interdisciplinarity. They asked about my Ph.D. research, too, but it became very clear that what set me apart from the other candidates was every opportunity that came my way as a result of my time at Ursinus.”

Aubrey served as the 2019-2020 IEEE-USA Science and Diplomacy Fellow at the U.S. Department of State, where her appointment was in the Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary. Today, she is the Senior Policy Advisor on Gender, Climate, & Innovation in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues for the U.S. Department of State. There, she leads policy, public affairs, and public diplomacy strategy development related to the intersection of gender equality and climate change.