Scott Institute Distinguished Lecture with Gretchen T. Goldman, Ph.D.

Join us on Wednesday, April 8, for a Distinguished Lecture at the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, featuring Gretchen T. Goldman, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Union of Concerned Scientists, "On Stepping Up And Being Bold: Defending Science and Making Progress in the Current Climate":

Throughout history, scientists and technical experts have played different roles and scientific and academic institutions have long been stable, independent pillars of society. Today, the US science and technology enterprise is being disrupted in unprecedented ways, with drastic reductions in Federal research investments, reduction in Federal staff capacity and expertise, and dissolvement of Federal science programs, scientific assessments, and science activities across governmental agencies. What is the role of the scientist when scientific institutions are under threat? How can the scientific community respond to the speed, scope, and severity of threats to the US science and technology enterprise in the current moment? What lessons can we draw from history, from the interplay between science and democratic institutions and activities?

This talk will characterize the current moment for the US science and technology landscape, with a focus on Federal government actions, and explore ways that the scientific community is and could respond in to preserve key functions, continue progress on evidence-based policy across levels of government, and reimagine scientific institutions that best serve the public interest.

The event is co-hosted by the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation and Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research.

Space is limited. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Lunch will be provided.

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About Gretchen T. Goldman, Ph.D.

Gretchen Goldman is president and CEO of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a leading science-based advocacy organization that combines technical analysis and advocacy to create and implement innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

She is an environmental engineer with deep expertise at the nexus of science and policy on topics including federal scientific integrity, climate science and emissions reductions, air pollution exposure and health effects, and environmental justice and science in federal decisionmaking.

Previously, Goldman served in the White House as the assistant director for environmental science, engineering, policy, and justice in the Climate and Environment division of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she focused on climate equity, air quality, Indigenous Knowledge, environmental justice, and scientific integrity. She also served as the climate change research and technology director at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and previously worked at UCS as the research director at the Center for Science and Democracy.

Goldman has provided science advice and thought leadership across the science and decision-making ecosystem. She is a prolific writer and speaker on science policy, has testified before Congress and sat on the board of the nonprofit 500 Women Scientists.

She has received many recognitions and honors, including the 2026 Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni for Georgia Tech College of Engineering; the 2025 Bloomberg Green Ones to Watch list; the 2025 American University William C. Reilly Environmental Leadership Award; the 2024 U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary’s Award from Secretary Pete Buttigieg for her work on decarbonization of the transportation sector; the 2022 Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Young Alumni Achievement Award; and the 2022 Georgia Tech alumni 40 Under 40 List. She was named among Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year in 2020. She has been quoted by the BBC, CNN, Nature, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Science, among other outlets.

She holds a PhD and MS in environmental engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a BS in atmospheric science from Cornell University.

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