Jennifer DiStefano and Jared Mondschein on the transition from the bench to the policy office

Early-career scientists are increasingly gravitating toward science policy, but the transition from the research bench to the policy office can be a tricky one. What can that path look like, and how can chemistry knowledge translate into a successful science policy career? In this bonus episode of C&EN’s Bonding Time, Mark Feuer DiTusa sits down with recent science PhD graduates and science policy professionals Jennifer DiStefano and Jared Mondschein to hear about their intertwined journeys, what science policy looks like for them, and how they think policy is shaping the direction of chemistry in the US.
You can find the episode where we spoke with six chemists about their yearlong science policy fellowships in Washington, DC, at cenm.ag/lessons.
You can connect with Jennifer DiStefano ( / jennifer-distefano ) and Jared Mondschein ( / jaredsmondschein ) at their LinkedIn pages.
A transcript of this episode can be found at cenm.ag/scipolicy
Credits
Executive producer: Gina Vitale
Writer: Mark Feuer DiTusa
Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa, Brian Gutierrez
Story editor: Ariana Remmel
Copyeditor: Sabrina Ashwell, Michael McCoy
Show logo design: William A. Ludwig
Episode artwork: William A. Ludwig
Music (in order of appearance): “The Beat Detector” by Novembers, "Sugar Cubes" by Avner Kelmer
Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us at @cenmag or email [e-mail].