Deborah Stine - Introduction

My name is Deborah Stine and my title at CMU is Professor of the Practice of Engineering and Public Policy, and Associate Director for Policy Outreach at the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation.  I’ve been at CMU for about 2 years.  As you might be able to tell from my title, my goal at CMU is to provide you with information as to how you can apply the skills you are learning to real world problems just as you might do in a job someday.  At the Scott Institute, I produce videos (such as those on energy storage, vehicles, and the rebound effect) and educational material for policymakers and the public including a guides on Shale Gas and the Environment and Renewable Electricity.

U.S. Capitol Building
Source: Wiki Commons

I have a BS in mechanical and environmental engineering from UC Irvine. My first job out of engineering school was as a mathematician for the Air Force looking at the impact of dioxin (Agent Orange) on Vietnam Vets. I then became a field engineer for the air pollution agency for the State of Texas.  For five years, I roamed through Texas inspecting some of the largest chemical plants and refineries in the world and many other potential sources of air pollution.  I climbed smoke stacks to measure whether or not pollution control devices were working, and was certified to look at a stack from afar and see if it exceeded a certain opacity limit.  I responded to citizen complaints and participated in public meetings. I because a specialist in hazardous air pollutant fugitive emissions where a small amount of a chemical (e.g., phosgene) could be extremely dangerous to the local population.   This was a major issue at the time due to an incident that occurred in Bhopal, India that killed 3,800 people.

At the same time as I was working full time as field engineer, I pursued my MBA at night at the local Texas A&M university, and became active in politics and policy eventually becoming President of the local League of Women Voters and then on the Texas state board of directors.  After many visits to Washington, I decided that would be a good place to pursue my PhD in public administration with a focus on science and technology policy analysis at American University.  My dissertation was on international environmental policy focusing on the degree to which scientific and technical information influences policy decisions.

Helicopter landing at White House
(look for small disks near the house where the helicopter must land).
Source: WIki Commons

I also wanted to gain some industry experience and obtained a job at what is now the American Chemistry Council -- the major association for the chemical industry.  While there I continued my focus on fugitive emissions of hazardous air pollutants– working with industry experts to develop a program to enhance monitoring of these emissions.  After the ACC, I worked for the National Academy of Sciences/National Academy of Engineering – a nongovernmental organization that provides advice to the federal government and the public. Over my 18 years there I worked on many studies.  The most famous of these was a report entitled Rising Above the Gathering Storm which lead to the America COMPETES Act.

I then began working for the U.S. Congress analyzing science and technology policy issues for members of Congress and their staff as part of the Congressional Research Service.  From there, I went to the White House as Executive Director of the  President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) in the Obama Administration – a federal advisory committee that provides advice to the President on science and technology policy issues.  I then came to CMU. 

Throughout my career, I have been involved in innovation policy, and I look forward to passing some of the lessons I have learned on to all of you.