Rahul Rekhi (back row, second from left) with students from the 2011 Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program
Last summer, I had the opportunity to serve as a Baker Institute-Rice Center for Engineering Leadership Policy Intern in Washington, D.C, and through the program, I enjoyed an illuminating chance to tackle science and technology policy initiatives at the federal level as an intern at the National Science Foundation (NSF).
My first week on the job, U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., released a report decrying several NSF research grants as wasteful. One study in particular that drew ire in the report involved running shrimp on a treadmill in various conditions to measure their movement patterns — a study that has now been made into a viral video, I might add. Yet, as admittedly frivolous as the inquiry seemed at first glance, in poring over the details of the research and associated grant proposal, it was apparent that understanding the neural and biomechanical mechanisms governing shrimp mobility actually has substantial implications for our understanding of human mobility — the health and medical benefits of which are tremendous. Clearly, however, without the scientific literacy that my bioengineering background provides, this conclusion was unattainable, its significance locked away behind the esoteric nature of the science. In this way, I was able to witness firsthand how science literacy and communication — the interface of science and society — impacts health and technology innovation here in America. The experience was deeply formative, helping me understand what it truly means to be both a scientist and a public servant. Then, more than ever before, I became acutely aware of the critical need for scientists and engineers to leverage their technical backgrounds to enact change in the public sphere.
Three years ago, the picture wasn’t quite so clear. I was a freshman, with vague notions of my academic, intellectual and professional interests. Science, engineering and research fascinated me, alongside a deep-seated aspiration toward public policy and service, but I had little idea or inclination of how the two seemingly disparate interests could mesh.
My experiences at the Baker Institute changed all of that. I’ve engaged with some of the most distinguished scholars and leaders in the world — from Nobel laureate David Baltimore to the CEO of JP Morgan Jamie Dimon just in the past month — and acquired their invaluable personal insights on policy and careers alike. The chance to discuss the role of science in policy with the Baker Institute’s Neal Lane, President Clinton’s former chief science adviser, has been incredible. Dr. Lane’s graciousness extends to life advice, insights on science policy, and a willingness to mentor undergraduates on independent research. My NSF summer internship further cemented my joint passions for science, health and policy, solidifying my aim to serve as a civic scientist.
In fact, a staunch desire to act on this vision culminated in my decision to apply for the Truman Scholarship — a federal award that provides $30,000 for graduate study, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government to the country’s future public leaders and “change agents.” Throughout an arduous process of essays, interviews and policy wonkery, I frequently found myself drawing on the knowledge and vision cultivated here to convey my leadership experience, the needs of society I seek to address, and my motivations for a career in public service. At the end of it all, my fellow 2011 Baker Institute DC Intern Benjamin Chou and I were honored to be chosen as one of 54 Truman Scholars nationwide.
As a junior, I’m not quite sure yet how I’ll use the award’s graduate funding, with postgraduate plans still in flux. Later this month, however, I’ll have a chance to help formalize these plans in Missouri during Truman Scholars Leadership Week — a week-long orientation filled with leadership training, policy seminars, graduate school fairs and a chance to forge lifelong bonds with my fellow 2012 Truman Scholars. One thing, at least, is for sure: With the Truman, I hope to continue work not just at the vanguard of biomedical innovation in the laboratory, but also in the policy arena, where there is a need for sound science and health policy that is in synergy with our research pipeline. Looking forward, I can only hope that the next three years will be as rewarding as the last.
Rahul Rekhi ‘13 is studying for a B.S. in Bioengineering and a B.A. in Economics. In addition to his 2012 Truman Scholarship Award, he won a Goldwater Scholarship in 2011.