STEP at Virginia Tech

THE STEP PROGRAM EXPLORES THE IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY

“Science and policy are becoming more intertwined every day and there is growing interest among STEM-H students to take part in advising the decisions that will shape the future. To effectively influence the process, students need training and an understanding of how policymaking works.”

From state-of-the-art medical scanners to solar panels, technology has made innumerable contributions to improving our lives . However, many technologies have also come with negative, often unintended, consequences, including increased environmental pollution and social tensions. Engineers, scientists, and other technical experts have a responsibility to take the various potential impacts of their interventions into account, and society needs to have a say in how we use technologies.

Kathryn G. Lopez VT Environmental Engineering Ph.D. Student