New Congressional Science Fellow begins work in DC

Thomas “Beau” Badon, Ph.D., was selected as the 2025–2026 ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Congressional Science Fellow. He began his work this month in the office of Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado. As Fellow, Dr. Badon will cover portfolios on agriculture, energy, and public lands policies. 

 "I am thrilled with my placement in Senator Bennet's office," Badon says. "I look forward to learning from a policy team that has accumulated decades of legislative and executive experience while I advise on agricultural policies."

Badon received a Ph.D. in Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences from Virginia Tech. After completing his Ph.D., he was hired as a USDA-ARS Post-Doc in the National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS, but his position was eliminated prior to his start date due to federal workforce cuts earlier this year.
 
The ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Congressional Science Fellowship Program is unique opportunity for Society members with an interest in working at the intersection of science and government. For more than 30 years, ASA, CSSA, and SSSA have selected a Society member to spend one year in Washington, DC, applying their professional and scientific expertise as a special assistant on the staff of a member of Congress or congressional committee. The program is part of the larger Congressional Science & Engineering Fellows Program managed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).