Hello! My name is Dr. Priyanka Bushana, and I am the new Fellowship Engagement Manager at the Scientific Citizenship Initiative (SCi). I am a researcher, community organizer, and civic scientist in Seattle, Washington. I am excited to help SCi prepare for the launch of the Massachusetts Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (MASTPF), and to join a growing community of civic scientists who are solving shared societal problems in both their academic and local communities.
A Bit About Me
As a teenager, I had a lot of trouble sleeping. I would lie awake for hours at night, wondering why we even needed to sleep at all.
Years later, I had the chance to start answering those questions. I earned my Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University’s Spokane campus. There, I studied how sleep deprivation affects brain function and looked for ways to fight off the brain fog it causes.
But even while I was neck-deep in data, I kept thinking about how my science could improve society. I wanted what I was learning in the lab to make it out into the world, to help people sleep better, or at least function better when they couldn’t sleep. And, I wanted to learn and teach scientists how to ensure that their research could do the same. That curiosity led me to co-found a local trainee-led science policy initiative during graduate school, and to start building opportunities, tools, and ecosystems that allow scientists to more fully engage in civic life.
A Commitment to Collective Change
Over the past decade, I have worked on a wide range of programs and projects that empower scientists to work together to improve the scientific enterprise, their communities, and society at large. I co-launched the Washington Science Policy Network (WASPN) and played a lead role in organizing UAW 4591, a cross-campus academic union at Washington State University focused on improving graduate students’ working conditions in their research and teaching environments. Along the way, I have been fortunate to be supported by two incredible science policy training programs: the Society for Neuroscience’s Early Career Policy Ambassador Program and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM) Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Fellowship.
Beyond Work
Outside of work, I’m happiest upside down as a duo acrobat and aerialist. I also climb (mostly plastic) rocks and sometimes turn up on a rugby pitch. Most recently, I have been channeling my organizing instincts into developing affinity spaces for people of color (BIPOC) within Seattle’s partner acrobatics community. What can I say? I’m an organizer on the ground, in the air, and everywhere in between.
Priyanka’s Work at SCi
As Fellowship Engagement Manager, I’m excited to support SCi’s growing network of policy fellows, collaborators, supporters, and the new MASTPF Advisory Board and Advisory Council. My work will focus on communications, building relationships, and opportunities for meaningful collaboration that support and help to develop the MASTPF. My charge is to ensure that MASTPF is designed with the needs of trainees, the local scientific community, and the people of the Commonwealth in mind. I’m excited to develop a program that enables researchers to explore public service pathways and use their expertise to advance equity and justice.
