As an SCi State House Summer Intern, I worked in Senator Julian Cyr’s office, which represents constituents across Cape Cod. My primary project focused on solar accessibility in historic districts, which is particularly important on the Cape, where communities are already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate.
Cape Cod receives more sunlight than many other regions of Massachusetts, making it well-suited for solar energy. The area also has a large population on fixed incomes, including retirees, who could greatly benefit from the long-term energy cost savings that solar panels provide. Yet regulations intended to preserve historic character and minimize visual impacts often create significant barriers to solar installation, limiting access to these benefits.
My role on the solar project centered on fact-finding and analysis. I reviewed historic committee meeting minutes spanning the past decade to understand how decisions to approve or deny solar permits were being made across the Cape. Drawing on my skills in data analysis, I analyzed the amount of potential energy lost due to permit denials, helping the Senator’s office grasp the scale and consequences of the issue. I ultimately assembled a comprehensive database of all solar panel applications and their outcomes. Based on this work, the office asked me to help draft legislation aimed at improving solar access for residents, which I did in collaboration with a clerk at the Massachusetts Supreme Court.
Although our bill did not advance far on its own, Massachusetts has since passed sweeping climate legislation under Governor Maura Healey that significantly limits the authority of historic boards to deny solar installations. I like to think that the data we assembled helped move this conversation forward. Each dot on the map represented a permit application, with color indicating the outcome. Translating technical, historical, and environmental data into clear, actionable information is exactly where scientists can add value in legislative spaces.
This experience solidified my desire to work as a scientist in partnership with legislative bodies. I am now an assistant professor at the University of Virginia, with a joint appointment in Environmental Sciences and Landscape Architecture. I have a unique position, which allows me to pursue cutting-edge research while advancing practical, community-oriented work in climate solutions. My time at the State House also gave me a valuable perspective on how legislative offices operate and how, as a scientist, I can engage productively with local policymakers. Programs like the Massachusetts Science & Technology Policy Fellowship (MASTPF) make these experiences possible by embedding scientists directly in the State House, where evidence, data, and scientific thinking are urgently needed.
-Meghan Blumstein
Assistant Professor
Environmental Sciences and Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia
“Addressing issues before the Legislature today, from PFAS contamination to climate resilience to emerging technologies, requires a level of scientific understanding that most offices do not have the capacity to develop on their own. SCi’s part-time interns demonstrated how critical scientific expertise can be in shaping effective policy, giving our team the confidence and nuance needed to make well-informed decisions. A full-time fellowship program like MASTPF would institutionalize that support and give the Commonwealth the tools it needs to craft forward-looking, evidence-informed policy. SCi has the vision and capacity to make this program a success, and Massachusetts will be stronger for it.”
-Senator Julian Cyr
Cape and Islands
