“Muddy Boots” Science Policy with University of Idaho’s Katherine Himes, Ph.D.

On this week’s episode, Dr. Katherine Himes, Director of the University of Idaho’s McClure Center for Public Policy Research, shares her expertise in science diplomacy, international development, public policy, and more.

We discuss a range of science communication and public policy issues, including:

How Katherine made the transition from neuroscience Ph.D. in Minnesota to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, DC.

What she means by “muddy boots science policy”, a term she coined while at AID, and the importance of getting out into the community to really understand it BEFORE starting to stitch together a policy affecting those stakeholders

Katherine’s work in a fascinating entrepreneurial office at AID – what it was like and, more generally, what entrepreneurship looks like in the federal government

The McClure Center – its mission, focus, and the work the Center develops and undertakes

The Idaho Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program – how it was developed, what the program is up to these days, and Katherine’s hopes for the future of the program