Washington Update

FASEB Announces New Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellows

By: Jennifer Zeitzer
Thursday, September 25, 2025
On September 10, FASEB announced the 2025-2026 Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellows. Nine individuals were selected from an incredibly competitive and impressive pool of applicants representing all career stages. The new fellows will spend 10 months enhancing their roles as advocates for science and gaining skills to help drive change within the research community. They will receive instruction in advocacy, science policy, science communication, leadership development, and career exploration beyond academia. Fellows will also attend the 2025 FASEB Science Policy Symposium in October and participate in the 2026 Capitol Hill Day next spring.

The new fellows represent a diversity of scientific disciplines and multiple FASEB societies:
  • Jessica Chen, Graduate Student, Harvard Medical School (member of AAI)
  • Jillian Cox, Graduate Student, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (member of AGE)
  • Alejandra Flores, Graduate Student, Vanderbilt University (member of ASPET)
  • Rebekah Kendall, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Montana (member of AAI)
  • Zari McCullers, Graduate Research Assistant, Penn State College of Medicine (member of ASPET and Endo)
  • Jocelyn Olvera, Graduate Student, University of California, San Diego (member of ASBMB)
  • Matthew Steinsaltz, Graduate Student Researcher, Yale University (member of ASBMB)
  • Rodney Williams, Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University (member of AAI)
  • Anika Zaman, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate, Stony Brook University (member of ASBMB)
It is increasingly important for scientists to engage directly with elected representatives, policymakers, and the broader public, although opportunities to develop the skills necessary to be effective advocates are often not included in graduate school curricula. To address this gap, and highlight FASEB’s commitment to advancing science policy, securing sustainable funding for scientific research, and supporting the training and professional development of the biomedical research workforce, FASEB launched the Howard Garrison Advocacy (HGA) Fellowship in 2023. To date, 17 scientists have successfully completed the fellowship, with several moving on to science policy careers at both the federal and state levels.