Applying physics to national security on Capitol Hill

Ryan Nessrodt, Capitol — “I used a technical approach to thinking things through, including laying out assumptions and seeing if those assumptions are corrects,” Ryan Nesselrodt recalls of this time as the 2024-25 APS Congressional Science Fellow.

Ryan Nesselrodt (PhD `23) recently completed his term as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow and Legislative Assistant in the office of U.S. Representative John Garamendi. In this role, Ryan helped craft amendments on defense and national security legislation. One examined the risks of AI integration with nuclear weapons systems and another called for a study on the reuse of plutonium pits, the core of nuclear weapons.

“Using my technical knowledge to help shape such an important piece of legislation was incredibly meaningful,” he says.

Ryan’s fellowship was sponsored by the American Physical Society (APS). The fellowship makes individuals with scientific knowledge and skills available to members of Congress, and enables scientists to broaden their experience through direct involvement with policymaking.

Read the full story in APS News.