Dr. Kristin Hook is the Director for Science Policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. To this role, Dr. Hook brings nearly two decades of experience leveraging her scientific expertise in service of the public good.
Prior to joining UCS, Dr. Hook shaped science-informed federal policy in government: serving the public as a biological scientist at the US Government Accountability Office, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, and ASA Congressional Science & Engineering Fellow in the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren. Across these roles, she provided technical expertise for policymakers on emerging science and technology issues to help drive meaningful change for millions of people.
Dr. Hook has enhanced public understanding of and trust in science through outreach initiatives, media engagement, and teaching, efforts that began in the classroom as a science teacher with Teach For America. She is also a committed advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM, serving as a co-founder and grassroots leader of 500 Women Scientists in Washington, DC, and as a mentor to hundreds of young women and girls, BIPOC, and first-generation students.
Raised in a working-class family in South Texas, Dr. Hook did not grow up knowing any scientists. With support from public investments in education and research, including federal Pell Grants and National Science Foundation funding, she earned her BS and BA from the University of Texas at Austin and her PhD in behavioral biology from Cornell University.