Seminar Series: Providing Science and Technology Advice to Congress

Tind Shepper Ryen is the assistant director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics (STAA). STAA works to examine science and technology-related issues government-wide and provides Congress with insight into emerging trends.

Ryen’s talk is titled, “Providing Science and Technology Advice to Congress.” From smartphones to bioengineered vaccines, scientific and technological advances are changing the world we live in. Adopting these technologies into every day and government use can bring opportunities—for economic growth and improved quality of life—as well as the potential for unintended consequences. The GAO provides Congress, the executive branch, and the public with timely, fact-based, non-partisan information on the most pressing science and technology (S&T) issues through the work of its Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team. Tind Shepper Ryen, an assistant director in this team, will speak to how GAO provides oversight, insight, and foresight on S&T issues based on his experience at GAO and as a former congressional staffer.

The La Follette School Seminar Series engages participants in discussion of a range of public policy issues and showcases the research of faculty from the La Follette School, other UW–Madison departments, and outside the UW–Madison community. Faculty, students, and visitors take part in lively dialogue about topics such as poverty and welfare, health, education, international affairs, trade and finance, and the environment. For more information, email Professor Tim Smeeding.