Stephanie Plaza-Torres has been named the 2026–2027 Geological Society of America (GSA)–U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Congressional Science Fellow.
Stephanie Plaza-Torres is a geoscientist with a background in paleontology and geochemistry, and an interest in federal science policy. She earned her bachelor's degree in geology with a minor in statistics and probability from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. During her master's program at the University of Colorado Boulder, Plaza-Torres investigated fossil plants and coprolite microbial activity through carbon stable isotope geochemistry. She also led and participated in outreach and mentorship programs designed to provide formative research experiences to undergraduate students.
Plaza-Torres’s science policy experience began with the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and the Paleontological Society, where she contributed to policy discussions around museum collection management and studied fossil collection practices. She continued to engage with science policy through the Paleontological Society Governmental Affairs Committee and Congressional Visits Days, interacting directly with legislative staff on issues affecting the geoscience community. At the National Science Foundation (NSF), Plaza-Torres conducted proposal data analytics and supported NSF's work associated with Tribal Nation engagement and consultation.
Plaza-Torres will spend her fellowship year working in a congressional office as part of the broader American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowships program, supporting legislative work on issues where science and geoscience can inform public decisions.
The Congressional Science Fellowship is offered by the Geological Society of America and the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Science and Engineering Fellows Program. 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of this Fellowship. Learn more about the GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellowship here.
About the Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a global professional society with more than 18,000 members across over 100 countries. As a leading voice for the geosciences, GSA advances the understanding of Earth's dynamic processes and fosters collaboration among scientists, educators, and policymakers. GSA publishes Geology, the top-ranked “geology” journal, along with a diverse portfolio of scholarly journals, books, and conference proceedings—several of which rank among Amazon’s top 100 best-selling geology titles.
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