ASME Federal Fellowship Spotlight: Applying Engineering Insight to Energy and Climate Policy

Serving as an ASME Federal Fellow gave Emily Beagle, a 2020 ASME Federal Fellow, the opportunity to bring engineering expertise into the heart of federal energy and climate policymaking. During her fellowship year, Emily worked on the Energy and Environment Legislative Team for the Office of Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), where she was fully embedded in the office and served in the same capacity as a Legislative Assistant. 

Emily reported to the Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Environment and worked closely with the Legislative Director, contributing across a wide range of legislative and policy efforts. There was no single “typical” day on the Hill. Instead, her work shifted constantly in response to emerging issues, current events, and fast-moving policy priorities. On any given day, she might be asked to quickly research a new issue, prepare background materials for the Senator, or draft responses related to pending legislation. 

Throughout the year, Emily supported Senator Smith’s work by reviewing and providing analysis on co-signing requests for letters and bills, drafting legislative language, preparing briefing materials for hearings, and meeting with constituents and stakeholders. One of the most meaningful parts of her fellowship was her work supporting Senator Smith’s role on the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. In that role, Emily authored the industrial decarbonization chapter of the Committee’s report, contributing technical and policy analysis to one of the most pressing climate challenges facing U.S. industry. 

Beyond the policy work itself, the fellowship experience was shaped by the strong sense of community among Fellows. From the start, Emily became part of a close-knit group of ASME and other congressional Fellows working across Capitol Hill on related policy issues. Fellows regularly connected to share insights, compare experiences, and support one another as they navigated the demands of congressional work. That network proved to be both professionally valuable and personally grounding during a fast-paced year in Washington D.C.  

Reflecting on the fellowship, Emily spent about a year on the Industrial Decarbonization team at RMI, where she led the policy workstream for the Green Hydrogen Catapult Project and worked closely with the organization’s federal policy team on legislative engagement. Since 2022, she has been a Research Associate and Lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin. In her current role, she manages clean molecules research within the Webber Energy Group and teaches courses on energy technology and policy, drawing on her experience as a Federal Fellow to bring real-world policy context into the classroom. 

ASME is proud of the impact its Federal Fellows have in public service and the ways they bring engineering perspective to complex policy challenges.