Sadie Novak, PhD - an Eagleton Science Fellow at Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics. During her fellowship, Sadie is serving in New Jersey’s State Legislature as a science advisor. In this role, she leverages her analytical skills and scientific expertise to inform policy decisions and contribute to meaningful legislative initiatives. Sadie has been motivated to pursue a career path that would allow her the ability to contribute work that impacts her community in positive and meaningful ways, and this unique fellowship opportunity reflects the passions and values that have guided her career trajectory.

Sadie is formally trained as a chemist. She earned her PhD Chemistry at Syracuse University. Her dissertation research investigated the intracellular localization and trafficking mechanisms of ghrelin O-acyltransferase (referred to as GOAT), an enzyme that is involved in diverse physiological pathways and is a drug target for diseases such as diabetes, obesity, addiction, and various cancers.

 During her graduate training, she had the opportunity to teach and mentor a range of graduate, undergraduate, high school, and elementary students. Throughout her teaching, she centered the importance of accessibility in STEM education in her curriculum and methods. She aimed to empower her students to take ownership of their learning, find ways to relate to chemistry in the world around them, and find a sense of belonging in the STEM field.

 While at Syracuse University, Sadie was also an organizer, and contributed to the unionization of Syracuse Graduate Employees United with SEIU Local 200United in 2023. She continued her organizing work when she was elected to the SGEU Bargaining Committee and helped to negotiate and ratify the Union’s first collective bargaining agreement in 2024.

 Breaking down barriers – barriers to research questions that have yet to be answered, or barriers to creating a more equitable and diverse scientific workforce, or to barriers workers to a job in which they are treated with dignity and respect – has been a theme through Sadie’s career. Like her transition from academia into a role in the State government sector as a Science Fellow, joining the Prepare2Vote team was an opportunity to contribute to work that embodies and reflects Sadie’s values. Prepare2Vote breaks down barriers for people around voting by promoting accessibility through education, empowering people to raise their voice through their vote, and building communities through connecting people to their local and state governments.