by Kimberly M. Hazen
Alumnus Steve Feldgus takes an unconventional career path with the Department of the Interior.
The path to a chemistry Ph.D. for Steve Feldgus ‘00 was not traditional, so it follows that the career that resulted from his work at UW has been anything but ordinary. In January 2024, Feldgus was named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management for the U.S. Department of the Interior. Before his current role, Feldgus served on the House Natural Resources Committee for seven years, including as Deputy Staff Director under Chair Raúl M. Grijalva and Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
When asked what he’d like our current students to know about what they might do with a degree in chemistry he answered, “More than you could possibly imagine. It’s not all industry and academia!”
At UW, Feldgus could have probably used his own pep talk. After working on gas-phase chemistry under Professor James Weisshaar for nearly four years, Feldgus took a summer detour through an Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Fellowship and worked for NPR as a reporter in Greely, Colorado. Whether the experience reframed his interests or not, Feldgus returned to school in the fall and was open to new opportunities. One of those opportunities came from a conversation with Professor Clark Landis about a stalled project involving computational chemistry. “It was clear to me that he’s a really bright guy,” explained Landis. “He just wasn’t working on something that stimulated him.” So Landis, with the support of Professor Weishaar, pitched his project to Feldgus.
Landis said the opportunity reflects the climate of the department, “ I think that the department is an unusually collegial place and we want people to have a good Ph.D. experience,” he explained. “Change in research topic is accommodated without prejudice.”
As luck would have it, a primarily computational project can move quickly. Feldgus proved that he was adept at computations and it took him very little time to get up to speed. After the “reboot,” Feldgus finished his degree in under two years.
The work was the first of its kind. “It was a time when computers were becoming much more powerful in chemistry,” explained Landis. “This was one of the very first demonstrations of using computers to understand the origins of selectivity in asymmetric catalysis.”
After graduation and a short stint at teaching, Feldgus applied for and received an American Association for the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship. He credits his degree at UW for landing him the opportunity to work for the Office of Senator Jon S. Corzine. His role involved helping with constituent concerns about policy that involved science or technology and he was called upon to give a scientific opinion on matters.
Before his current position, Feldgus served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management for two and a half years. He also served on the House Natural Resources Committee for seven years, including as Deputy Staff Director under Chair Raúl M. Grijalva and Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Feldgus also served in a variety of other roles in the legislative and executive branches. As for his current position, Feldgus is grateful to continue the forward progress of the Interior Department. “Over the last three years, the Interior Department has made tremendous progress in protecting our public lands, cleaning up legacy pollution, and spurring a clean energy economy,” states Feldgus.