Denice Ross of the Federation of American Scientists Named NAPA Academy Fellow
Ross, who leads the FAS Data Policy Institute, to be honored by the
National Academy of Public Administration for work at the intersection of federal data in daily life
Washington, D.C. – November 10, 2026 – Federal data underpin the daily lives of Americans in countless ways, from weather apps to food safety. Denice Ross, former U.S. Chief Data Scientist and Data Policy Institute lead at the Federation of American Scientists, will be honored for her stewardship of public data by the National Academy of Public Administration, where she has been named a Fellow. Ross will receive formal induction as a NAPA fellow during the Academy’s 2026 Annual Conference, held at the National Academy of Sciences Building, November 8-11, in Washington, D.C.
The 2026 cohort of NAPA Fellows includes AI pioneers, statisticians, historians, educators, and public service practitioners from the local, state, and federal levels. Ross is among 63 other fellows competitively selected for their achievements in public service nationwide. Fellows are elected to recognize their lifetime contributions to public service.
“Denice’s career demonstrates the seismic shift in our country’s understanding of federal data as a public resource that is worth protecting,” says Loren DeJonge Schulman, Director of Government Capacity at FAS. “She is a catalyst for indexing, monitoring, and advocating for the use of federal data and a leader in the emerging data policy field.”
Data policy is emerging as a distinct field. It is separate from data science, as it does not involve direct data analysis, and is complementary to the field of public policy. The field is an occasional add-on to tech policy and public interest tech.
Federal Data as Public Resource
“Data is crucial to effective policymaking and other decisionmaking but few people think of it as an asset that needs defense,” says Denice Ross, who was recently described as “taking the ‘Lorax’ approach to disappearing federal data” – that is, borrowing a Dr. Seuss character who speaks up on behalf of something that cannot. (FedScoop, October 16, 2026).
Ross’s Additional Public Data Work
In addition to her NAPA fellowship and leading the Data Policy Institute, Ms. Ross is co-founder of FAS’s essentialdata.us, which offers hundreds of case study examples of how federal data inform and support daily life in America.
Ross is also involved with other, independent data-related projects such as dataindex.us and federaldatafieldguide.us.
ABOUT
Federation of American Scientists (FAS)
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS’s work at fas.org.
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)
Chartered by Congress to provide nonpartisan expert advice, the Academy is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, efficient, accountable, and transparent organizations. More information at www.napawash.org.
Fellowship Announcement
National Conference
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