Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy

Summer 1999 Fellow Biographies

		Robert Amey (CGER/BRWM) has a M.A. and Ph.D. in geography from the University of Florida, Gainesville, with minors in resource economics and urban sociology, respectively. His B.A., also in geography, is from University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Currently he is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Prior to his current faculty appointment, he was a research associate in the Department of Health Policy and Epidemiology at the University of Florida. Contact by email.
		Nancy Ayers (CLS/ILAR) is a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. Her B.S. in recombinant genetics with a minor in English literature is from Western Kentucky University. She was also a fellow in the NSF's Summer Institute in Japan program where she conducted research and learned about Japan's science infrastructure and culture. Nancy is also a member of the congressional liaison committee of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Contact by email.
		Kai-Henrik Barth (OIA/CISAC) is Visiting Assistant Professor, Director of Studies, and member of the core faculty at Georgetown University's Security Studies Program. Dr. Barth holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics from the University of Münster and the University of Hamburg, Germany, respectively. He was a National Science Foundation post-doctoral fellow from 2000 to 2002. He has served as a lecturer in the Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA) program at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, and as an Analyst in Science and Technology Policy for the Congressional Research Service. Dr. Barth's current research focuses on the causes and consequences of nuclear proliferation, with particular emphasis on Iran. He is the guest editor (with John Krige) of a special issue of the journal Osiris on Historical Perspectives on Science, Technology, and International Affairs. Contact by email. (Updated 06/06)
		Douglas Bennett (CETS/ASEB) is currently a program officer at the NRC. He received his master's degree from Iowa State University in a double degree program that included a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (Astrophysics, History of Technology, and Creative Writing) and a M.A. in English. He also holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech and previously worked as a sales engineer for printed circuit board manufacturing equipment based out of Atlanta, and as a navigator for Schlumberger, Inc. on an oil exploration ship in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Trinidad.
		Aaron Brasket (CGER/PRB) is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He also has a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering with a minor in political science from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in atmosphere and ocean sciences from the University of Colorado. He has been a visiting researcher at the University of Victoria in Canada conducting research into ocean variability using numerical models for the past year and a half. Contact by email.
		Young-Jun Choi (PD/LAW) is a JD Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania law school. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Seoul National University in Korea and a master’s degree in technology policy with a minor in sociology of science from the Institute of Science at Korea University. Prior to coming to the United States, he was a professional social activist focusing on actions to develop humanity and democracy in science and technology.
		Olga Collazos (OSEP) is a master’s candidate in business administration at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. She has a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from Javeriana University in Bogota, Columbia. Prior to coming to the United States, she worked for the Colombian Government Institution for Science and Technology as an assistant to the Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Systems Program (ETI) which promotes academic and entrepreneurial programs and assists companies and universities in proposal preparation for research and new development projects. Contact by email.
		Bridget Coughlin (ONPI) is a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry at the University of Iowa. She has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Knox College. Her previous internship was with the Department of Energy-Martin Marietta at the Oakridge National Laboratory where she learned about collaboration between academic science, the DOE, and large industrial companies. She also acts as a copy and acquiring editor for a number of life sciences journals. Contact by email
		Michael Cronin (IOM/NCPB) is a Ph.D. candidate majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, San Francisco. He also has a bachelor’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is interested in translating scientific advancements into new and existing health care policies so as to maximize benefit to the public. Contact by email.
		Willard Freeman (OPUS) is a Ph.D. candidate in pharmacology with a minor in physiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He also has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and English from Wake Forest. He has lived in the Near East and Eastern Europe and worked on political campaigns. Contact by email.
		Jennifer Hart (CGER/BESR) is a master's candidate in GIS/mapping at Ohio State University. She holds bachelors degrees in both Geomatics and Science from The University of Melbourne, Australia. Before coming to the United States, she was a GIS analyst for the Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority on a project to continually monitor and study the social and economic impacts of gaming in Victoria. She is interested in pursuing a career that focuses on how GIS and associated technologies can provide direct benefits to the general community. Contact by email.
		Nina Mani (CLS/ILAR) is a Ph.D. candidate at George Washington University majoring in neuroscience and minoring in cell biology. She has a bachelor’s degree in human biology and a master’s degree in pharmacology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Dehli, India. She became interested in science and technology policy after attending a scientific meeting and hearing about the influence patients with Parkinson’s disease had on research funding. Contact by email.
		Karen McFarland (CETS/BICE) is a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington majoring in geography. She has a bachelor's degree in urban planning and regional analysis from SUNY Buffalo State College. Before pursuing graduate work, she was an Assistant Transportation Analyst for the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council in New York where she assisted in the preparation and development of the 2020 Long-Range Transportation Plan and the Transportation Improvement Programs for the Syracuse metropolitan area. In addition to her urban transportation focus, she has interests in geographic information systems and has previously interned with ESRI.
		James McGee (CPSMA/BMS) is a Ph.D. candidate in mathematics at Auburn University in Alabama. He also holds a B.S. in mathematics with a minor in computer science from Jackson State University in Mississippi and a master’s degree in applied discrete mathematics from Auburn. Previously he had internships with Lucent Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and the US Army Corps of Engineers. While attending Jackson State University, he became involved with "The Algebra Project"--a national project to increase the algebra skills of middle school students. Contact by email.
		Rishi Nangia (CLS/BRER) is a MPH candidate in epidemiology and public health at Emory University. He has a B.S. in biology and a BA in psychology from George Washington University. He will begin law school this fall. Previously he had internships with ICF Kaiser, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Food and Drug Administration. Contact by email.
		Lia Nower (CBASSE/DELHP) is a Ph.D. candidate in social work at Washington University in St. Louis. She also has a BA in English and communications, an MA in communications and a law degree from St. Louis University as well as a master's in social work from Washington University. For the past year, she has been pursuing a Fulbright fellowship at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Ms. Nower is a licensed attorney and clinical social worker and a nationally certified gambling counselor who specializes in the treatment of addictions, particularly pathological gambling. Contact by email.
		Ionel Pusca (CPSMA/CSTB) is a graduate student at the University of Oregon in a double degree program that includes a M.S. in computer and information science and a MBA. He also holds a B.S. and M.S. in computer science and computer engineering from Polithnica University in Bucharest, Romania. He consulted in a project that evaluated the business opportunity for the local utility's $75 million plan of installing a fiber optic network infrastructure. He recently completed the product development, strategy, and business planning for a high-tech venture developing hand held electronic city guides. Contact by email.
		Eden Rauch (IOM/FNB) is a MD/MPH candidate at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey and the New Jersey School of Public Health with a focus on public health care organization and administration. She also holds a B.S. in nutritional sciences from Cornell University. As a Howard Hughes Scholar, she conducted research in reproductive endocrinology for several years, and currently serves as a legislative affairs liaison to the American Medical Student Association. Contact by email.
		Katherine Schafer (CGER/OSB) is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in marine biology at UC Berkeley. She also has a B.S. in biology from Stanford University. Her Ph.D. research involves studying stomatopod crustaceans and pygmy octopus to further understand their population dynamics. Katherine also serves as a researcher and trip leader for Oceanic Society expeditions leading research trips on coral reef health monitoring in Belize, Central America. Contact by email.
		Katherine Schroeder (PD/COSEPUP) has a Ph.D. with a major in neuroscience and a minor in cell biology and anatomy from the University of Arizona. She also has a B.S. in botany from Arizona State University. As a predoctoral student, she held a fellowship from the American Psychological Association, and she worked in a CNRS laboratory in Paris for three months under the auspice of a U.S. federal program to promote international collaboration in science. Contact by email.
		Nadejda Targulian (CPSMA/SSB) is a Ph.D. candidate in remote sensing/geographic information systems at Purdue. She also has a B.S. and M.S. in social and economic geography of the world from Moscow State University. Prior to Purdue, she served as a project administrator for Sibley International providing support for several USAID projects in Russia on franchising. Contact by email
		Rebecca White (PD/GUIRR) is a master's candidate in experimental psychology at DePaul University. She also has a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in women's studies from DePaul. Her research includes work on social stigma, gender and disability studies, and Internet technology. She has worked as a volunteer sexual assault survivor's advocate, for which she was honored by the Hull House Association in 1995. Contact by email.
		Yonggao Yang (OIA/IOAC) has a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in computer science from Southwest Jiaotong University in China. He is currently pursuing a second Ph.D. in Computer graphics from George Mason University. Formerly he was an associate professor at Southwest Jiaotong University. Contact by email.
		Jonathan Zaff (CBASSE/DSES) is Vice President of Research at America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth.  In this role, he directs all research activities at America’s Promise, including the upcoming Alliance Report, “Every Child/Every Promise – A Report on our Nation’s Young People,” which will set national benchmarks for the essential resources that children and youth need to thrive and the economic rationale for providing those resources. In addition to his role at America’s Promise, Dr. Zaff co-founded and leads 18to35, a non-partisan policy organization that is dedicated to ‘get out the voice’ of young adults on the key policy issues that affects them today and in the future. Prior to joining America’s Promise, Dr. Zaff was a research associate at Child Trends, where he focused on positive youth development initiatives, and an independent research consultant for a myriad of nonprofits.  His work primarily involves studying social contextual factors that predict well-being throughout adolescence and into adulthood as well as identifying and tracking indicators of child well-being. He received his doctorate in lifespan developmental psychology from the University of Georgia. Contact by email. (Updated 07/06)
		Magdalena Zaidel (CSMEE) is a master's candidate in geography at the Pennsylvania State University. She also holds a B.A. in political science from Penn State. Following her undergraduate degree she received a Fulbright grant to study energy policy in Germany. During the last three years she has pursued her interest in science education by working as an environmental educator at the Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, a teaching assistant in geography courses, and a unit scientist for the National Geographic Kids Network. Contact by email.