Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellows

Biographies of Fall 2006 Fellows

		Gillian Backus (NAS/KSM) defended her dissertation in Toxicology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in July 2006. Her research focused on the contribution of innate immunity genes in modulating ozone-induced pulmonary inflammation. She received her B.A. in Biology magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College where she conducted ecological fieldwork as part of her Honors Thesis. After college, Gillian taught introductory biology at Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) and the Lawrenceville School (NJ) while also coaching springboard diving and living as a dorm parent. She then taught introductory and A.P. Biology at the Shipley School (PA). Gillian is thrilled to be a National Academies fellow with the NAS. She looks forward to exploring issues surrounding national science policy, as well as developing ancillary exhibit materials for the Science Museum. Gillian’s career aspirations include academia or science policy and outreach. She loves hiking, kayaking, and cycling and hopes to find other outdoor enthusiasts. She also looks forward to exploring Washington, D.C. Contact by email
		Erika Bauer (DBASSE/BOSE) recently earned her PhD in Biopsychology at the University of Michigan where she studied the social interactions of complex mammals, including dogs and primates. Specifically, she looked at the factors influencing the balance of competition and cooperation during social play, and conducted both domestic and international field studies of animals in captive and semi-captive environments. During her field work in Zambia, she spent time learning about the cultures of Africa and briefly volunteered as a visiting educator, teaching children from the local villages about chimpanzees and the environment. She received her BS in Biology at John Carroll University in 1997, where she developed a growing interest in animal behavior and environmental issues. Between college and graduate school she worked with a variety of animal and conservation related organizations, including the Pittsburgh Zoo and the University of Pittsburgh Primate Research Center, and participated in projects studying such topics as reconciliation in elephants, anxiety in macaques, the scent-marking behavior of cotton-top tamarins, and dolphin intelligence. This fellowship will be Erika's first experience with science policy and she is very interested in understanding more about the integration of science in policy formulation at the federal level. She is excited to have the opportunity to focus on science education, a topic of growing interest to her, as a National Academies fellow. Contact by email
		Brandon Beltz (PGA/COSEPUP) is currently working on a PhD in cognitive psychology at George Mason University. His doctoral dissertation is focused on understanding how common statistical patterns found throughout world languages provide insight into the workings of human memory. He earned a BS in philosophy from the University of Utah where his many interests led him through cognitive science and the philosophy of science. Throughout his undergraduate years he served as a non-commissioned officer in the Army Reserves. Before graduate school he went to Kazakhstan for the Peace Corps to teach ecology to high school students. His experiences in college, the Army, and the Peace Corps sparked his interest in the critical role that science and technology plays in the global influence of the United States. As a science policy fellow, he looks forward to actively participating in the process of determining how the costs of conducting science and implementing technologies are weighed against the needs of society. In his free time Brandon enjoys playing card and board games with his favorite being poker. To help balance the mental demands of PhD work, he regularly does yoga and is training for his third triathlon. Contact by email.
		Matt Bowen (DEPS/BPA) is currently a senior program associate with the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems at the National Academies. He is also an associate member of the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics. His theoretical research focuses on searches for new physics at proton collider experiments. He was a Mirzayan policy fellow in the fall of 2006, and will be the American Physical Society's Congressional Fellow for 2007-2008. Matt enjoys hiking, wine tasting, dancing, and finding free food around DC. He received a B.S. degree in physics from Brown University and a Ph.D. degree in physics from the University of Washington, Seattle. Contact by email. (Updated 06/07)
		Lisa Downward (PGA/BHEW) is currently finishing her Ph.D. in physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  Her thesis uses X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the relationship between the local structure and magnetization of Colossal Magnetoresistant (CMR) materials.  She received a B.A. in physics from Bard College where she studied the magnetization of Europium compounds.  Lisa developed an interest in policy when she was elected as a graduate student representative to the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Users’ Organization Executive Committee (SSRLUOEC), which provides input to the Director on new policies that affect users.  In addition, she has been involved in the Graduate Student Association (GSA) at UCSC for three years, with the last year as Internal Vice-President.  As an officer, she had the opportunity to work closely with the administration, to learn first-hand how a university operates, and to advocate for graduate student issues.  She is looking forward to working with BHEW on the Assessment of Doctoral Research Programs which should be helpful for future doctoral students when choosing a graduate program.  After graduation, Lisa would like to pursue a career in science policy which would enable her to combine her interest in policy with her love of science.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and knitting gifts for friends and family. Contact by email
		Charles Fay (TRB/SHRP 2, Fall 2006) received his M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center (LRC) in 2003, where his focus was circadian photobiology and visual psychophysics. His thesis investigated shifts in the spectral sensitivity of the human pupil over the 24h solar day. After graduating, Charles was a Project Manager in the R&D division of NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), where he managed a $9 million research portfolio. Charles returned to the LRC as a human factors researcher primarily investigating the effect of short wavelength light on the circadian system. Charles entered the M.S. program with a well-rounded education. He has a B.A. in biology from SUNY-Albany and spent four years at the University of Oregon’s Fine Arts Dept. (experimental animation, film, installation, painting and sculpture). He has significant business experience and spent several years following a Joseph Campbell-esque journey. Charles will remain at the Academies as a Program Officer. Contact by email.
		Pete Jordan (NAE/CASEE) will be completing his PhD in physiology and biophysics at Cornell University in December 2006. His doctoral research, funded by a predoctoral fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, focuses on computational modeling of cardiac arrhythmias. Prior to attending Cornell, Pete received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering from Queensland University of Technology in his native Australia, and then spent a year pursuing graduate studies in biomedical engineering at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. In his spare time, Pete is also completing an MA in theology part-time, as he is interested in the influence of the interaction between science and religion on the day to day practice of each, and is particularly interested in the implications of their interaction for the formation of science policy. Pete hopes that his time as a fellow will both broaden his understanding of the role of science in society, and will open up post-PhD opportunities outside the confines of the laboratory. Contact by email
		Jason F. Lee (IOM/BHCS) received an M.P.H. in health management from Yale School of Medicine in conjunction with Yale School of Management and a B.A. in molecular and cell biology with an emphasis in neurobiology from UC Berkeley. He brings a multi-disciplinary understanding of health care organization, effectiveness, and delivery as he has worked on public health issues from a scientific perspective through research on retinal degenerations at Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, cancer biology at City of Hope, and lipid metabolism at UCSF; a global health perspective through evaluating health systems financing at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland; a hospital management perspective through identifying interventions that benefit patient and medication safety at Yale-New Haven Health System with respect to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 100,000 Lives Campaign; and a field perspective through serving as an emergency medical technician, a community outreach health worker, and a medical journalist. Jason looks forward to this fellowship at the National Academies as an opportunity to integrate these perspectives to become fluent in health, science, and technology policy development. He enjoys photography, piano, cooking, hiking, and graphic design. Contact by email
		Johnalyn Lyles (PGA/CSTL) is currently completing her Ph.D. in neuropharmacology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her doctoral research focused on the effects of 3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy), a popular drug of abuse among adolescents and young adults, on brain development in Sprague Dawley rat pups. She received a B.S. in chemistry from Johnson C. Smith University and conducted research for her undergraduate thesis research on the application of the reaction between indole and sodium bisulfite to indoles substituted in the three position. She worked at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a patent examiner in the Biotechnology Division researching neurobiology and neuropharmacology-related technologies in the international and U.S. patent applications for biological products and methods. Johnalyn is excited about the opportunity to do her fellowship with CSTL and broaden her understanding on how science and law interact and impact scientific research and our society by participating in the CSTL projects. She is interested in a career in science policy or intellectual property law. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, running, reading, and art. Contact by email
		Catherine Reyes (IOM/NCPF) received a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in August 2006. Her doctoral research focused on designing biomimetic, peptide-based surfaces that promote bone cell mineralization for enhanced integration of orthopedic implants. She previously received an undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For her bachelor’s thesis, she investigated the stability of protein-resistant comb polymer surfaces in ultrafiltration membrane and biomaterial applications. Through her involvement with educational outreach programs and local non-profit organizations, she has become interested in public dialogues about the impact of biomedical research on public health. She hopes this fellowship will help her bridge the gap between scientific endeavors and their broader national and global contexts. In particular, she hopes to learn how science and policy interact and inform each other and to become an active participant in this process. In her spare time, she enjoys film and digital photography, creative writing, double espressos, and The Food Network. Contact by email
		Rachael Shwom (DBASSE/CHDGC) is a third year doctoral student in the Department of Sociology with a graduate specialization in Environmental Science and Policy at Michigan State University. While there she has conducted survey research on climate change attitudes and policy preferences and the effects of deliberation. Rachael has her B.A. in English and Textual Studies and Biology at Syracuse University and a Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University. Her Masters Project analyzed climate change scientists' testimonies before congress and evaluated them based on risk communication principles. For the three years previous to coming to MSU, Rachael was a program manager at the Consortium for Energy Efficiency in Boston where she facilitated multi-stakeholder committees to nationally coordinate local and regional programs promoting energy-efficient services and technologies to businesses. Rachael would like to teach and conduct research that contributes to our understanding of connections between human organization and environmental problems. She hopes that her experience with the HDGC will contribute to her knowledge about how the natural and social sciences inform policy and enable her to become an engaged academic. In her spare time, Rachael likes to run with her lab-husky mix dog, garden outside with her husband, and explore new environments from cities to nature preserves. Contact by email
		Lindsay Stevenson (PGA/COSEPUP) graduated from Emory University with a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in July 2006. Her doctoral research focused on a unique type of bacterial motility. Additionally, she contributed substantially to work on a novel type of bacterial communication. She received a B.A in biology/Chemistry from New College of Florida and conducted her thesis work on mercury resistance in marine bacteria. Lindsay looks forward to working with the Academies and learning first hand about scientific policy and the roles of scientists in policy decisions. She is particularly interested in ethical concerns brought about by ever changing scientific knowledge and technology. In the future, Lindsay would like to combine her interests in infectious disease, public health, and public policy. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys scuba diving in any tropical location, reading a good mystery, and teaching her dog new tricks. Contact by email.
		Jeff Watters (DELS/OSB/) is currently completing a Master’s of Science in Limnology and Marine Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His graduate research focused on the interactions between commercial pelagic longline fishermen and endangered sea turtles in the Hawaiian Pacific. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, his research focused on both the ecological and human dimensions of this unique ocean policy issue. Jeff’s undergraduate studies were also completed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a B.S. in zoology and anthropology. After completing the fellowship at the National Academies, he will be participating as a Knauss Fellow for Marine Policy in the legislative branch. Jeff is excited to be working as a fellow at the Ocean Studies Board, and eager to learn more about how science is translated into public policy. He hopes that he can use this opportunity to learn as much possible from those he will meet throughout this experience. Contact by email
		Aaron Weaver (NAE/CASEE) is pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, and received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University. His main research focus involves the repair process of bone after fracture and is aimed at determining the role that external forces and micromotions at the fracture site play in fracture healing. Through coursework and research experiences, Aaron has become interested in the policy of science education. Primarily, his interests involve improving the communication between the public and the scientific community so that the public is better educated on the current state of science, and educating the next generation of scientists so that there is a strong base of enthusiastic scholars to conduct future scientific research. Aaron is looking forward to his internship with CASEE, and he hopes that this experience will teach him more about how current researchers impart their knowledge to upcoming young scientists. Contact by email
		Mike Whitaker (PGA/STS) is currently completing his PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, Health Sciences Center as part of the Urban Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering Project. Mike’s doctoral research is focused on using life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impacts of mass transit systems in urban areas of the U.S. and India. Mike’s work with the STS program will likely focus on urban environmental sustainability in the developing world with Tanzania, South Africa, and China as the initial countries of interest. He is particularly interested in using his internship to gain experience with the policy side of sustainable development and to learn about the interaction between the scientific and political communities. Mike is also considering traveling to Rwanda next year to do environmental policy work. Prior to starting his PhD program, Mike completed a B.S. and M.S. in environmental engineering at Stanford University where he played for Stanford’s Ultimate Frisbee team that won a national championship in 2002. Mike currently coaches the women’s ultimate team at the University of Colorado Boulder and also likes to climb mountains, snow board, mountain bike, trail run, play soccer, and watch sports. Contact by email
		Shimere A. Williams (DELS/ILAR) recently completed her Ph.D. in Pharmacology at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. Her doctoral research focused on the dopaminergic signaling pathway underlying the maintenance phase of long-term potentiation (late-LTP). She received her B.S. in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Tennessee State University and conducted research, for partial fulfillment of her degree, on a mathematical model of fuel biodegradation in karst aquifers. Her interests in being a policy fellow at the National Academies stem from a personal goal of hers to discover an arena that would allow her to unite her educational backgrounds of engineering and pharmacology. This experience will also enable her to transition from training as a student to a productive professional in the capacity of policy making. She hopes to one day be able to affect the policies that control research funding, research direction and community education to positively influence the future outlooks of many communities. Shimere loves to do yoga, sing praise and worship songs, spend time with friends and family, read literature of her choice at her leisure, and shop! Contact by email
		B. Ashley Zauderer (NAS/NAS EO) completed her M.S. in astronomy at the University of Maryland in December of 2005 and is currently working towards her Ph.D. For her masters research, she studied the host environment of a special class of galaxies very bright in infrared emission, using data from the University of Hawaii 2.2 meter telescope. She also has worked extensively on research related to the commissioning of a newly upgraded radio telescope – CARMA - the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter Astronomy. She plans to obtain observations with this telescope for her thesis research. Ashley received a B.A. in astrophysics from Agnes Scott College (Atlanta, GA) in 2002, where she also played two years of college basketball and studied Spanish. Ashley is especially interested in the intersection of science and faith, studying the sources of conflict between the two realms and looking for ways in which constructive dialogues can take place. She is enthusiastic about teaching astronomy in the academic and public outreach setting because astronomy has a widespread appeal even to those usually not interested in science. Her work this fall will be in the National Academy of Science’s Executive Office, developing communications, outreach, and dissemination strategies for a new version of the NAS book Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences. Ashley enjoys dancing, hiking, reading and spending time with her family and friends whenever possible. Contact by email