Karen Beard (DELS/BANR) has completed a PhD in Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, where she received her master's degree. She previously earned a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology from U.C. Berkeley. She conducted her dissertation research in Puerto Rico on the role of an amphibian species on ecosystem functioning. Karen has written several ecological papers for publication, mostly on conservation and ecology, and has gained a broad knowledge of the policy sciences through coursework. She has worked at a non-profit land trust in Washington state and starting in the fall she will a post-doc at Dartmouth College, where she will continue to study ecological conservation, and be a visiting assistant professor winter quarter. She is looking forward to learning more about how science and policy interface at the national level at the National Academies. She will be working with the Board on Agricultural and Natural Resources within the Division on Earth and Life Sciences. Contact by email.

Laura Bergman (DBASSE/CFE/COSE-K-12) is a Masters candidate in zoology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. She completed her BS in ecology, ethology, and evolution at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where she was the department's 1997 student of the year. During her NSF GK-12 Fellowship, she developed a series of field-based exercises highlighting the interrelationships between the organisms and environment of an Ahupua'a. Her research involves investigation of the utility of the cephalic lateralis system in Apogonid taxonomy and systematics. Laura is currently involved in a Community Health and Ecosystem Health Club that is working toward developing a participatory-action project in a Hawaiian community. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, running, and canoeing. Laura will be working with the Committee on Science Education within the Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Contact by email

Jason Borenstein (PGA/STL) received a PhD in philosophy at the University of Miami and will be working as a visiting assistant professor for the Georgia Tech School of Public Policy in the fall. Previously, he worked as an intern for the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program where he designed web pages, reviewed manuscripts, and wrote articles. Jason has also been a supervised observer at various ethics committee meetings in the University of Miami medical community, which has enabled him to learn more about the intersection between medicine and ethics. While at the Academies, he worked for the Science, Technology, and Law Program within the Policy and Global Affairs Division. Contact by email

Christine Braun (IOM/HCSB) is an MD candidate at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She completed her undergraduate degrees in biology and French studies at Smith College. Christine has been a research associate for the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics. She was also director of personnel and executive assistant to the dean at the University of Maryland Mannheim Campus in Mannheim, Germany. In addition, she has conducted basic science research at Johns Hopkins University and at INSERM in Paris, France. She has great enthusiasm for (and little talent in) photography, gardening, theatre, and traveling. Christine will be working for the Division of Health Care Services within the Institute of Medicine. She looks forward to learning how physicians can contribute to health policy. Contact by email

Penelope Espinoza (DBASSE/EO) is a PhD candidate in social psychology at the University of Michigan. She received her BA in psychology with a minor in anthropology from Stanford University. Penelope is most interested in the cognitive flexibility of bicultural individuals, specifically Latin Americans and in the development of implicit techniques to predict discrimination. She has previously taken scholastic opportunities in part to discuss her research with students in different fields from all over the country, and hear about research very different from her own. She is looking forward to this type of intellectual exchange during her fellowship. Penelope was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and her hobbies include dancing (including country-western), walking dogs, and writing prose. Penelope's immediate goals are to refine the topic of her dissertation, complete a manuscript on hierarchical attitudes and hiring practices, and upon returning to her hometown, to teach her dog Biscuit to stop chasing its tail. Penelope will be working within the Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Contact by email.

Eric Gaidos (DELS/BLS) has completed his PhD in astrophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with a minor in molecular biology. He previously received an MS in aeronautical engineering. He was a postdoctoral associate for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena California where he did research on the early climatic and geochemical evolution of the Earth, molecular evolution of life, and the implications for the search for life on other planets. His own work includes the ecosystems found in extreme environments such as the hydrothermal systems on seafloor and in Antarctica. He will join the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Geobiology at the University of Hawaii on August 1 and will continue his research on the function and evolution of, and the impact of climate change on, ecosystems and the biosphere on a planetary scale. Eric will be working on biodiversity issues with the Board on Life Sciences within the Division on Earth and Life Studies. Contact by email

Jeremy Griggs (DELS/ILAR) is a PhD candidate in biology at the University of Cambridge in England, and has recently submitted his thesis. He received a BS in biology from University College London. He plans to return to Cambridge to pursue further basic laboratory research as a postdoctoral scientist. Jeremy hopes to gain an insight into policy making in science, particularly with respect to the use of transgenic technology in medical research through this fellowship. He is a dual national and can claim citizenship in both the United States and England. He will be working with the Institute of Laboratory Animal Research within the Division on Earth and Life Studies. Contact by email

Ryan Hall (DEPS/ASEB) is a Master of Planning candidate at the University of Southern California (USC). He received a BA in Geography, a BA in Drama and a minor in Urban Planning from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is currently working as a remote consultant for the Port of Seattle in the Planning Department at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Ryan performs quantitative analysis on a variety of planning projects that deal with airport efficiency, travel demand, passenger flows, market expansion and aircraft operations. Ryan's academic research has focused on the economic and social impacts of airline route structures, but he is also interested in air travel accessibility and market forecasting. Ryan will be working with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board within the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences. Contact by email

Heather Holsinger (DELS/CGCR) is a dual Masters candidate in public policy (MPP) and environmental management (MEM) at Duke University. She earned her BA in economics and environmental science at the University of Virginia. After graduating from UVA, Heather worked for a management and litigation consulting firm, assisting Fortune 500 companies and public agencies in improving their environmental management activities. As a graduate student, she has completed an internship with Resources for the Future, an environmental economics think tank in Washington, DC, helping to evaluate the current state of electronics recycling in the US and Europe. Most recently, Heather has been an environmental scientist for the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina. There she assisted in the development and maintenance of complex risk assessment models for use in EPA residual risk analyses. In her free time Heather enjoys reading, black and white photography, traveling, hiking and Yoga. She is looking to couple her experience at The National Academies with her policy training and gain a better understanding of how science and policy interact. She will be working with the Committee on Global Change Research within the Division on Earth and Life Sciences. Contact by email

Amanda Hunt (IOM/NBH) completed her PhD in neuroscience in 2001 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is a native Texan and she earned a BS in biology with a minor in chemistry at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. Amanda's PhD research focused on the SCN - the site of the biological clock in the mammalian brain, and the effects of the hormone melatonin. While at the National Academies, she worked with the Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health within the Institute of Medicine. Amanda is currently a project director in the Research Competitiveness Service at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Contact by email
(Updated 06/06)

Jennifer J. Jackiw (PGA/CISAC and BISO; DELS/BCST) recieved her Ph.D. in chemistry at The Pennsylvania State University and earned a B.S. in chemistry and economics at the University of Richmond. She enjoys traveling and has recently lived for a year in Berlin, Germany, where she completed portions of her thesis research on nanoscale structures and properties at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society. Jennifer worked with the Committee on International Security and Arms Control within the Policy and Global Affairs Division. She is now a postdoctoral fellow at the National Academies with the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology. Contact by email

Dina Kampmeyer (DEPS/SSB) is a Masters candidate in U.S. Foreign policy with a minor in space policy at the American University. She has previously worked as a student intern with NASA where she worked in the External Affairs Division. She has also worked for the Center for Science, Policy, and Outcomes as a research assistant. Dina worked with the Space Studies Board within the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences. She will be studying in Western Europe in the Fall and then will be returning to DC to begin a full-time position at the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs. Contact by email

Melissa Marino (ONPI) is a PhD candidate in biomedical science, specializing in neuroscience, at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She earned her BS in Medical Technology at the University of South Carolina and previously worked as a Clinical Microbiology Technologist at the Palmetto Baptist Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Melissa serves on her university's Human Subjects Institutional Review Board and disseminates career information and advice to her peers as a campus representative for Science's Next Wave website. Melissa hopes to pursue a career in science communications. She will be working with the Office of News and Public Information. Follow-up: Link to Melissa's on-line article A Misfit Scientist Goes to Washington in Science's Next Wave (November 2, 2001) describing her fellowship experience.http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2001/10/31/6. Contact by email

Zane Olina (NAE) is a PhD candidate in learning and instructional technology at Arizona State University, where she received her MEd in the same subject. She has previously worked as a trainer for the New Directions Institute for Infant Brain Development in Phoenix, where she learned about the latest brain research and early childhood development. Zane came from Latvia to the United States as a Fulbright scholar. In Latvia, Zane co-founded and directed a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of Latvian educational system. She directed school improvement projects, delivered in-service training courses for teachers and developed curriculum materials for schools. Upon her graduation, Zane intends to return to Latvia and get involved in education policy work there. Zane will be working for the National Academy of Engineering. Contact by email

John Rhoads (PGA/DSC) will be completing his MS in applied physics with a concentration in optics at Johns Hopkins University in Spring 2002. He previously earned a BS in electrical engineering with a minor in mathematics from Tulane University. He was a participant in the WISE program under the direction of IEEE-USA, where he published a technology policy paper on encryption exportation restrictions. John is currently a systems engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory's Air Defense Systems Department, Combatant Integration and Analysis Group. His responsibilities include the design and performance evaluation of US Navy anti-ship missile defense systems. John will be working with in the Development, Security, and Cooperation office within the Policy and Global Affairs division. He will be working on a joint NAE/Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) study titled, "The Future of Personal Use Vehicles in China". Contact by email

Kimberly Shella (NAE/CEE) received a Masters in political science from the University of Chicago. She also earned a bachelors degree in physics and government from Oberlin College. She was recently a research assistant for the American Institute of Physics, where she worked on a study of physics bachelor recipients. She examined the relevance of an undergraduate physics education for those employed as engineers and engineering related professions. During her fellowship, Kimberly worked with the National Academy of Engineering's Center for Engineering Education unit. She developed and carried out a survey and created a database of university programs seeking to increase participation in science for all students and underrepresented groups. Kimberly hopes to use the experience she gained during her fellowship in both her social science research, to better understand the problems faced by undergraduate physical science professors, and understand where and how political and physical science meet. In her free time, she runs, reads African literature and science fiction, and is learning to rollerblade. Contact by email

Ito Toshima (DBASSE/CSES/CPOP) is a Masters candidate in demography at Georgetown University. She earned her BA in international relations with a minor in Asian Studies at Claremont McKenna College. She has been pursuing her interests in reproductive health and maternal and child health issues particularly of China ever since she attended the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995 and hopes to actively participate in the shaping of future reproductive health policies in Asia. Ito will be working with the Committee on Population within the Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Contact by email

David Walczyk (CSTB/DEPS) is passionate about creating designs and policies that are people-centered. He has worked for a decade as a designer, advisor, researcher, educator, and collaborator at the intersections of people, education, culture, and technology. Before completing his doctorate in Communication and Education at Columbia University, he worked professionally at Columbia Graduate School of Business, General Electric (GE) Infrastructure, GE Global Research, the branding agency Frankfurt Balkind, and as a fellow and later independent consultant to the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academy of Sciences. These days he is an Assistant Professor within the graduate School of Information and Library Science at Pratt Institute in New York City. At Pratt his interdisciplinary work focuses on cultural informatics and people-centered design. Contact by email
(Updated 07/06)

Elmer Yglesias (PGA/COSEUP) is a new research staff member at the Science and Technology Policy Institute, a NSF FFRDC that assists the White House OSTP to formulate federal S&T policy and evaluation. Prior to joining the Institute, he was responsible for designing and implementing S&T program evaluation for the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation. A career professional in S&T policy, he has held positions at NASA Peer Review Services, NSF Science Indicators Unit and SRI International Policy Division. Mr. Yglesias has a BA in Applied Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley, a MS in Public Policy with a S&T Policy concentration from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and an AM equivalent in the History of Science from Harvard University. During his fellowship at the Academies, he focused on the role of state funding of research and its effect on national competitiveness. Contact by email.
(Updated 07/06)