Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellows
Winter 2008 Biographical Sketches

		Sage C. Arbor (COSEPUP/PGA) will earn his PhD this May in biochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. His thesis work involves computationally designing and synthetically producing rigid scaffolds to act as therapeutics. Sage has always been interested in the fields he believes are central to life. This passion has led him to complete four summer internships in nanotechnology research at NIST, earn a BS in both biology and chemistry from Duke University, engage in protein pharmaceutical chemistry in graduate school, and drove him to public policy. During his thesis work designing drugs to combat HIV, Sage was awed by the greater speed and cost effectiveness that public policy and education could have on reducing the global impact of HIV/AIDS. Sage recently designed, and delivers, an hour-long climate change PowerPoint lecture for high schools in an effort to continue educating local residents and neighbors on the topic. Sage is eager to start his career in the public policy arena. Contact by email.
		Jessica Buono (NAEPO/NAE & CWSEM/PGA) is currently pursuing her MPH in epidemiology at George Washington University. She received her BS in behavioral neuroscience from Lehigh University, where her research involved the examination of specialized properties of neurons in the brain and their functional relationships in biology and psychology. Since moving to Washington D.C., her work has included research on current health policy issues ranging from traumatic brain injury to diabetes. Her professional and educational experiences have provided her with a unique perspective on today’s leading public health issues and have fostered her desire to understand the policy behind the science. She is looking forward to her fellowship with the National Academy of Engineering Program Office and the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine as an opportunity to combine her interests in scientific research and health and science policy. Upon completion of her MPH, Jessica plans to pursue a career in health research at the National Institutes of Health. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, running, and reading. Contact by email.
		Sarah R. Carter (PGA/STEP) has just completed her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco. For her dissertation, she studied the molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, which is thought to underlie learning and memory. Specifically, she looked at intracellular signaling pathways that originate with the NMDA-type glutamate receptor, a protein that is critical for synaptic change. In addition to her lab work, she worked as the Director of Online Communications on the 2006 campaign to elect Jack Carter to the U.S. Senate. As part of her duties, she maintained the campaign’s official website, which earned an Honorable Mention for "Best Website" among 2006 Senate campaigns from the American Association of Political Consultants. She also developed and implemented an online outreach strategy as a way to fundraise, recruit voters and volunteers, and increase publicity. Throughout the campaign, she served as an informal policy advisor, working closely with senior staff and the candidate to develop policy positions and to communicate them to the public. With this fellowship, she hopes to learn more about the ways that scientists can inform and influence policy, and also to spend some time in Washington, which she has never done before. In her free time, she enjoys puzzles, movies, anything outdoors, and chatting about politics and world affairs. Contact by email.
		Christina Chaivorapol (BGH/IOM) is currently completing her PhD in biological and medical informatics at the University of California, San Francisco. Her doctoral research examines the regulation of gene expression at the genome-wide level in mouse and human embryonic stem cells by combining the fields of computational and molecular biology. Christina’s graduate studies are supported by a pre- doctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation. She holds a BS in microbiology and molecular genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Christina is excited about her fellowship at the Academies and hopes her experience will provide insight into how scientists may translate their technical knowledge into influencing science policy and the process of establishing policy that will impact society. In the long term, she plans to pursue a career in scientific research or in science policy. In her free time, Christina enjoys cooking, trying out the numerous restaurants in San Francisco, working as a volunteer to bring sustainable, local agriculture to the Bay Area, swimming, and practicing Ashtanga yoga. Contact by email.
		Tooba A. Cheema (GUIRR/PGA) completed her PhD in pharmacology at the University of Michigan in December 2007. Her thesis research focused on investigating the signaling mechanisms activated by G-protein coupled receptors on neural cells in response to osmotic stress. These studies were funded by a pre-doctoral fellowship from NIH/NINDS. Throughout graduate school, Tooba has actively participated in science outreach programs such as Brains Rule and was also a student representative for her department and biomedical student council. After Tooba spent her schooling years in Pakistan, she received her BS in biochemistry from Tufts University in May 2002. She has always had the passion for science and is looking forward to the fellowship with GUIRR. She hopes it will give her insight into policy development and an opportunity to explore ways to encourage interactions between industry and academia to advance scientific breakthroughs. In the future, Tooba hopes to continue her scientific endeavors in translational research in academia, or in biotech/pharmaceutical industries. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, dancing, outdoor activities, and spending time with friends. Contact by email.
		Brad Cohn (HSP/IOM) is currently completing his MD at the University of California, San Francisco. During his tenure at UCSF, Brad accepted a Clinical & Translational Science fellowship to conduct research on magnetic resonance-detectable biomarkers of fetal development. His thesis is aimed at providing a foundation for future non-invasive fetal diagnostic techniques. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of California, Irvine in June 2004 with a BS in neurobiology. Among his activities in medical school, Brad volunteered as a consultant at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Bangkok, Thailand. While abroad, he observed firsthand the impact of health and science policy on the well-being of a region’s populous and presented a report titled “The State of Student Health in Asia and the Pacific” to the UNESCO Division of HIV/AIDS and School Health. While Brad has not yet selected his medical specialty, he is committed to a career combining academic medicine and public service. He is very grateful for the opportunity to participate in HSP projects and hopes this experience will help him define the manner in which he can make his greatest contributions. Contact by email.
		Clark Cully (CISAC/PGA) is finishing his PhD in particle physics from the University of Michigan. His BS in physics and BA in math were earned at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He conducted his research at Fermi National Lab, using its accelerator to search for undiscovered forms of matter. He is excited to work with the Committee on International Security and Arms Control to learn more about how we can better safeguard technologies that hold enormous promise, yet have destructive potential. This experience will also inform his work with the National Nuclear Security Administration as a Nonproliferation Graduate Fellow, which begins this summer. He and his wife Martina recently relocated to the DC area and enjoy exploring the city's museums and activities, volunteering, and involvement in their local church. Contact by email.
		Ana M. Ferreras (CASEE/NAE) is currently completing her PhD in Industrial Engineering (IE) at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Her doctoral research is focused on developing a company success index model to assess and predict organizational performance based on critical success factors such as profit, productivity, efficiency, quality, employee morale, safety and ergonomics. She holds an MS in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology and a BS in Electrical Engineering from UCF. During her doctoral research, Ana has assisted the IE Department at UCF in reengineering the undergraduate curriculum by developing a national model, new programs, experiential laboratories, and research centers. Most recently, she has been teaching Quality Engineering and writing proposals to develop educational programs capable of educating engineers with the skills identified within the “Engineer 2020” report. Ana holds a Six-Sigma Black Belt and enjoys certifying other students by improving processes and systems from local community non-profit organizations and government agencies. Ana’s career goal is to improve the quality of engineering education and achieve excellence in academic institutions within the U.S to maintain the technological leadership. In her free time, she enjoys making pottery, watching plays/opera, designing clothes, traveling, dancing, snorkeling, and reading philosophy/mythology books. Contact by email.
		Jamila R. Greene (COSEPUP/PGA) is currently working towards her PhD in physical chemistry at Purdue University. Her dissertation focuses on the photodissociation of brominated molecules in the upper atmosphere. She completed her MS at Purdue University and BS at Hampton University. Jamila developed an interest in a career dedicated to chemistry, environmental research, and global affairs as an undergraduate student when she studied at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. She believes the National Academies Fellowship will give her the opportunity to learn more about the development and promotion of sound policies related to the advancement of STEM research and education. She hopes her involvement on the Committee on Science Engineering and Public Policy (COSEPUP) will also extend her knowledge of policy that develops and supports America's diverse talent. Jamila has held leadership roles in the chemistry community as a member of the American Chemical Society's Younger Chemists Committee. Also, she served as the National Student Representative for the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. In her spare time, Jamila enjoys practicing yoga, gourmet cooking, singing, and salsa dancing. Contact by email.
		Kathrin Humphrey (DSC/PGA) is currently finishing her M.A. in International Affairs at the New School University in New York, where she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to focus on Development studies. Prior to this, she was a rural development volunteer in Nepal, an NGO management intern in India, and a democracy and governance volunteer with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Mali. During her fellowship with DSC, Kathrin hopes to broaden her understanding of international development by learning the role that science and technology can play in the development process. Born in Berlin, she earned her BA in International Business from the University of Applied Sciences in Dresden, Germany. When not writing papers for school or managing development projects, Kathrin enjoys learning new languages, sampling new cultures, and exploring distant places. Contact by email.
		Pushkar Joshi (DSC/PGA) graduated from the University of Rochester with a PhD in Neuroscience in August 2007. During his doctoral research, Pushkar investigated the genetic basis of neocortical arealization, a process that creates different areas in the neocortex (a brain structure) that regulate movement, sensory perception and cognition. Pushkar completed a part of his undergraduate studies in Bombay, India, then transferred and received his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Rutgers University. Having grown up and studied in countries such as India, Afghanistan, and the U.S., Pushkar is interested in how international affairs affect the progress of science and technology. He is looking forward to his fellowship with the CSCANS where he will research the effects of permeable national borders in a globalized world on America’s national security and its scientific enterprise. Pushkar hopes that the fellowship will give a formal exposure to a policy career that he might pursue after post-doctoral research. In his free time, Pushkar enjoys playing squash, traveling, and reading. Contact by email.
		Elizabeth Keller (DSC/PGA) received a PhD in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in September of 2007. Her dissertation research focused on numerical methods in theoretical quantum chaos. While at UCSB, she received a one-year fellowship to participate in a science outreach program in which she taught introductory high school physics a few times per week. Liz has a BA in physics and philosophy from Dartmouth College. After completing her PhD last fall, she spent a month volunteering in a small rural village in central Peru, where she worked on the clearing and restoration of newly-discovered Inca ruins and a variety of other community projects. Liz is excited for her fellowship and hopes to learn more about the intersection of science and foreign policy and how scientific and technological cooperation can enhance diplomatic relations. In the long-term she hopes to continue to work in science policy and international relations, either in the public or non-profit sector. She enjoys traveling, soccer, snowboarding, hiking and backpacking, running, and reading books of all types. Contact by email.
		Christine Micheel (NCPF/IOM) has recently completed a postdoctoral position at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif., where she studied the possibility of using biomolecules to self-assemble nanoparticles for use in electronics. She completed her PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005, under the direction of Paul Alivisatos and with the support of a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellowship. Her research was focused at the boundary between nanoscience and biophysics. Outside of her research pursuits, Christine volunteered in the library at the Women's Cancer Resource Center in Oakland, a community resource for women with cancer and their families. Christine's goal is to use her scientific skill to create positive change in the health and healthcare experience of individuals in the U.S., and is thrilled to be participating in this fellowship program. She enjoys salsa dancing, knitting, hiking, and exploring cities. Her cat Luna is cuter than all get-out. Contact by email.
		Dorothy Miller (BEES/DEPS) completed her PhD in physical chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in December of 2007. For her graduate research, Dorothy investigated competition and cooperation between non-covalent interactions in gas-phase cluster ions using vibrational spectroscopy and ab initio calculations with implications in environmental, atmospheric, and biological systems. While in graduate school, Dorothy founded the Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC)—a national program that facilitates programming by graduate students at American Chemical Society national meetings—and was appointed to the American Chemical Society's Younger Chemists Committee. She is looking forward to working with DEPS/BEES, where she will participate in the America's Energy Future study, and gaining first-hand experience in environmental and energy policy. Contact by email.
		Nilah Monnier (BLS/DELS) is currently a graduate student in the biophysics program at Harvard University, where she also earned her B.A. in biochemistry. Contact by email.
		Deirdre Parsons (CSTL/PGA) graduated with a Masters of Science in molecular genetics and microbiology from Duke University in December 2007. Her graduate thesis focused on the development of a genomic technology—high-throughput SNP genotyping—through the creation of a company, Illumina, and its impact on academic research. Prior to her work on science policy issues, Deirdre worked for four years in molecular biology laboratories at Dartmouth College, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and New York University School of Medicine. She is looking forward to exploring current issues in science policy, such as those surrounding university management of intellectual property and the regulation of synthetic biology. She will begin a full-time analyst position in April at Accenture, performing pharmaceutical research & development consulting work. She hopes that her time spent at the NAS and her future work experience help her craft an exciting, successful career. Contact by email.
		Shelby Perkins (CEE/NAE) completed her JD and Masters in environmental law at Vermont Law School. Following the completion of her law degree, Shelby became a member of the New Mexico Bar and practiced nuclear waste law as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Energy, where her work was largely focused on the preparation of the natural systems portions of the Department’s Yucca Mountain construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In addition, her work supported environment regulatory and budgetary issues concerning the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. In 2006, Shelby traveled to Antarctica and was inspired to expand her study of environmental policy to additional human impacts on the environment. Towards that end, she hopes that this fellowship with the Academies will help diversify her background in science policy. An entrepreneur, painter, casual geologist and former outdoors guide, Shelby is also a member of the Explorer’s Club. Contact by email.
		Sarah Ryker (WSTB/DELS) is currently completing her PhD in engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Her doctoral research examines technical and policy approaches to regulation of mixtures of chemicals in drinking water, combining national chemical occurrence data with toxicity information to identify priorities for regulation and research. Her doctoral work is supported by a National Science Foundation fellowship. Prior to her PhD, Sarah worked for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment, where she was the principal scientist synthesizing national trends in trace elements in ground water. At the Academies, Sarah hopes to gain a Beltway perspective on future drinking-water policy. Her work on the WSTB’s global drinking-water project provides an opportunity to integrate her professional and academic experiences in water science and policy analysis, and broaden her knowledge of developing-world water issues. Sarah plays the violin and loves all kinds of music, books, travel, and really good or really bad movies. Contact by email.
		Sunbin Sylvie Song (CSTL/PGA) is currently completing her PhD in Neuroscience at Georgetown University. Her doctoral program is interdisciplinary and for her thesis work, Sylvie received training in experimental psychology, specifically in implicit (unconscious) types of learning and memory consolidation. At Georgetown, she hosts a monthly intellectual discussion called "Tea Time" that investigates various current events related to neuroscience and society. Some of these past discussions led Sylvie to an interest in the interaction between science, law, and globalization, and she decided to explore the world of public policy. She looks forward to her fellowship at CSTL as a sort of introduction into the policy world and a peek into how science operates in the real world. Her long term goal is to contribute to the understanding of neuroscience both within academia and without in public realms. Sylvie also holds a BS in Biology from MIT, and enjoys playing tennis, running, reading, painting, watching movies and sports, and spending time with friends and family. Contact by email.
		Anthon Sonnenberg (Studies/TRB) is currently working towards a PhD in the Transportation Systems program at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His doctoral research focuses on the diffusion of innovative transportation policies in the U.S. and he hopes that the policy fellowship will provide exposure to the workings of the political process as they relate to innovation, energy and transportation policy. It will also help establish a firm analysis foundation for the types of problems he would like to examine during his career. Originally from the Netherlands, he holds a BS in civil engineering and an MSc in philosophy of science, technology and Society. He initially attended Georgia Tech as an exchange student at the School of Public Policy where he conducted a technology assessment of the infrastructure requirements associated with a large-scale conversion to a hydrogen economy. His research especially focused on how technological developments are influenced by different social and institutional factors. Anthon is an entrepreneur and world traveler. At the moment he owns a real estate consulting firm and he has been travelling, working and living all over the world. In his spare time, he enjoys sports, outdoor activities, going out with friends, and sipping a glass of wine. Contact by email.
		Rafi Soulé (CASEE/NAE) is a graduate student at George Washington University and expects to complete her Masters of Science in systems engineering/project management in May 2008. In her graduate research, she collaborated in developing new policy for reducing the spread of the Ebola virus in central Africa. She also worked on writing requirements for the United States “VIP Gunfire Protection System” using systems engineering tools. Rafi was particularly focused on the shield system, the system’s deployment, and its testing. She holds a BS in finance from the State University of New York in Plattsburgh and an Associate of Science in Business Administration and Management from Clinton Community College. Throughout her studies, Rafi has been drawn to the intersection between micro business and macroeconomic factors in international markets and systems development and Integration. She has been a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honors society, since 2003. Her career goal is to work on different governmental risk management systems and in international systems management projects. As a CASEE fellow, Rafi aspires to learn US government management systems and the framework for international economy norms based on system engineering. Rafi enjoys playing Scrabble, tennis, reading, international traveling, and debate on current issues. Contact by email.
		Priya Sreedharan (STS/PGA) graduated with a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, just before beginning her NAS fellowship. In her doctoral research, she developed Bayesian statistical algorithms to model the uncertainties of airborne contaminant transport and applied these towards the design of real time sensor systems. Her research was supported in part by a National Science Foundation graduate fellowship. Priya completed her MS in mechanical engineering also at Berkeley, during which she modeled commercial building thermal systems, and holds a BS in environmental engineering from the University of Windsor, Canada. Priya has extensive professional experience in the environmental and energy fields that includes design of energy efficient mechanical systems for data centers and commercial buildings, sustainable design methods, industrial air quality consulting and power sector reform policy in India. Through this fellowship Priya is exploring a career path in environmental and energy policy. In her spare time she learns and performs classical Indian dance, hikes, and chairs a volunteer group that prepares disadvantaged youth for college. Contact by email.
		Michael Tomlinson (CASEE/NAE) graduated with a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from North Carolina State University in 2005. His postgraduate research focused on modifying surfaces with end-tethered macromolecules, also known as polymer brushes. Specifically, he developed combinatorial methods for quick verification of previous brush theory and investigation of the morphological characteristics of multiblock brush surfaces. During this time, he served on the leadership committee for the Self Knowledge Symposium, a non-profit student organization focused on living authentically. After graduation, he accepted an offer to join the PolyFilm Network (an EU-funded Marie Curie Research Training Network) and was based at The University of Sheffield in England. His research in the Network centered on the study of pH-responsive polyelectrolyte brushes. In particular, using neutron reflectometry, he studied the interface of reversibly adhesive polyelectrolyte surfaces. The last three years working in Europe has enabled him to meet Network colleagues from around the world, with whom he has spent his leisure time hiking through historical and natural sites. His passions include teaching, learning, and travelling. He hopes his fellowship with CASEE will give him perspective on continuous improvements in engineering education, which he can apply, moving forward. Contact by email.
		Ricardo Verdugo Salgado (GUIRR/PGA) has completed his PhD degree in genetics at the University of California Davis. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, he obtained his DVM degree from the Universidad de Chile, in Santiago, Chile. A Fulbright fellowship allowed him to pursue a doctoral degree in the US. His research involves the identification of novel genes affecting complex traits in animal models. In particular, for his dissertation he used high-throughput technologies for the identification of parental origin of small segments of chromosomes in mice from large crosses. Since paternal and maternal strains are genetically different for obesity predisposition, this technique allowed the identification of a small segment of DNA harboring a pair of candidate genes that are associated with obesity in mice. During his time in the US, he worked for creating a bridge between communities here and people in need back in Latin America. He founded two non-profit organizations in Davis that work to raise funds to support projects for needy children in Chile and four other Latin American countries. Ricardo sees the internship at the National Academies as an opportunity to explore how scientists can get involved in the development of policies that can produce beneficial impacts in society: specifically, to address inequality. Contact by email.
		Ulyana Vjugina (CPOP/DBASSE) has just completed the requirements for her PhD degree in Biochemistry from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she was studying the molecular mechanisms of mammalian fertilization. As a reproductive biologist, she became increasingly aware of the role that science plays in society, viewing her research not only as a scientific contribution to the field of biochemistry, but also its application in the general field of reproductive health. She hopes that her work will help someday in identification of possible contraceptive targets and elucidation of the causes of infertility. Ulyana is excited about her fellowship with the Committee on Population, where she hopes to learn more about the world-wide demographic crisis of shifting population age that could have profound effects on global economical, political and social policies. She is looking forward to gain further understanding of science policy and how it affects the way science is done, the kind of science that is being done, and how science is communicated to the general public. She eventually hopes to transform her passion for science to the passion of raising awareness of the role that science plays in our society. In her free time, Ulyana enjoys music, reading, cooking and the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzles. Contact by email.
		Greta Zornes (DEW/NAE) recently completed her PhD in Environmental Health Sciences at Tulane University in New Orleans. Her doctoral research focused on understanding the status and potential of water reuse in Hyderabad and Delhi, India. Greta received her MS in Environmental Engineering from Manhattan College in 2000, where her research focused on biofilm formation in drinking water systems. Her undergraduate studies were completed in Environmental Science at the University of Oklahoma, and included a year at the University of Dundee, Scotland. Greta has completed a variety of internships including working with the World Health Organization in India and with the Socio-Economic Union in Russia. She is employed as an engineering consultant with CH2M HILL. Greta’s goal is to work in the international water/wastewater/water reuse arena. She is interested in better understanding the policy making process and is particularly interested in policies and programs which affect water and wastewater management. Greta is active in Engineers Without Borders and is currently involved in a project in the community of Amayo, Nicaragua. During her Mirzayan Fellowship, Greta is working with the Diversity in the Engineering Workforce (DEW) program supporting the Engineer Girl and Engineer Your Life projects. Contact by email.