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STPF Affinity Groups
STPF Affinity Groups
Science & Technology Policy Fellowship groups are formed and managed by current and alumni fellows. They provide a forum to meet and discuss issues related to areas of targeted interest, including areas of science, policy, and other topical issues. Affinity group activities range from presentations and discussions with expert guest speakers, to monthly meetings and gatherings over coffee, workshops, full day symposia, and multi-day conferences. The following groups are responsible for this symposium.
Data for Good
Data for Good
The Data for Good Affinity Group is interested in the ways that data are used to promote and protect democratic processes. Focusing our efforts on this symposium will be of high importance to the members of our affinity group, many of whom are conducting work related to data transparency, evidence-based policymaking, and data governance.
R Users
R Users
R is a programming language widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software and data analysis. The R Users Affinity Group focuses on the practical use of data and data visualization in government. This year, we are developing our R skills by developing code to analyze gerrymandering.
Science & Technology Studies
Science & Technology Studies
The Science & Technology Studies affinity group is focused on the relationship between science & society—including history, culture, and politics. This symposium advances our goal to improve the relationship between science & society by fostering a contemplative dialogue about data and democracy, addressing issues of public trust, the construction of technological systems, and consideration of possible futures
Symposium Organizers
Symposium Organizers
As AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows, we're committed to using evidence to inform policy, and using policy to shape the scientific enterprise. We organized this symposium around two simple ideas: democracy is our greatest strength, and data our most powerful tool. The Data & Democracy Symposium aims to explore these ideas and chart a path forward for using data to reinforce democracy.
Jason Bono, PhD
DATA FOR GOOD
Jason is a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow serving as an Analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He previously worked as a particle physicist at Fermilab where he led data science initiatives, managed R&D projects, and coordinated experimental operations. He is interested in helping capture the societal benefits of emerging technologies while minimizing their risks.
Stuart Gluck, PhD
DATA FOR GOOD, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY STUDIES
Stuart Gluck is a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow serving as Adviser to the Director of the Office of Science at the US Department of Energy. He earned his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University in logic and philosophy of science, focusing on the mathematical and conceptual foundations of quantum physics and quantum information theory. Stuart was previously Director of Institutional Research for the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. Stuart is interested in how data science can be used responsibly to aid in good governance and effective policymaking.
Andrew Merluzzi, PhD, MPA
DATA FOR GOOD
Andrew Merluzzi is a AAAS STPF Fellow in the Center for Digital Development at USAID. He earned his degrees in neuroscience and public policy at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2018. Over the course of his graduate study, he participated in several fellowships and conducted part time work in health policy research. Andrew has worked with several non-profit organizations conducting science policy research for government agencies, including on the health effects of electronic cigarettes, microelectronics supply chain security, opioid use disorder treatment, research integrity and stewardship, brain health, and artificial intelligence in health and healthcare.
Jacob "Jake" Pasner, PhD
DATA FOR GOOD
Jake is an American Institute of Physics AAAS Congressional Fellow in the office of Senator Ron Wyden (OR). Born and raised on his family's organic farm in rural California, Jake earned his Ph.D. at UC Santa Cruz (2019) in Particle Physics studying the Higgs Boson at the Large Hadron Collider. Bridging this gap from big tractors to big data, Jake is passionate about ensuring equal access to the new technologies of the information age and leveraging data for the protection of the public good. He also enjoys hiking, cooking, gardening, and playing music.
Kelly Seagraves, PhD
DATA FOR GOOD
Kelly Seagraves is a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow expecting to serve at the Department of State. Previously she studied how the brain controls social interactions at Cambridge and Princeton, with a focus on using computer vision, machine learning, and microscopy techniques. Kelly believes that equitable access to education and science is critical. She has worked on several initiatives with this goal, including three years as a volunteer instructor with the Princeton Prison Teaching Initiative, with whom she taught accredited college courses at a Federal Correctional Institution.
Mike Tennenbaum, PhD
R USERS
Michael Tennenbaum is a first-year AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow working in the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) in the Department of Energy. There he works on sociometric analysis of HEP in support of the program managers. Michael received his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in soft condensed matter physics. His research experimentally measured the properties of active matter by using fire ant aggregations as a model system. At Georgia Tech, Michael was also a fellow in the Sam Nunn Security Program where he investigated the national security implications of the resiliency of frugal science. In his free time Michael likes to fix bicycles and has been involved in community bike shops and advocacy groups.
How did you end up with a Rubik's cube for a logo?
Additional design support for the Data & Democracy symposium is being provided by freelance designer, Chris Schreiber. In discussion with the fellows, Chris was drawn to representing the concept of redistricting as a puzzle cube.
Once the iconic Rubik's cube was in all blue and red squares, however, it seemed to capture more than just redistricting in a time of enhanced polarization. A puzzle cube is challenging, is solved with algorithms, creates frustration for some and mastery for others, and is both rigid and dynamic—much like some challenges in American democracy right now. Most importantly, the cube demands engagement and we hope it caught your eye.
The Rubik’s Cube image trademark used courtesy of Spin Master Toys UK Limited.
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