| CNS Social Science Graduate Fellows |
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| Meredith Conroy Interdisciplinary Research Group 3: Risk Perception and Media (2008 - 2009) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Political Science |
| Meredith's research at CNS-UCSB focuses on the communication of nanotechnologies in news media, and its effect on public attitudes. As a political psychologist, Meredith is especially interested in understanding the impact of informational frames and comparisons disseminated by the media on the stability and strength of individual attitudes toward nanotechnologies. Before pursing her Ph.D at UCSB, Meredith worked as an assistant production coordinator at the Associated Press Television News station in London, England. Meredith has a master's degree from Purdue University and a bachelor's degree from Whittier College, both in political science. |
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| Summer Gray Interdisciplinary Research Group 1: Origins, Institutions, and Communities (2008 - 2009) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Sociology |
| As a Graduate Research Fellow with the CNS and a Ph.D. student in Sociology, Summer works closely with Patrick McCray on developing a more historicized understanding of interdisciplinary approaches to nanoscale research. Summer’s current project on nanoscale research communities and interdisciplinarity has received additional support from the Societal and Ethical Issues (SEI) board at the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) and the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) at Rice University. Prior to her work as a Graduate Fellow, Summer earned a bachelor's degree in Science, Technology and Society (STS) from Pomona College.
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Christine Shearer Interdisciplinary Research Group 3: Risk Perception and Media (2009) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Sociology |
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James Walsh Interdisciplinary Research Group 4: Globalization of Nanotechnology (2009)
Degree Objective: Ph.D., Sociology |
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| CNS Science and Engineering Graduate Fellows |
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| Erica Lively Interdisciplinary Research Group 3: Risk Perception and Media (2007 - 2009) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering |
| Erica has extensive experience in the field of electrical engineering, having served as a research intern at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and as a research and development intern at Stryker Endoscopy. Her research interests include slow light devices, integrated photonic devices, metamaterials, and plasmonics. She is currently working as a member of Prof. Daniel Blumenthal's research group, conducting process development experiments for nanofabrication of metal gratings on compound semiconductors. Erica is a recipient of the California NanoSystems Institute Fellowship, Micron Fellowship for Science and Technology, and the NASA Idaho Space Grant Fellowship. She has earned a master's degree from UCSB and a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho, both in electrical engineering. |
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| Tyronne Martin Interdisciplinary Research Group 3: Risk Perception and Media (2007 - 2009) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Chemistry |
 | As a chemist, Tyronne is able to serve as a liaison between the physical and social sciences of nanotechnology research. He is the recipient of the 2007 UC Santa Barbara Chemistry Department’s Outstanding Service Award for Graduate Recruitment. He has also received the Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate (AGEP) Fellowship. Tyronne’s research interests include protein design and engineering, along with drug-microtubule interactions and stability. During his undergraduate education he participated in minority science programs and carried out research in the synthesis of organometallic catalysts. Tyronne received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from California State University, Los Angeles. |
Claron Ridge Interdisciplinary Research Group 4: Globalization of Nanotechnology Degree Objective: Ph.D., Chemistry |
 | Claron is a graduate student at UCSB in the Chemistry department. His research involves the characterization of nanostructures on metal/metal adsorbate systems. At CNS-UCSB he is investigating the process of innovation through the emergence of nanotechnology.Claron was born and raised in the great state of Delaware (The First State). After graduating from Newark High School in 1998 he entered collage life at the University of Delaware getting a B.S. in Chemistry in 2005. |
CNS Graduate Fellow Alumni |
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| Kasim Alimahomed Interdisciplinary Research Group 2: Innovation (2007 -2009) 
Kasim's interest at CNS-UCSB primarily involved the mapping of nanotechnology researchers in structured social space. Tracking information flows between scientists, he tests social psychological variables within and across networks. He has received numerous awards for his research, most recently a top paper award in interpersonal communication at the International Communication Association conference held in Dresden, Germany. Prior to his becoming a fellow at CNS-UCSB, Kasim's research interests involved dynamic facial expressions and he taught extensively throughout the Southern California area--primarily at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. Kasim has a master's degree in Human Communication Studies from California State University, Fullerton and a bachelor's in Speech Communication from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Karl Bryant Working Group 3: Risk Perception and Social Movements (2006 - 2007) Degree: Ph.D., Sociology |
 | During his year as a graduate fellow with CNS-UCSB, Karl helped to prepare and execute the recent cross-national deliberation on nanotechnology and society that examines how the U.S. and U.K. publics perceive nanotechnology. Karl received his Ph.D. in 2007 and has accepted a position as assistant professor of sociology and women’s studies at SUNY New Paltz. He graduated magna cum laude from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in French and a master’s degree in sociology. |
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| Joe Conti Working Group 3: Risk Perception and Social Movements (2007 - 2008) Degree: Ph.D., Sociology |
| Prior to becoming a graduate fellow, Joe was already a familiar face at CNS-UCSB. He was among the researchers in the 2006 ICON-CNS study of nanotechnology in the workplace in which the team found that workplaces lack empirical data about environmental, health and safety practices of nanotechnologies. In addition to the CNS-UCSB graduate student fellowship, he has also received the NSF Doctoral Improvement Grant, the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation Dissertation Fellowship, and the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy Dissertation Research Grant. Joe received his PhD from the Department of Sociology at UCSB in 2008 and is now a post-doctoral fellow at the American Bar Foundation. His dissertation examined the dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization. He earned a master's degree in sociology from UC Santa Barbara, andgraduated magna cum laude from Regis University with a bachelor's degree in philosophy.
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| Scott Ferguson Working Group 2: Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Globalization (2007 - 2008) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering |
| Bio not available
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| Alan Glennon Working Group 2: Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Globalization (2006 - 2007)
Degree Objective: Ph.D., Geography |
| Alan’s time with CNS-UCSB was spent mapping nanotechnology centers around the world. Prior to his research at UCSB, he founded the Hoffman Research Institute at Western Kentucky University, studying water quality, natural resource management and environmental change. Alan has also served as research hydrologist for the Center for Cave and Karst Studies; park ranger at Mammoth Cave National Park; cartographer for the Center for Local Government Services at Western Kentucky University; and natural resource manager at Jewel Cave National Monument. He earned a master’s degree in geoscience from Western Kentucky University, and a bachelor’s degree in recreation, park and tourism science from Texas A&M University. |
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| Hillary Haldane Working Group 3: Risk Perception and Social Movements (2006) Degree: Ph.D., Anthropology |
| Hillary Haldane served as a CNS-UCSB research graduate fellow in 2006. She is currently serving as a visiting assistant professor of anthropology at Quinnipiac University. During her time with CNS-UCSB, Hillary participated in developing the expert interview protocol and creating the databases for comparative studies. She earned a master's degree in anthropology from UC Santa Barbara and graduated cum laude from San Diego State University with a bachelor's degree in anthropology. |
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| Indy Hurt Interdisciplinary Research Group 3: Risk Perception and Media (2008 - 2009) 
As a Graduate Research Fellow with the CNS and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) expert, Indy assists Working Group 3 with data visualization of nanotechnologies. Prior to her work as a Graduate Fellow, Indy served as an instructor with the Environmental Systems Research Institute, GIS Assistant with the Redlands Institute, and GIS Analyst with the UCLA School of Public Health. She earned a bachelor's degree in geography from UCLA and a master's degree in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Redlands.
Mary Ingram-Waters Working Group 1: Historical Context of Nanotechnologies (2006 - 2008) Degree: Ph.D., Sociology |
 | Mary works closely with Patrick McCray in researching the connections between three recent pro-technology social movements: pro-space, cryonics, and nanotechnology for the purpose of tracing how nanotechnology first emerged in the public imagination in the 1980s and 1990s. Ingram-Waters is a two-time recipient of CNS-UCSB’s Graduate Research Fellowship. Prior to her work at CNS-UCSB, Ingram-Waters was a Research Fellow at the Institute for the Advanced Studies on Science, Technology, and Society (IAS-STS), in Graz, Austria, and the recipient of the doctoral fellowship at the Capps Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life. She earned a master’s degree in sociology from UCSB and bachelor’s degrees in sociology and theater arts from State University of Western Georgia.
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Jerry Macala Working Group 2: Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Globalization (2006 - 2008) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Chemistry |
| Jerry is researching the current innovation structure and how it can be improved. He has extensive work experience, having once worked as a plant and regulatory manager for Norac, Inc., and as station manager in Antarctica. As a chemist, Jerry works with silver oxide nanoparticles and cobalt oxide nanomaterials from listeria innocua protein. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA. |
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Alexis Ostrowski Working Group 3: Risk Perception and Social Movements (2007 - 2008) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Chemistry |
| Alexis is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at UCSB in the research group of Prof. Peter C. Ford. Her dissertation research is focused on developing modified nanoparticles for photochemical delivery of bioactive chemical compounds for therapeutic applications. Before pursuing studies at UCSB, she worked as a research scientist in the Space Materials Lab at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, CA. Alexis also has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Occidental College where she was involved in research to create DNA-based biosensors. |
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| Rachel Parker Interdisciplinary Research Group 4: Globalization of Nanotechnology (2006 - 2009) 
As one of the recipients of the NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute Fellowship Award, Rachel researched nanotechnology R&D in China and Taiwan. During her summer in China, she also worked on her dissertation research on China’s use of nanotechnology in environmental remediation. She worked closely with Rich Appelbaum in studying global investment in and competition of nanotechnology. Rachel received a master’s degree in management of non-governmental organizations from the London School of Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brandeis University.
Aaron Rowe Working Group 2: Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Globalization (2006 - 2007) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Chemistry |
| As a graduate student in the department of chemistry, Aaron is working on the design of new biosensor architectures and eventually hopes to construct handheld devices that can be used to detect illicit drugs and chemical and biological weapons. He earned a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in organic chemistry from California State University at Northridge. |
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Kim Stoltzfus
Working Group 2: Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Globalization (2006 - 2007) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Communication |
 | | Kim’s interest at CNS-UCSB is in scientific collaboration and intellectual property. She has received a number of awards and honors, including the UCSB Dean’s Fellowship and Project Team Leader Award from the Department of Homeland Security’s Modernization Project. Prior to returning to graduate school to pursue a degree in communication, she served as a communications consultant for a variety of organizations in Washington, D.C., including the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she served as liaison between technology industry leaders and policy makers. Kim has a master’s degree in new communication and a bachelor’s degree in communications with minors in political science and history, both from the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University. | |
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| Joe Summers Working Group 3: Risk Perception and Social Movements (2006 - 2007) Degree: Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering |
| Joe’s expertise as an engineer proved invaluable to CNS-UCSB during its crucial first year. In addition to helping conduct the recent cross-national deliberation, he brought an engineer’s perspective to discussion and research. His academic research interest is in wavelength converters, where he hopes to create better and faster transmission of data. Joe recently accepted a position as postdoctoral researcher with the Department of Physics at Mount Holyoke College. |
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| David Weaver Working Group 3: Risk Perception and Social Movements (2006 - 2008) Degree Objective: Ph.D., Political Science |
| David works alongside Bruce Bimber, conducting research and analysis of nanotechnology and the media. In addition to his fellowship with CNS, he has also received a departmental fellowship with UCSB’s Department of Political Science and the Roy H. Park Fellowship at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism. David’s current research is in the field of political communication. He earned a master’s degree in mass communication from UNC – Chapel Hill, and bachelor’s degrees in communications, history and print journalism from the University of Oregon.
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