Recent Happenings
Back to the Science & Society Program
2025
Defining Citizen Science: Connecting Science & Society
In Raleigh, NC, the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program was featured on the main stage at the Association of Science Communicators Science Talk ’25 conference. Associate Director Jylana Sheats, Ph.D., was invited by the Rita Allen Foundation and Burroughs Wellcome Fund to speak on the panel “Defining Civic Science: Connecting Science & Society.” The session brought together current and former Civic Science Fellows to explore how science communicators are advancing civic science in the face of societal fragmentation and growing mistrust. Dr. Sheats, a 2021–2023 Civic Science Fellow, shared insights from her fellowship at the Science & Society Program, including the co-design of Science & Society’s flagship youth initiative, Our Future Is Science. She also discussed how she continues to apply civic science principles in her teaching and mentorship of emerging public health leaders at Tulane University. She was joined by Catherine Devine, Amml Hussein, and Andrew Makohon-George in a conversation highlighting the importance of inclusive engagement, institutional change, and public participation in shaping science that truly serves society.
Rough Cut of Forthcoming Feature-Length Documentary Completed
In Brooklyn, the team creating Science & Society’s feature-length documentary film, Six Degrees From Science, meets to review the rough cut—the first unpolished edit of the film. With 90% of the film captured so far, the film is on track to be finished later this year and will showcase to public and stakeholder audiences the good that comes from basic science research—and what we stand to lose if the scientific enterprise collapses.
Program Associate Awarded Aspen Health Fellowship
Program Assistant Breana Turner is selected from a competitive group as a 2025 Aspen Ideas: Health Fellow following her nomination by Associate Director Jylana Sheats. The fellowship will fund Breana’s attendance at the Aspen Ideas: Health Festival in Aspen, Colorado in June 2025, where she will have the opportunity to learn from and alongside other cohort members who are at the cutting edge of healthcare and public health.
Constellation of Proponents of Building Public Trust in Science
In Cambridge, MA, members of Science & Society team—Senior Advisors Lee McIntyre and Cary Funk, Associate Director Jylana Sheats, Executive Director Aaron Mertz, and Senior Manager Nataliya Shulga—unite for the conference Building Trust in Science for a More Informed Future, which they co-organized with The MIT Press, directed by Amy Brand.
Many convergences and reunions occur, including keynote remarks by Francis Collins (former Director of the National Institutes of Health who has participated in Aspen Ideas: Health multiple times) and Lina Yassin (Sudanese climate journalist who was featured in the Science & Society Program’s documentary series Infodemic) and a session on public health storytelling co-moderated by Jylana including Lori Rose Benson (former CEO of Hip Hop Public Health who participated in the Science & Society Program’s Building Bridges, Earning Trust report and Aspen Ideas: Health).
Among the 250+ in attendance are Advisory Council member physicist and writer Alan Lightman; JDI Chief of Staff Risa Fielder, who organized the Penrose Gathering Amy and Aaron attended in October 2024; and Our Future Is Science Mentor/Ambassador and Boston Children’s Hospital graduate student Edward Chen.
Galvanizing Future Leaders of Science Diplomacy
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz leads a field trip to the Aspen Institute for Rockefeller University’s Hurford Science Diplomacy Initiative, which aims to help early-career scientists understand the global context for their work and thus enable them to work more effectively at international levels. A proud alumnus of this initiative from his biophysics postdoc, Aaron leads a discussion of issues and roles for leading U.S. and international non-governmental organizations with regard to science and society. The Initiative’s instructors are Jesse Ausubel (pictured to Aaron’s right), Director of Program for the Human Environment, and Mandë Holford (pictured to Aaron’s left), Professor of Chemistry, Hunter College, and American Museum of Natural History, who is also a member of the Advisory Group of the Science & Society Program’s youth initiative Our Future Is Science.
Analyzing the Resiliency of Public Trust in Science
Senior Advisor for Public Engagement with Science Cary Funk provides expert analysis in journalist Claudia López Lloreda’s article “The Resiliency of Public Trust in Science,” published by Undark Magazine, a nonprofit science news outlet. “There are still lots of people who have at least a kind of soft inclination to have confidence or trust in scientists, to act in the interests of the public,” said Funk. “And so majorities of Americans, majorities even of Republicans, have that view.”
Broadway Play with Vaccine Discussions at the Forefront
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz and Advisory Council member psychiatrist and bioethicist Dr. Robert Klitzman see the play Eureka Day about meetings between parents and administrators concerning requirements for vaccination after an outbreak of mumps in the student body.
Helping Steer Upcoming Cross-Disciplinary Science Gathering
Alongside distinguished leaders Amy Brand of the MIT Press, Sara Holoubek of Luminary Labs, and Sanjay Srivatsan of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Executive Director Aaron Mertz is invited to join the Steering Committee of the next Penrose gathering scheduled October 2025.
2024
Science & Community Project Manager Receives Institute-Wide Recognition
Science & Society Project Manager Hassan Farah is recognized by the Aspen Institute as a 2024 Achievement Award Winner for going significantly above and beyond the requirements of his job description. Hassan’s demonstration of Institute values through his leadership and promotion of a positive work atmosphere for the Science & Society Program has taken Science & Society’s youth initiative, Our Future Is Science, to new heights this year and has laid the groundwork for even more success in 2025.
A Festive Evening of Reflection and Collaboration with Ambassador Ralf Heckner
In Washington, DC, Associate Director Jylana Sheats joins fellow leaders working at the intersection of science, technology, policy, and society at the residence of Swiss Ambassador Dr. Ralf Heckner for a thoughtful and celebratory dinner. The evening provided an opportunity to reflect on key takeaways from their Fall 2024 Swiss Study Tour, which explored Switzerland’s regional hubs of innovation and their role in advancing global science, technology, and education. Hosted by Ambassador Heckner, the dinner fostered meaningful dialogue around U.S. innovation, science policy, workforce development, and educational trajectories, while highlighting Switzerland’s leadership in decentralized innovation ecosystems.
Combatting Mis- and Disinformation About mRNA
In Washington, DC, Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga participates in the Don’t Blame the Messenger(RNA): Combatting the Threat of Misinformation forum organized by the Foundation for mRNA Medicines and the Johns Hopkins University RNA Innovation Center. The forum features discussions led by Katalin Kariko, Ph.D. (winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023), thought leaders, and experts about mRNA’s promise to improve human health and the threat that mis- and disinformation poses to scientific advancement in this field.
Post-Election Opportunities and Challenges for Science
In Washington, DC, Associate Director Jylana Sheats and Senior Advisor for Public Engagement with Science Cary Funk lead the panel “Taking Stock of Election 2024: Challenges and Opportunities for Science” at the 2024 International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE). They are joined by Alec Tyson, Associate Director at the Pew Research Center, Tobin Smith, Senior Vice President at the Association of American Universities, and moderator Jamie Vernon, who serves as the Executive Director and CEO of Sigma Xi.
Interconnections of Science and Foreign Policy
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz attends the inaugural Norman E. Alexander Family M Foundation Forum on Science and Foreign Policy event at the Council on Foreign Relations, where Aaron has been a Stephen M. Kellen Term Member since 2019. In a discussion presided by Science & Society Advisory Council member Peggy Hamburg (pictured), nuclear physicist Stephanie Diem and oceanographer Dawn Wright highlight their efforts as part of the U.S. State Department’s 2024 Science Envoy to forge connections and identify opportunities for sustained international cooperation to advance solutions to shared challenges.
Science Diplomacy in an Era of Technological Disruption
In Washington, DC, Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga participates in the FUTURE FORUM: Science Diplomacy in an Era of Technological Disruption. The event is organized by the Johns Hopkins University Science Diplomacy Hub and the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York, with this year’s theme focusing on how advancements in AI, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies are shaping international relations.
Presenting STEM and Community Research at National Conference
Science & Community Postdoc Hassan Farah and Our Future Is Science (OFIS) Ambassadors Anthony Dant and Elise Arellano-Thompson travel to the 2024 National Diversity in STEM Conference (NDiSTEM 2024) in Phoenix, AZ hosted by the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Working alongside several co-authors, Ambassadors collaborated on two abstracts for a research poster earlier this year, which were accepted and then brought to life at the conference.
Anthony presents his poster “The Impact of Urban Environmental Heterogeneity on Bird Abundance Across Los Angeles, California” with the assistance of fellow Ambassadors Edward Chen and Lilian Doan, while Elise presents her poster “Comparatively Examining Food Access in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Communities” with support from Puru Saxena, Edward Chen, and Science & Society Project Assistant Dorianis Pérez.
Hassan, Anthony and Elise also host a 75-minute STEM Symposia Presentation at SACNAS, where they highlight the OFIS Mentorship & Ambassador Programs, provide updated metrics on student achievements and their perceptions of OFIS, and share Anthony’s personal journey as an OFIS Mentor and now Ambassador. Senior Advisor for Public Engagement with Science Cary Funk also attends the STEM Symposia, a lovely surprise as both OFIS and S&S are virtual programs and opportunities to meet in person are rare.
Additionally, the team is invited to join a dinner hosted by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for their Diversity Enrichment Awardees. Having received funding from the BWF to support three of our OFIS Mentees and Mentors from North Carolina last year, we are delighted to meet others who share our same passions for improving access to a high-quality education.
Breaking the Wall to Climate Justice through STEM Mentorship—on Global Stage in Germany, plus Myriad Connections
In Berlin, as a result of major international recognition of Our Future is Science, Science & Community Project Manager Hassan Farah delivers his pitch, “Breaking the Wall to Climate Justice through STEM Mentorship,” before a packed audience and esteemed jury on a global stage, along with the other 20 international Winners of the Science Engagement competition by the Falling Wall Foundation, which identifies science breakthroughs in the categories Lab, Venture, Engage, Female Science Talents, and a number of scientific fields. He is joined by Associate Director Jylana Sheats and Executive Director Aaron Mertz, who also serves on the jury for one of the Falling Walls Breakthrough competitions.
At the conference panel, “Preparing the Next Generation of Civic Science Leaders,” Jylana and Aaron reconnect meaningfully with leaders of American science philanthropies that have made key components of Science & Society Program projects possible over the years, including Rita Allen Foundation President Elizabeth Good Christopherson, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation President Adam Falk, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Vice President of Science in Society Tania Simoncelli, and Kavli Foundation Science and Society Director Brooke Smith, along with collaborators and fellow civic science advocates Boston University College of Communication Professor of the Practice and Dean Mariette DiChristina and University of Wisconsin–Madison Life Sciences Professor & Taylor-Bascom Chair Dietram Scheufele.
Aaron also catches up with Royal Canadian Institute for Science (RCIScience) Executive Director Carrie Boyce, with whom Jylana and Aaron organized a roundtable discussion that generated the report, Advancing LGBTQ+ People in STEM Careers, after meeting Carrie when Jylana and Aaron first attended Falling Walls in 2022 as invited participants in the Berlin Science Debate that led to the public report, Public Engagement: Anchoring Science in Society and Society in Science.
U.S. Election Night Coverage by the Aspen Institute Germany
In Berlin, in advance of the Falling Walls Science Summit, Executive Director joins the Aspen Institute Germany Executive Director Stormy-Annika Mildner at their Election Night 2024, with 1,700 high-level participants from politics, business, the public and non-profit sectors, academia, and the arts and cultural scene. The Science & Society Program collaborated with the Aspen Institute Germany on the Germany chapter of the 2022 report, In Favor of Pure Science.
Youth Initiative Highlighted as Aspen Institute Develops New Center for Rising Generations
In Washington, DC, Executive Director and co-founder of Our Future Is Science (OFIS), Aaron Mertz, is interviewed by new Aspen Institute Executive Vice President and Director of the new Center for Rising Generations, Kaya Henderson, before the Aspen Institute staff about what the broader Institute can learn from Science & Society’s award-winning initiative for youth, as the Institute works to expand its offerings for young people, after the OFIS team connected with new Vice President of the Center for Rising Generations, Pete Weber.
Endorsement of “Tactics for Trust” Playbook Before Multisector Thought Leaders
In Marfa, Texas, Founder & CEO Josh Jones-Dilworth of the boutique consultancy JDI, which brings emerging technology and science-driven companies to market, gives an unprompted shoutout to Science & Society’s recent report/playbook, Tactics for Trust, before an audience of 115 researchers, inventors, founders, entrepreneurs, executives, artists, and storytellers, including Executive Director Aaron Mertz, during the opening remarks of the inaugural Penrose gathering.
Film Team Converges for a Key Creative Meeting and for an American Premiere
In Brooklyn, NY, the film team of Consequential founders Ruth Johnston and Ted Richane, Science & Society Executive Director Aaron Mertz, and director Marilyn Ness meet to hammer out key aspects of the creative approach for their forthcoming documentary, Six Degrees From Science. Ruth and Ted’s visit coincides with the American premiere of their film Endurance about landmark expeditions—a century apart—to Antarctica.
Guest Interview for Boston University Graduate Course on Science Communication
As part of the “Advocating Science” module of a Spring 2025 graduate-level course at Boston University on science communication for students who are scientists or communicators working in science, Executive Director Aaron Mertz is guest-interviewed by public relations professor Gary Sheffer.
Meeting with United Nations Climate Negotiators
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz meets with University of Pennsylvania philosopher of science Michael Weisberg, with whom Science & Society organized the 2021 workshop, Building a Global Network for Community Science, and economist Koko Warner, Director of the International Organization for Migration Global Data Institute in Berlin, in town for the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Team Expands with New Project Assistant and Program Assistant
Dorianis Peréz, a mentor alumna and lead ambassador for Science & Society’s Our Future Is Science (OFIS) youth initiative, is hired as Project Assistant. Dorianis recently completed her Ph.D. in Computational Science at Florida State University and is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Physical Sciences at Northern New Mexico College. Mentor alumna Breana Turner, a Ph.D. candidate in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health at Virginia Tech, also joins the team as Program Assistant.
Sejal Goud’s Promotion at the Aspen Institute
In recognition of her contributions as a convener and lead author of Science & Society Program roundtables and signature publications, many of which have gone on to receive international recognition, Sejal Goud is promoted from Communications Coordinator to Program Associate at the Aspen Institute.
Exploring Switzerland’s Innovation Ecosystem
Associate Director Jylana Sheats is invited by the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States to join a delegation of think tank leaders for a week of field visits across seven Swiss cities. The group focuses on innovation clusters such as energy and food, space, microelectronic and advanced manufacturing, and computer science and robotics, with the goal of understanding how these sectors are supported by an overarching ecosystem.
Founders of Initiatives for Youth in Science Unite
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz, who founded Our Future Is Science (OFIS), trades ideas and strategies with Gabriele Reyes, a Ph.D. student in Developmental and Psychological Sciences at Stanford University who founded FLi Sci, a nonprofit organization dedicated to diversifying the STEM fields by providing enriching, hands-on research experiences for first-generation/low-income (FLi) students of color. Aaron recruits Gabriel to join the OFIS Advisory Group.
Alexandra Montgomery Hired as Program Assistant
Following a fruitful summer experience through the Princeton University Internships in Civic Service (PICS) program, Alexandra Montgomery joins the Science & Society team as a Program Assistant.
Youth Initiative Named Winner in Falling Walls Global Science Engagement Competition
Science & Society’s Our Future Is Science initiative combining science and communities for youth in the U.S. often underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and careers, is selected as one of 20 global Winners in the annual Falling Walls Foundation competition to identify scientific breakthroughs of the year. An advisory board adjudicated 136 applications from 54 countries in the Science Engagement category. As part of the Winner designation, Science & Community Project Manager Hassan Farah will pitch the initiative in person at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin in November.
Discussing Climate Anxiety at the Bloomberg Green Festival
In Seattle, Washington, Associate Director Jylana Sheats is an invited panelist at the inaugural Bloomberg Green Festival held in July. She joined Sarah Newman from the Climate Mental Health Network and Kate Schapira from Brown University to discuss the topic of climate anxiety, with moderation by Kira Bindrim of Bloomberg Green. Valerie Conn, a member of the Science & Society Advisory Council, attends the festival and has the opportunity to connect with Jylana. Aaron Krol and Laur Hesse Fisher, members of the MIT-Aspen Institute Science & Society Program Building Trust Conference Planning Committee, also speak at the festival, allowing the trio to meet in person for the first time.
Looking Back on Year Three of Youth Initiative, Preparing for Year Four
The staff of Our Future Is Science—Hassan Farah, Caroline Gelb, Aaron Mertz, Alexandra Montgomery, Ebony Tyler, and Jylana Sheats—joins for its annual retreat in New York City to evaluate the initiative’s recently completed third year (2023–2024) and make plans for the initiative’s coming fourth year (2024–2025).
Meeting with the Director of the MIT Museum
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz meets with the newly appointed Director of the MIT Museum, Michael John Gorman, to discuss the planning committee’s work to shape the conference Building Trust in Science for a More Informed Future, which the Science & Society Program and the MIT Press are organizing in Boston in March 2025.
Commemorating the 50th Anniversity of the National Research Act
Executive Director Aaron Mertz and Senior Advisor for Public Trust in Science Lee McIntyre speak at the Contemplating the Future panel discussion as part of the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the National Research Act. The Act, which helped create federal rules to protect human participants in research, was a response to public outcry that the federal government let hundreds of Black men in rural Alabama go untreated for syphilis for 40 years to study the impact of the disease on the human body. The focus of this particular panel is on exploring the potential impact of scientific advances in the coming decades, the challenges they may present to the notion of “human research protection,” the stress they may put on public trust, and what the scientific community can do and prepare for it.
University Recognition for Education and Science Reform
Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga is awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the International European University in Kyiv, Ukraine. She is recognized for her main contribution to the reform of education and science in Ukraine, which standardized three levels of higher education and allowed for the recognition of Ukrainian higher educational institutions and their graduates around the world.
Stronger Together Conference on Strategic Partnership with Ukraine
Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga is invited to the Stronger Together conference on strategic partnership in education and science co-hosted by the National Academy of Sciences and the Embassy of Ukraine. The event convenes First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelensky, dignitaries, policymakers, and academics from the two countries to identify how they can work together to ensure that Ukraine can continue to develop the knowledge and expertise needed to rebuild the country.
Inaugural State of the Science Address
In Washington, DC, Executive Director Aaron Mertz, Communications Coordinator Sejal Goud, and Intern in Civic Service Kyler Zhou attend the inaugural State of the Science Address at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The address, presented by NASEM President Marcia McNutt, focuses heavily on the Science & Society pillar of public trust in science and is followed by a cross-sector panel discussion. Afterward, Aaron is invited as special guest to a dinner with the National Academies’ Strategic Council for Research Excellence, Integrity, and Trust and is seated next to Sudip Parikh, Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and Tom Wang, Senior Director of U.S. Science and Innovation Policy of the National Academies, and interacts significantly with Lara Campbell, Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Second Aspen Kyiv Reunion Abroad Yields “Infodemic” Translation
During the second Aspen Kyiv Reunion Abroad in Warsaw, Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga negotiates an inaugural event for the translation of the Science & Society Program’s “Infodemic” docuseries into Ukrainian with the Executive Director of The Aspen Institute Kyiv Yuliya Tychkivska and program Director Serhiy Rogol. Hubert Czyżewski from Aspen Institute Central Europe also helped organize an event to foster international cooperation, amplify the Ukrainian voice on the global stage, and strengthen sustainable connections among leadership communities across different countries. Highlights of the reunion include a seminar on personal and collective dimensions of resilience, along with a forum discussion on the power of the Ukranian diaspora.
Youth Initiative Selected as Falling Walls Engage Finalist
Science & Society’s Our Future Is Science initiative combining science and communities for youth in the U.S. often underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and careers, is named a Top 30 Falling Walls Engage Finalist. Of the 136 applications submitted from around the world, 20 winners will move forward on the path to Science Breakthrough of the Year in Science Engagement and receive a chance to compete in the Falling Walls Science Summit pitch competition in Berlin.
Social Compact Between Corporate Innovation and Society
At the Vanguard Leadership Forum Life Sciences CEO Forum in Boston, Executive Director Aaron Mertz delivers remarks to a group of life sciences executives about the social compact between the society and corporate-sector innovation that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and still has room for enhancement.
Science Communication Journal Club and Celebrating a Czech Colleague’s Fulbright Year
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz participates in the monthly science-communication journal club convened by Brazilian microbiologist Natalia Pasternak (with whom Aaron organized and chaired the Aspen Global Congress on Scientific Thinking & Action and who was featured in Science & Society’s docuseries about science and misinformation around the world), with Charles University Ph.D. student Karolína Poliaková (celebrating her birthday and completion of her Fulbright year at Columbia University with Dr. Pasternak), science writer and journalist Carlos Orsi, and Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute Jeff Schlegelmilch.
Meeting with a Science Publisher and Fellow Conference Organizer
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz meets with MIT Press Director and Publisher Amy Brand to discuss plans for their 2025 joint conference in Boston on science communication for civic engagement. Dr. Brand and Aaron first connected in 2021 to discuss the documentary film she executive produced, Picture A Scientist, as Aaron was embarking on Science & Society’s documentary film, Six Degrees From Science.
Arts in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In preparation for the Science & Society Program’s upcoming roundtable about meaningful intersections of arts and science, Executive Director Aaron Mertz attends “Arts in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” a series of conversations with multidisciplinary artists moderated by physicist Brian Greene in New York City at the World Science Festival, for which Aaron previously served as a World Science Scholars Teaching Fellow for physics and biology courses for mathematically talented students around the world.
Third Cohort of Interns in Civic Service Start at Science & Society
Rising college sophomores Alexandra Montgomery and Kyler Zhou join the Science & Society team, marking the program’s third year partnering with Princeton University Internships in Civic Service (PICS). Throughout the summer, the interns will organize a convening focused on the intersection of the arts and the sciences, support recruitment efforts for the Our Future is Science mentorship program, and gain hands-on experience with nonprofit management.
Connecting with a Mentor in Austria and Exploring Where the Human Soul Can Blossom
In Carinthia (Kärnten), Austria, Executive Director Aaron Mertz visits his mentor, the Professor of Anatomy and former Vice President of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Reinhard Putz, and together, in the great tradition of the Aspen Institute founded in the Rocky Mountains, they explore places like the Alps of rural Austria “where the human soul can blossom” (“wo die menschliche Seele blühen kann”).
Connecting with Science & Community Advisors to Honor Black Youth Empowerment
Executive Director Aaron Mertz connects with Science & Community Advisors Ebony Tyler and Caroline Gelb at an event hosted at Caroline’s home in Brooklyn, New York, in honor of Ebony’s nonprofit, Liberated Success. The organization seeks to nurture Black young adults in their transition from high school to careers so they may have lives full of choice and joy.
Joining Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) Advisory Board
Associate Director Jylana Sheats is selected as a member of the inaugural, cross-sector Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) Advisory Board. Through regular engagement with the ORCA team, the Board will support the organization in meeting its goals of making open science “more rewarding, more equitable, and easier to practice.”‘
Reconnecting with Former Physics Doctoral Advisor
In New York City, Executive Director Aaron Mertz reconnects with his beloved doctoral physics advisor Eric Dufresne, who moved a year ago from his faculty position in Switzerland to the Cornell University Departments of Materials Sciences and Engineering and Physics. While at Yale University with Dr. Dufresne, Aaron carried out research on the mechanical properties of epithelial cells, before Dr. Dufresne became Professor of Soft and Living Materials at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH).
New Science Communication Advisor Joins Team
Toxicologist and science communicator Martina Efeyini, previously a Civic Science News Fellow, joins the Science & Society Team to help amplify the program’s work and create engaging content that inspires society to get excited about science.
National Strategy for Constructing a Diverse Workforce with Expanded Opportunities
In Washington, DC, Executive Director Aaron Mertz participates in the 2024 White House Summit on STEMM Equity and Excellence: Propelling Progress and Prosperity by 2050 co-hosted by the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) and the STEMM Opportunity Alliance, for leaders across the nation who are taking a pivotal shift toward aligned actions and implementation to achieve a more equitable and excellent STEMM enterprise. At the Summit, he connects with Senior Advisor to the CEO and Director of the SEA Change initiative at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Shirley Malcolm, who was a key participant in the Science & Society Program’s recent report on building trust in science, and Hunter College and American Museum of Natural History biochemist Mandë Holford, who is a member of the Our Future Is Science Advisory Group.
Aaron Mertz’s Promotion at the Aspen Institute
Because of the intellectual, programmatic, and financial success of the Science & Society Program over the five years since he founded the program, Aaron Mertz is promoted from Director to Executive Director at the Aspen Institute.
International Partnerships to Further Science Diplomacy
In Washington, DC, at the Johns Hopkins Science Diplomacy Summit, organized by chemistry graduate student Ona Ambrozaite, Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga and Director Aaron Mertz present on the Science & Society Program’s efforts to promote international partnerships and lay out their vision for future work in the program’s Global Science pillar. Karolina Poliaková, a Fulbright Fellow at Columbia University studying science communication, is also at the summit. She and Nataliya are working on Czech, Ukrainian, and Russian translations of the Science & Society Program’s docuseries about science and misinformation around the world.
Meeting Top Cancer Immunologists and a Former Advisor
In Boston, Director Aaron Mertz attends the Innovators in Science Award Ceremony, sponsored by Takeda and The New York Academy of Sciences, honoring top researchers in cancer immunology. For the first time in person, he meets Leah Lindsay, Takeda’s Lead for R&D Science Philanthropy and Community Engagement and a member of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program Advisory Council in 2023.
Physicist and Writer Joins Advisory Council
In Concord, Massachusetts, Director Aaron Mertz meets with physicist and writer Alan Lightman and recruits him to join the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program Advisory Council. Dr. Lightman and Aaron first met nearly 20 years ago, when Aaron was an undergraduate in St. Louis and invited Dr. Lightman to speak with students about building a career that transcends both sciences and humanities.
Community-Engaged Science in Sitka, Alaska
The Sitka Sound Science Center hosts Communications Coordinator Sejal Goud for a week-long field course. During her visit, Sejal and other students from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs gained an inside view into topics such as ocean acidification, sustainable fishing, tribal governance, and ecotourism.
2024 AAAS Annual Meeting: Toward Science Without Walls
At the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Denver, Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga represents the Ukrainian Science Club; notably, the two organizations have great overlap in membership. The ad hoc Ukrainian delegation also included Cathleen Campbell, Chair of the RESET Ukraine Action Group at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), who organized a session titled “Catalyzing University Science Research and Competitive Grantmaking in Ukraine.” Following the meeting’s theme, “Toward Science Walls,” the event is aimed at informing and promoting U.S.–Ukraine partnerships in science.
Policy Education Trip in Egypt
Program Coordinator Davina Thompson visits Cairo, Egypt with a delegation from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The group teamed up with the American University in Cairo to explore the country’s strategic location in the Middle East and North Africa. Students participated in discussions around Egypt’s economic and political future and had core meetings with the Central Bank of Egypt, Egyptian Stock Exchange Market, and the U.S. Commercial Attaché to Egypt. Additionally, site visits to the Pyramids of Giza, Saladin Citadel, National Museum for Egyptian Civilization, and the Nile River allowed the cohort to immerse themselves in local culture and history.
Renewable Energy and Biotechnology Innovation in Uruguay
Communications Coordinator Sejal Goud travels to Uruguay with a delegation from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The group participated in several high-level meetings, including with President Luis Lacalle Pou and Vice President Beatriz Argimón, Ambassador Heidi Fulton of the U.S. to Uruguay, various ministers, the Uruguay Innovation Hub, and Uruguay XXI. Additionally, several site visits enabled the cohort to learn from the country’s accomplishments, such as its 98% green energy grid. Following their return to the U.S. the team will produce a policy brief.
Classical Musicians Professional Group in New York City
In a moderated conversation with the social-professional group’s CEO and Founder Nicholas King, Director Aaron Mertz presents his professional journey and Science & Society’s work at an After Arts salon in New York for classical musicians who are now pursuing other professions and where, in 2019, Aaron met a future collaborator with whom he co-founded the program’s youth initiative, Our Future Is Science.
2023
Aspen Institute Colombia Established
At the Colombian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Director Aaron Mertz and Associate Director Jylana Sheats attend the announcement of the newest member of the Aspen Institute International Partner Network, Aspen Institute Colombia, led by Felipe Medina as Chair of their Board and Pablo Navas (pictured) as Executive Director. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute International Partners Network, the Science & Society Program collaborated with the then Aspen Institute Initiative in Colombia on the global assessment, In Favor of Pure Science, supported by the Kavli Foundation, which dissects the current state of basic science around the world.
Research!America Public Engagement Working Group
Associate Director Jylana Sheats joins the Research!America Public Engagement Working Group. The group, which is chaired by Alan Leshner and Keith Yamamoto and supported by the Rita Allen Foundation, has been meeting since late 2023 to develop an actionable strategy for the advancement of public engagement and civic science training in graduate STEMM education.
From Interview to STARTS Podcast
Director Aaron Mertz delivers an interview that forms the basis of a STARTS Podcast: Demystifying the Boundary Between STEM and the Arts, hosted by brothers Jaanak and Jaagat Prashar, outstanding aspiring scientists whom Aaron came to know while he was a Teaching Fellow for the World Science Scholars.
Open Science and Innovation in Ukraine 2023 International Conference
Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga welcomes participants of the II International Conference “Open Science and Innovation in Ukraine 2023” . The virtual conference, held during International Open Access Week, is hosted by the State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in partnership with TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology and University Library.
Exchanging Experiences in Public Engagement with Science
Following an insightful public discussion as part of the Aspen Conversations with Great Leaders series, President of the American Museum of Natural History Sean Decatur joins the Science & Society team and Director of New York Public Programs Linda Lehrer for dinner, during which the group exchanges their experiences in areas such as engaging the next generation of scientists, shaping more equitable higher education, and learning from innovative approaches to nonprofit management.
Conversation with AMNH President Sean Decatur
President of the American Museum of Natural History Sean Decatur joins Science & Society Director Aaron Mertz for The Story of Us, a public discussion at Roosevelt House in NYC, as part of the Aspen Institute Conversations with Great Leaders Series in memory of Preston Robert Tisch. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Decatur and Dr. Mertz shared insights on a variety of topics at the science-society intersection, including leadership in lab settings, building public trust in science through education, and AMNH’s vision for the future.
In Nashville, Associate Director Jylana Sheats plans and moderates a panel at the Black Legislative Leaders Network Leadership Summit. Together with AI for the People Founder Mutale Nkonde and Hologic, Inc.‘s Mia Keeys, Jylana discussed the legislature’s role in shaping responsible and equitable artificial intelligence (AI) across use cases in the housing, labor, education, and healthcare sectors. Nkonde and Keeys emphasized the need to ensure that civil rights are not violated and that existing anti-discrimination laws are adhered to.
Global Science Diplomacy Roundtable
Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga participates in the Fall 2023 Roundtable on Global Science Diplomacy in Washington, D.C. organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The roundtable convened experts and practitioners from government, academia, and international organizations to utilize the neutral, informal channel to promote science diplomacy as a tool for addressing global challenges, informing global policy-making, and building societal relationships. The meeting addressed programs to support international scientific collaboration, U.S. scientific priorities for UNESCO, and generative AI. The new international research collaboration project IMPRESS-Ukraine is presented as a success story of government and private charity collaboration.
Associate Director Jylana Sheats is a featured speaker at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Aligning Incentives for Open Scholarship. The workshop, “Developing New Approaches to Promote Equitable and Inclusive Implementation of Open Scholarship Policies,” explored specific steps and new approaches that research institutions, governmental agencies, research funders and other organizations can take to promote equitable and inclusive implementation of policies and practices being developed in response to the August 2022 memorandum of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research.
Princeton’s Service & Social Impact Internship Showcase
At Princeton’s Service & Social Impact Internship Showcase, 2023 Civic Service intern Rachel Edelstein presents about her summer experience at the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program.
Ensuring the Future of an Innovative Ukraine
Senior Manager of Global Science Nataliya Shulga contributes to two panels—“Collaborative Grants” and “Science for Policy”—as part of the HUMBOLDT4UKRAINE: Supporting Researchers online networking forum. 22 countries were represented at the event, including participants from Ukraine, Germany, Czechia, Poland, and France. 83% of the Ukrainian researchers indicated they are currently displaced, with some displaced within Ukraine while the majority are living in another European country. Organizers of the event include the MSCA4UkraineMSCA4Ukraine consortium and Philipp Schwartz Initiative. A report will follow to advise the European Commission on the future developments in this area.
Implementing Open Science in Eastern Europe
Senior Manager for Global Science Nataliya Shulga travels to Poland, Croatia, and Ukraine, participating in several exchanges aimed at gathering knowledge about the faith of implementing open science in these countries at the level of well-known scientific institutions, research management, and country leadership. Key meetings attended by Dr. Shulga were hosted by the International Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology in Warsaw, Aspen Institute Kyiv, the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, various parliamentary leaders, and PUBMET 2023 (The 10th Conference on Scholarly Communication in the Context of Open Science).
Capacity Building for Civic Science Policy
Associate Director Jylana Sheats is featured on a Journal of Science Policy & Governance (JSPG) panel alongside other current and former Civic Science Fellows. During the panel, she shares about the pedagogical civic/citizen science activities she has integrated into the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program, her courses at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and in partnership with the Stanford University School of Medicine “Our Voice” team in the HARTS Lab.
One Step Closer to Becoming Science Engagement Breakthrough of the Year
Our initiative combining science and communities for American youth, Our Future Is Science, is named a Falling Walls Engage Finalist from among 200+ applications from around the world, a step toward becoming the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2023 in the category Science Engagement.
Two Interns in Civic Service Start at Science & Society
Rachel Edelstein and Davina Thompson start work at the Science & Society Program supported by the Princeton University Internships in Civic Service to focus on communications efforts of our youth initiative Our Future Is Science and the program as a whole.
New Science & Community Manager Hired
A mentor alumnus of our youth initiative Our Future Is Science, Hassan Farah, is hired to manage our Science & Community initiatives as he completes his Ph.D. in translational biology at Virginia Tech.
Unveiling Equitable AI Report with DeepMind
In Washington, DC, DeepMind COO Lila Ibrahim presents the recently published report, A Blueprint for Equitable AI, in conversation with writer Malcom Glenn. The white paper, based on two roundtables convened by Science & Society, was authored by Communications Coordinator Sejal Goud, Director Aaron Mertz and Associate Director Jylana Sheats in collaboration with DeepMind Head of Public Affairs Dorothy Chou. The reception is attended by Congressional staff focused on AI, corporate policy and ethics leaders, sociotechnical researchers, and think tank and equity professionals.
Keynote Address at River Basin Symposium
Director Aaron Mertz presents the keynote address “Youth, Science, and Social Justice” at the York River and Small Coastal Basins Symposium in Gloucester Point, VA, hosted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science of the College of William & Mary. The address is a joint presentation with Coastal Training Program Coordinator Cirse Gonzalez, with whom Aaron was a Lucent Global Science Scholar in 2002, leading to their doing internships together at the renowned Lucent Technologies Bell Labs in New Jersey.
New Senior Manager for Global Science Hired
An accomplished molecular biologist with extensive experience in science and education policymaking, Nataliya Shulga, from Ukraine and now based in the U.S., is hired to manage our Global Science initiatives.
Celebrating Interdisciplinary Science
In Washington, DC, Director Aaron Mertz attends the Interdisciplinary Science Networking Dinner, hosted jointly by Schmidt Science Fellows and CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research). Aaron first met the Schmidt Science Fellows Executive Director, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Megan Kenna, when she served on the interview committee that selected Aaron, then a student in physics, for a Rhodes Scholarship in 2006.
Placing Science at Core of Public and Private Policies
In Rome, Director Aaron Mertz and Associate Director Jylana Sheats attend the conference “In Favor of Pure Science” at the Aspen Institute Italia, as part of the global effort to place science at the core of public and private policies and to raise awareness of political and economic decision-makers regarding the importance of investing in this field. Aaron Mertz introduces the session, “For an ecosystem of pure research: next steps” and discusses the topic with the Italian public broadcasting channel “Rai Cultura.”
New Associate Director Receives Public Health Award
Newly promoted Science & Society Associate Director Jylana Sheats receives the Tony A. Mobley International Distinguished Alumni Award, presented annually to a graduate of the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington for demonstrating outstanding personal and professional achievements that foster the broad missions of public health.
Reinventing Life Sciences Leadership
In Boston, Director Aaron Mertz co-chairs the Vanguard Network’s Life Sciences Leaders Forum, “Reinventing Life Sciences Leadership: What Does It Take?” and co-leads the session, “Reinventing ourselves as leaders: What leadership qualities do we need to drive high performance for the next five years?”
LEAP’s Annual Meeting about Climate Data Science
Outside Manhattan, at the second Annual Meeting of Columbia University’s Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP), Director Aaron Mertz and Garance Choko speak about the initiative, Our Future Is Science, they co-founded and ways they are partnering with Columbia researchers on the transfer of knowledge about climate data science to the initiative’s youth participants.
2022
In Germany, Director Aaron Mertz and Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats are invited participants in the 17th Berlin Science Debate for high-level representatives from science, politics, and business. The debate is held in conjunction with the Falling Walls Science Summit that reunites the international science community and celebrates outstanding scientific breakthroughs. Jylana Sheats speaks on “Moving beyond the status quo: Centering inclusivity and equity in science communication.”
International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE)
High-school senior and Our Future Is Science mentee alumna and current Ambassador Sara Gonzalez, Director Aaron Mertz, and Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats speak on the panel “Dismantling Barriers to STEM: Innovative & Culturally Responsive Program Models for Student Preparedness & Success” at the International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE) conference in Alexandria, VA. Sara Gonzalez also makes a poster presentation, “Brain Fuel: The Development of a Student-Led Initiative to Increase Awareness of the Intersection between Nutrition, Youth Food Insecurity, and Academic Performance,” and Aaron Mertz also presents the Science & Society project, “In Favor of Pure Science.”
Expanding DEI in Science and Medicine
Director Aaron Mertz and Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats are invited stakeholders at the Pew Research Center’s discussion on current and future work that increases diversity, equity, and inclusion in science and medicine, particularly among Black and Hispanic Americans.
New Communications Coordinator
Princeton University undergraduate Sejal Goud is promoted to Communications Coordinator after a Science & Society Program summer internship supported by Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS). The Science & Society Program will host two new PICS interns in 2023.
Career Panels for Graduate Students and Postdocs
Director Aaron Mertz speaks on career panels for current biology graduate students and postdocs at the New York Skin Club conference at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and at the Gordon Research Seminar on Epithelial Differentiation and Keratinization.
Exeloop Dinner on the Future of Research
In Washington, DC, Director Aaron Mertz is an invited participant in the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust’s inaugural Exeloop Dinner, “The Future of Research: Powershifts and Implications.”
Science & Society Leaders Speak at EquiTech Futures
For the talent incubator and research lab EquiTech Futures, Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats presents on connecting science and society through digital citizen science, and Director Aaron Mertz teaches a class, “Building Public Trust in Science: Opportunities and Challenges.” In Chicago, Aaron Mertz speaks on the panel, “Moving Science, Technology, and Society Forward Together,” hosted by EquiTech Futures and the Rhodes Trust.
Building Better Global Governance of Science
At the U.S.–China dialogue, “How to Build Better Global Governance of Science,” sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Embassy in Beijing, Public Affairs Section, Director Aaron Mertz speaks about furthering collaborations between the U.S. and China through science.
Journal on the Co-Production of Knowledge
For a special issue of the journal Community Science on the co-production of knowledge, Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats is approved as guest editor.
Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats presents on climate change impacts to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
New Intern in Civic Science Joins Science & Society
Rising college sophomore Sejal Goud, a student in public policy and international affairs, starts work at the Science & Society Program, supported by Princeton University Internships in Civic Service (PICS).
Re-Imagining Science Communication and Driving Social Change
At the 5th National Academies Science Communication Colloquium, “Re-Imagining Science Communication in the COVID Era and Beyond,” Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats is a featured panelist. Jylana Sheats is also an opening speaker at the conference, frank 2022, exploring the role of lived experience in driving lasting social change.
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