Christina Agapakis, Creative Director
Ginkgo Bioworks
Christina Agapakis is creative director of Ginkgo Bioworks, a biological design company based in Boston. Her work brings together biologists, engineers, designers, artists, and social scientists to investigate the future of biotechnology. She has explored biotechnological innovations from hydrogen fuel production to cheese-making.
Ginkgo Bioworks
Christina Agapakis is creative director of Ginkgo Bioworks, a biological design company based in Boston. Her work brings together biologists, engineers, designers, artists, and social scientists to investigate the future of biotechnology. She has explored biotechnological innovations from hydrogen fuel production to cheese-making.
Paula Apsell, Senior Executive Producer of NOVA & Director, WGBH Science Unit
WGBH Boston
Paula Apsell is the Senior Executive Producer of NOVA and NOVA scienceNOW and the Director of the WGBH Science Unit. She has worked in radio and television at both WGBH and WCVB, and has served on the board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the Brandeis University Sciences Advisory Committee, and the International Documentary Association. She has won numerous awards for her documentary work, including the International Documentary Association’s Pioneer Award and the Carl Sagan Award, given by the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
WGBH Boston
Paula Apsell is the Senior Executive Producer of NOVA and NOVA scienceNOW and the Director of the WGBH Science Unit. She has worked in radio and television at both WGBH and WCVB, and has served on the board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the Brandeis University Sciences Advisory Committee, and the International Documentary Association. She has won numerous awards for her documentary work, including the International Documentary Association’s Pioneer Award and the Carl Sagan Award, given by the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
Kimberly Kowal Arcand, Visualization Lead
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory
Kimberly Kowal Arcand is the Visualization Lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has its headquarters at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a leading expert in studying the perception and comprehension of high-energy data visualization across the novice-expert spectrum. She has also co-written three popular science books on astronomy and light.
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory
Kimberly Kowal Arcand is the Visualization Lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has its headquarters at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a leading expert in studying the perception and comprehension of high-energy data visualization across the novice-expert spectrum. She has also co-written three popular science books on astronomy and light.
Yaneer Bar-Yam, Professor
New England Complex Systems Institute
Yaneer Bar-Yam is Founding President of the New England Complex Systems Institute.
His research focuses on developing complex systems concepts and applying them to diverse areas
of scientific inquiry and to major social problems.
New England Complex Systems Institute
Yaneer Bar-Yam is Founding President of the New England Complex Systems Institute.
His research focuses on developing complex systems concepts and applying them to diverse areas
of scientific inquiry and to major social problems.
Heather Berlin, Professor
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Heather Berlin is a cognitive neuroscientist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She is a committee member for the National Academy of Sciences’ Science and Entertainment Exchange, and host of the PBS TV series Science Goes to the Movies and the Discovery Channel series Superhuman Showdown. She has made numerous media appearances, including on the BBC, Netflix, the History Channel, NPR, StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, and TEDx.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Heather Berlin is a cognitive neuroscientist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She is a committee member for the National Academy of Sciences’ Science and Entertainment Exchange, and host of the PBS TV series Science Goes to the Movies and the Discovery Channel series Superhuman Showdown. She has made numerous media appearances, including on the BBC, Netflix, the History Channel, NPR, StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, and TEDx.
Ruth Berry, Producer
Terra Mater Factual Studios
Ruth Berry has made documentaries across many genres but her passion lies with science and natural history. Producer/Director/Writer credits include: Dinosaurs On Ice, Thriller Science, Terrible Lizards of Oz, Tropic Gothic, Hypsi the Forest Gardener and The Neanderthals’ Dark Secret. She series produced and directed three episodes of Asia – Secret Lives, Hidden Places for ARTE/NDR. Ruth is concept adviser and past mentor for Europe’s premier training organization, Documentary Campus, and a freelance producer with TerraMater Factual studios. Her films have appeared on most broadcast networks including National Geographic, BBC, Discovery, ABC, PBS, ARTE and CBC. She is also a published natural history illustrator and likes to combine her skills as an artist with the discipline of film production to extend her story telling style and vision. She recently set up First Act Films with Rodney Sewell in Munich.
Terra Mater Factual Studios
Ruth Berry has made documentaries across many genres but her passion lies with science and natural history. Producer/Director/Writer credits include: Dinosaurs On Ice, Thriller Science, Terrible Lizards of Oz, Tropic Gothic, Hypsi the Forest Gardener and The Neanderthals’ Dark Secret. She series produced and directed three episodes of Asia – Secret Lives, Hidden Places for ARTE/NDR. Ruth is concept adviser and past mentor for Europe’s premier training organization, Documentary Campus, and a freelance producer with TerraMater Factual studios. Her films have appeared on most broadcast networks including National Geographic, BBC, Discovery, ABC, PBS, ARTE and CBC. She is also a published natural history illustrator and likes to combine her skills as an artist with the discipline of film production to extend her story telling style and vision. She recently set up First Act Films with Rodney Sewell in Munich.
Deborah Blum, Director of Knight Science Journalism Program
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Deborah Blum is a Pulitzer-prizewinning American science journalist, columnist, and author of five books, including The Poisoner’s Handbook (2010), and Love at Goon Park (2002). She is a former president of the National Association of Science Writers, was a member of the governing board of the World Federation of Science Writers, and currently serves as vice president of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. Blum is co-editor of the book A Field Guide for Science Writers, and in 2015, she was selected as the fourth director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Deborah Blum is a Pulitzer-prizewinning American science journalist, columnist, and author of five books, including The Poisoner’s Handbook (2010), and Love at Goon Park (2002). She is a former president of the National Association of Science Writers, was a member of the governing board of the World Federation of Science Writers, and currently serves as vice president of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. Blum is co-editor of the book A Field Guide for Science Writers, and in 2015, she was selected as the fourth director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT.
Michael Brenner, Professor of Applied Physics & Mathematics
Harvard University
Michael Brenner is a Harvard professor of applied physics and mathematics. His research uses mathematics to examine concepts from the reason for biological forms and shapes--such as bird beaks, whale flippers, fungal spores--to finding principles of design for self-assembling materials, to why a droplet of fluid splashes when it collides with a solid surface. He also developed the popular Harvard class "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter" with his colleague David Weitz and chef Ferran Adrià.
Harvard University
Michael Brenner is a Harvard professor of applied physics and mathematics. His research uses mathematics to examine concepts from the reason for biological forms and shapes--such as bird beaks, whale flippers, fungal spores--to finding principles of design for self-assembling materials, to why a droplet of fluid splashes when it collides with a solid surface. He also developed the popular Harvard class "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter" with his colleague David Weitz and chef Ferran Adrià.
Katie Carpenter, Executive Director
Evidence-Based Science Communication Initiative, Yale Law School
Katie Carpenter is an award-winning filmmaker specializing in wildlife, science and conservation
subjects for public and cable television. Most recently, she produced two National Geographic
specials for PBS, Bones of Turkana and Battle for the Elephants, filmed on location in Kenya,
Tanzania and China. Her current production is The Secret Lives of Elephants (working title) on
the illegal ivory trade for the National Geographic Channel. Her films have aired on PBS,
Discovery Channel, MSNBC, Fox, Animal Planet, ABC and the Disney Channel, and have been
shot across East Africa, Southern Asia, Latin America and the U.S..
Evidence-Based Science Communication Initiative, Yale Law School
Katie Carpenter is an award-winning filmmaker specializing in wildlife, science and conservation
subjects for public and cable television. Most recently, she produced two National Geographic
specials for PBS, Bones of Turkana and Battle for the Elephants, filmed on location in Kenya,
Tanzania and China. Her current production is The Secret Lives of Elephants (working title) on
the illegal ivory trade for the National Geographic Channel. Her films have aired on PBS,
Discovery Channel, MSNBC, Fox, Animal Planet, ABC and the Disney Channel, and have been
shot across East Africa, Southern Asia, Latin America and the U.S..
Sean B. Carroll, Vice President for Science Education
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Sean B. Carroll is Vice President for Science Education of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the architect of HHMI’s science filmmaking initiative. Sean has served as executive producer or executive in charge of more than a dozen feature or short documentary films including Your Inner Fish (PBS), Mass Extinction (Smithsonian Channel) and Can Alzheimer’s Be Stopped? (NOVA, PBS). An award-winning author and leading expert on genetics and evolution, Carroll is also the Allan Wilson Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Sean B. Carroll is Vice President for Science Education of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the architect of HHMI’s science filmmaking initiative. Sean has served as executive producer or executive in charge of more than a dozen feature or short documentary films including Your Inner Fish (PBS), Mass Extinction (Smithsonian Channel) and Can Alzheimer’s Be Stopped? (NOVA, PBS). An award-winning author and leading expert on genetics and evolution, Carroll is also the Allan Wilson Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Erin Chapman, Senior New Media Specialist
American Museum of Natural History
Erin Chapman is Senior New Media Specialist at the American Museum of Natural History. She is the creator and producer of Shelf Life, an online series taking viewers behind the scenes into the Museum’s scientific collections, and incorporating video, web articles, and social media content. In a former life, she was a multimedia reporter, interactive game producer, and Emmy-nominated journalist for PBS.
American Museum of Natural History
Erin Chapman is Senior New Media Specialist at the American Museum of Natural History. She is the creator and producer of Shelf Life, an online series taking viewers behind the scenes into the Museum’s scientific collections, and incorporating video, web articles, and social media content. In a former life, she was a multimedia reporter, interactive game producer, and Emmy-nominated journalist for PBS.
Adam Cole, Reporter/Producer
National Public Radio
Adam Cole is a reporter and producer for the Science Desk, where he creates short documentary videos, radio pieces, animations, musical podcast segments, data visualizations, and GIFs about science. In 2014, Cole launched Skunk Bear, a visual science blog and YouTube channel that has built a robust audience on social media: Skunk Bear's videos have been viewed more than 9 million times.
National Public Radio
Adam Cole is a reporter and producer for the Science Desk, where he creates short documentary videos, radio pieces, animations, musical podcast segments, data visualizations, and GIFs about science. In 2014, Cole launched Skunk Bear, a visual science blog and YouTube channel that has built a robust audience on social media: Skunk Bear's videos have been viewed more than 9 million times.
Chris Cole, Senior Vice President TV Co-productions and Sales
Factual
Chris Cole is responsible for strategic business growth for BBC Worldwide factual content in North America. Prior to joining BBC Worldwide North America, Chris was Executive Producer at the BBC, overseeing 30 hours of content for both BBC One and BBC Two. He also served as part of the BBC’s commissioning team, working with both in-house and independent productions in the US and the UK to develop and deliver 35 hours of Science and Natural History projects across the BBC’s channels. He headed the BBC’s multi-award-winning Natural World programming for three years.
Factual
Chris Cole is responsible for strategic business growth for BBC Worldwide factual content in North America. Prior to joining BBC Worldwide North America, Chris was Executive Producer at the BBC, overseeing 30 hours of content for both BBC One and BBC Two. He also served as part of the BBC’s commissioning team, working with both in-house and independent productions in the US and the UK to develop and deliver 35 hours of Science and Natural History projects across the BBC’s channels. He headed the BBC’s multi-award-winning Natural World programming for three years.
Jim Collins, Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science
MIT
Jim Collins a bioengineering professor at MIT, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. He is one of the founders of synthetic biology and co-founder of multiple biotech startups, including Synlogic, Sample6 and Enbiotix.
MIT
Jim Collins a bioengineering professor at MIT, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. He is one of the founders of synthetic biology and co-founder of multiple biotech startups, including Synlogic, Sample6 and Enbiotix.
Nathan Dappen, Co-Founder
Days Edge Productions
Nate Dappen is a PhD biologist and an award-winning filmmaker and photographer. His work has been featured by organizations including National Geographic, The Smithsonian Channel, and Scientific American. Nate is a Fellow National Member of the Explorers Club and an Affiliate Member of the International League of Conservation Photographers. He is the co-founder with Neil Losin of Day’s Edge Productions, which produces films about science, nature, and adventure for broadcasters, NGOs, and universities.
Days Edge Productions
Nate Dappen is a PhD biologist and an award-winning filmmaker and photographer. His work has been featured by organizations including National Geographic, The Smithsonian Channel, and Scientific American. Nate is a Fellow National Member of the Explorers Club and an Affiliate Member of the International League of Conservation Photographers. He is the co-founder with Neil Losin of Day’s Edge Productions, which produces films about science, nature, and adventure for broadcasters, NGOs, and universities.
Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director
Institute for Advanced Study and Leon Levy Professor
Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, is a mathematical physicist who has made significant contributions to particle physics, string theory and quantum gravity. Dijkgraaf is a distinguished public policy adviser and advocate for science and the arts. He is President of the InterAcademy Partnership, the global alliance of national academies of science, and past President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. His public outreach activities in the Netherlands include a monthly newspaper column, a website dedicated to science education for young children, and frequent appearances on television including an annual live science lecture that attracts around 1.3 million viewers.
Institute for Advanced Study and Leon Levy Professor
Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, is a mathematical physicist who has made significant contributions to particle physics, string theory and quantum gravity. Dijkgraaf is a distinguished public policy adviser and advocate for science and the arts. He is President of the InterAcademy Partnership, the global alliance of national academies of science, and past President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. His public outreach activities in the Netherlands include a monthly newspaper column, a website dedicated to science education for young children, and frequent appearances on television including an annual live science lecture that attracts around 1.3 million viewers.
Marc Etkind, General Manager
Science Channel
Marc Etkind is the current General Manager of Science Channel. Before coming to Science Channel, he served in important capacities on several other Discovery Communications channels, including as General Manager for Destination America, where he launched brand-defining content including BBQ Pitmasters, Railroad Alaska, and United States of Bacon; as Vice President of Development for Animal Planet; and for the History Channel, where he developed programs such as The Man Who Predicted 9/11 and the award-winning documentary Ape To Man. Marc has produced for Discover Magazine and This Week in History. He also served as a producer, writer, researcher and director with Chedd-Angier for PBS programming including Frontline and Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda. Additionally, he has created scientific exhibits for the Museum of Science Industry in Chicago and is the founder of Pinball Productions.
Science Channel
Marc Etkind is the current General Manager of Science Channel. Before coming to Science Channel, he served in important capacities on several other Discovery Communications channels, including as General Manager for Destination America, where he launched brand-defining content including BBQ Pitmasters, Railroad Alaska, and United States of Bacon; as Vice President of Development for Animal Planet; and for the History Channel, where he developed programs such as The Man Who Predicted 9/11 and the award-winning documentary Ape To Man. Marc has produced for Discover Magazine and This Week in History. He also served as a producer, writer, researcher and director with Chedd-Angier for PBS programming including Frontline and Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda. Additionally, he has created scientific exhibits for the Museum of Science Industry in Chicago and is the founder of Pinball Productions.
Chris Filardi, Senior Scientist
Conservation International
Chris Filardi is a senior scientist at Conservation International (CI), where he works on large-scale protected areas strategies and with CI’s Oceans Program. His professional focus is on bridging research interests with grassroots and other forms of large-scale area-based conservation. His efforts over the past 25 years have resulted in the establishment of many terrestrial and marine protected areas, collaborating with indigenous, scientific, and public and private sector stakeholders. Before coming to CI, Chris established and directed Pacific Programs at the American Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation for over 10 years.
Conservation International
Chris Filardi is a senior scientist at Conservation International (CI), where he works on large-scale protected areas strategies and with CI’s Oceans Program. His professional focus is on bridging research interests with grassroots and other forms of large-scale area-based conservation. His efforts over the past 25 years have resulted in the establishment of many terrestrial and marine protected areas, collaborating with indigenous, scientific, and public and private sector stakeholders. Before coming to CI, Chris established and directed Pacific Programs at the American Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation for over 10 years.
John Fraser, President & CEO
NewKnowledge.org
John Fraser is President & CEO of NewKnowledge.org, an interdisciplinary social science think tank working with change makers to promote a healthy society and a thriving biosphere. Dr. Fraser is a conservation psychologist and architect whose research focuses on how our experience with media and community influences learning, attitudes, and motivations for engagement with solving the problems that face society. He is Adjunct Professor in Earth Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Editor of Curator: The Museum Journal, and Secretary of the American Psychological Association’s Division 34, Society for Environment, Population and Conservation Psychology.
NewKnowledge.org
John Fraser is President & CEO of NewKnowledge.org, an interdisciplinary social science think tank working with change makers to promote a healthy society and a thriving biosphere. Dr. Fraser is a conservation psychologist and architect whose research focuses on how our experience with media and community influences learning, attitudes, and motivations for engagement with solving the problems that face society. He is Adjunct Professor in Earth Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Editor of Curator: The Museum Journal, and Secretary of the American Psychological Association’s Division 34, Society for Environment, Population and Conservation Psychology.
Anthony Geffen, CEO & Filmmaker
Atlantic Productions and Alchemy VR
Anthony Geffen, leader of Atlantic Productions’ creative team, is a documentary filmmaker and a pioneer in virtual reality (VR). He has won several international awards, including multiple BAFTA and Emmy awards and numerous awards at the Wildscreen and Jackson Hole Festivals. He has produced 11 shows with David Attenborough and several projects for the BBC. Recent VR projects include museum experiences in London, Sydney, and Canada for First Life and Great Barrier Reef Dive VR, and he has recently contributed to forums such as Google Zeitgeist, TedX, and the Cannes Film Festival. He is a fellow of St Cross College at Oxford University.
Atlantic Productions and Alchemy VR
Anthony Geffen, leader of Atlantic Productions’ creative team, is a documentary filmmaker and a pioneer in virtual reality (VR). He has won several international awards, including multiple BAFTA and Emmy awards and numerous awards at the Wildscreen and Jackson Hole Festivals. He has produced 11 shows with David Attenborough and several projects for the BBC. Recent VR projects include museum experiences in London, Sydney, and Canada for First Life and Great Barrier Reef Dive VR, and he has recently contributed to forums such as Google Zeitgeist, TedX, and the Cannes Film Festival. He is a fellow of St Cross College at Oxford University.
Peter Hamilton, Founder, Publisher & Editor
Peter Hamilton Consultants, Inc. / DocumentaryTelevision.com
Peter Hamilton is a senior consultant and business developer for unscripted video. His clients have included Global Canal+, National Geographic Channels, BBC, and Discovery International, and he has served as an executive for CBS International. He is also the founder, editor, and publisher of DocumentaryTelevision.com, which provides weekly insider analysis and context to executives and producers. His most recent project was a documentary about polio, “A Shot to Save the World,” in collaboration with the Smithsonian and the BBC.
Peter Hamilton Consultants, Inc. / DocumentaryTelevision.com
Peter Hamilton is a senior consultant and business developer for unscripted video. His clients have included Global Canal+, National Geographic Channels, BBC, and Discovery International, and he has served as an executive for CBS International. He is also the founder, editor, and publisher of DocumentaryTelevision.com, which provides weekly insider analysis and context to executives and producers. His most recent project was a documentary about polio, “A Shot to Save the World,” in collaboration with the Smithsonian and the BBC.
Joe Hanson, Biologist & Science Writer
PBS Digital Studios
Joe Hanson is a biologist, science writer, and the creator and host of PBS Digital Studios’ science education series It’s Okay To Be Smart, which takes a fun-loving look at the world of science through the lens of pop culture, history, and comedy. He holds a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin, and once had a Twitter conversation with an astronaut while they were in space, which is pretty neat.
PBS Digital Studios
Joe Hanson is a biologist, science writer, and the creator and host of PBS Digital Studios’ science education series It’s Okay To Be Smart, which takes a fun-loving look at the world of science through the lens of pop culture, history, and comedy. He holds a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin, and once had a Twitter conversation with an astronaut while they were in space, which is pretty neat.
Mary Harris, Host
New York Public Radio
Mary Harris is the host and managing editor of Only Human. Her first and favorite beat was health, which she covered for ABC News, in nearly a decade of television producing. Before joining the newsroom, Mary helped launch WNYC's midday talk show, The Takeaway.
New York Public Radio
Mary Harris is the host and managing editor of Only Human. Her first and favorite beat was health, which she covered for ABC News, in nearly a decade of television producing. Before joining the newsroom, Mary helped launch WNYC's midday talk show, The Takeaway.
Laura Helft, Senior Manager for Public Outreach and Evaluation
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
An accomplished education specialist with a PhD in cellular and molecular biology, Laura Helft works with Tangled Bank Studio’s scientific advisors and editorial teams to ensure high standards of accuracy and fidelity to the scientific process.
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
An accomplished education specialist with a PhD in cellular and molecular biology, Laura Helft works with Tangled Bank Studio’s scientific advisors and editorial teams to ensure high standards of accuracy and fidelity to the scientific process.
Joi Ito, Director
MIT Media Lab
Joi Ito is the director of the MIT Media Lab as well as an MIT Professor. He is chairman of the board of PureTech Health and a board member of Sony Corp., the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The New York Times Co. He is the co-founder and a board member of Digital Garage, an Internet company in Japan. He has created numerous Internet companies, including PSINet Japan, Digital Garage and Infoseek Japan. He was an early-stage investor in Formlabs, Flickr, Kickstarter, littleBits, Path, Twitter, Wikia and other companies.
MIT Media Lab
Joi Ito is the director of the MIT Media Lab as well as an MIT Professor. He is chairman of the board of PureTech Health and a board member of Sony Corp., the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The New York Times Co. He is the co-founder and a board member of Digital Garage, an Internet company in Japan. He has created numerous Internet companies, including PSINet Japan, Digital Garage and Infoseek Japan. He was an early-stage investor in Formlabs, Flickr, Kickstarter, littleBits, Path, Twitter, Wikia and other companies.
Kirk Johnson, Sant Director
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Kirk Johnson is the Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. He is a paleontologist whose work focuses on fossilized plants and on the extinction of the dinosaurs. He has led expeditions in 11 countries and 19 states, which discovered over 1,400 fossil sites, and is the author of eight books. The most recent, Ancient Wyoming, was released in May 2016.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Kirk Johnson is the Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. He is a paleontologist whose work focuses on fossilized plants and on the extinction of the dinosaurs. He has led expeditions in 11 countries and 19 states, which discovered over 1,400 fossil sites, and is the author of eight books. The most recent, Ancient Wyoming, was released in May 2016.
Dan Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law & Professor of Psychology
Yale University
Dan Kahan is the Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law & Professor of Psychology at Yale Law School. His primary research interests are risk perception and science communication. He is a member of the Cultural Cognition Project, an interdisciplinary team of scholars who use empirical methods to examine the impact of group values on perceptions of risk and related facts. In studies funded by the National Science Foundation, his research has investigated public disagreement over climate change, public reactions to emerging technologies, and conflicting public impressions of scientific consensus. Articles featuring the Project’s studies have appeared in a variety of peer-reviewed scholarly journals including the Journal of Risk Research, Judgment and Decision Making, Nature Climate Change, Science, and Nature. He is a Senior Fellow at the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Yale University
Dan Kahan is the Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law & Professor of Psychology at Yale Law School. His primary research interests are risk perception and science communication. He is a member of the Cultural Cognition Project, an interdisciplinary team of scholars who use empirical methods to examine the impact of group values on perceptions of risk and related facts. In studies funded by the National Science Foundation, his research has investigated public disagreement over climate change, public reactions to emerging technologies, and conflicting public impressions of scientific consensus. Articles featuring the Project’s studies have appeared in a variety of peer-reviewed scholarly journals including the Journal of Risk Research, Judgment and Decision Making, Nature Climate Change, Science, and Nature. He is a Senior Fellow at the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Nancy Kanwisher, Professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nancy Kanwisher is a Professor in the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at MIT, and an Investigator at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Afer receiving her B.S. and PhD from MIT, Kanwisher served on the faculty at UCLA and Harvard, before returning to MIT in 1997. Kanwisher has received the Troland Research Award, MacVicar Faculty Fellow teaching Award, and Golden Brain Award. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nancy Kanwisher is a Professor in the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at MIT, and an Investigator at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Afer receiving her B.S. and PhD from MIT, Kanwisher served on the faculty at UCLA and Harvard, before returning to MIT in 1997. Kanwisher has received the Troland Research Award, MacVicar Faculty Fellow teaching Award, and Golden Brain Award. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Peter Katsingris, Senior Vice President
Audience Insights
Peter Katsingris is Senior Vice President, Audience Insights. He supports Nielsen’s television, agency, and advertiser clients across the United States. His knowledge around cross-screen viewing, digital transitioning, and time-shifting from more than 20 years at Nielsen has led him to become a thought leader in the U.S. video landscape and allowed him to share his expertise around the world. Peter’s most recent projects include clarifying the interaction of TV and online video viewing in the ever-changing media environment.
Audience Insights
Peter Katsingris is Senior Vice President, Audience Insights. He supports Nielsen’s television, agency, and advertiser clients across the United States. His knowledge around cross-screen viewing, digital transitioning, and time-shifting from more than 20 years at Nielsen has led him to become a thought leader in the U.S. video landscape and allowed him to share his expertise around the world. Peter’s most recent projects include clarifying the interaction of TV and online video viewing in the ever-changing media environment.
Brian Leith, Executive Producer & Creative Director
Brian Leith Productions
Brian Leith is an Executive Producer and the Creative Director of Brian Leith Productions, a wildlife production company based in Bristol, UK. He has worked with the BBC Natural History Unit, as well as several major US and European broadcasters such as Discovery, Animal Planet, CBC, and Terra Mater. His films have been nominated for multiple awards, including three Emmy nominations.
Brian Leith Productions
Brian Leith is an Executive Producer and the Creative Director of Brian Leith Productions, a wildlife production company based in Bristol, UK. He has worked with the BBC Natural History Unit, as well as several major US and European broadcasters such as Discovery, Animal Planet, CBC, and Terra Mater. His films have been nominated for multiple awards, including three Emmy nominations.
Jared Lipworth
Independent
Jared Lipworth is an Emmy award-winning executive producer, writer, showrunner and producer with extensive production and development leadership experience and hundreds of hours of factual science, history and natural history programs to his name. At National Geographic, he was responsible for the Emmy-nominated NOVA: Dawn of Humanity and Explorer: Warlords of Ivory, plus dozens of other specials for PBS, NOVA, The National Geographic Channel, WILD and a variety of international broadcasters. Prior to National Geographic, he was the Director of Science Programs at WNET, where he oversaw such science, technology and history series as Secrets of the Dead, Innovation, and a variety of other specials, including the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award-winning The Human Spark with Alan Alda, and the Emmy-winning The Mysterious Human Heart.
Independent
Jared Lipworth is an Emmy award-winning executive producer, writer, showrunner and producer with extensive production and development leadership experience and hundreds of hours of factual science, history and natural history programs to his name. At National Geographic, he was responsible for the Emmy-nominated NOVA: Dawn of Humanity and Explorer: Warlords of Ivory, plus dozens of other specials for PBS, NOVA, The National Geographic Channel, WILD and a variety of international broadcasters. Prior to National Geographic, he was the Director of Science Programs at WNET, where he oversaw such science, technology and history series as Secrets of the Dead, Innovation, and a variety of other specials, including the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award-winning The Human Spark with Alan Alda, and the Emmy-winning The Mysterious Human Heart.
Neil Losin, Co-founder
Day’s Edge Productions
Neil Losin is the co-founder with Nate Dappen of Day’s Edge Productions, which produces films about science, nature, and adventure for broadcasters, NGOs, and universities. Neil and Nate also teach video production and science communication skills to fellow scientists through immersive workshops at universities and research centers. Neil holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UCLA.
Day’s Edge Productions
Neil Losin is the co-founder with Nate Dappen of Day’s Edge Productions, which produces films about science, nature, and adventure for broadcasters, NGOs, and universities. Neil and Nate also teach video production and science communication skills to fellow scientists through immersive workshops at universities and research centers. Neil holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UCLA.
Will Meyers, Brewmaster
Cambridge Brewing Company
Will Meyers has worked for Cambridge Brewing Company for 24 years. A brewer since 1990, he has explored both traditional beers referencing the ancient brews of the world, and new, innovative interpretations that break new ground in modern brewing.
Cambridge Brewing Company
Will Meyers has worked for Cambridge Brewing Company for 24 years. A brewer since 1990, he has explored both traditional beers referencing the ancient brews of the world, and new, innovative interpretations that break new ground in modern brewing.
Miles O'Brien, Investigative Journalist
Miles O'Brien Productions
Miles O’Brien is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker and veteran journalist who focuses on science, technology, and aerospace. He has written, produced, and directed numerous documentary films for NOVA, FRONTLINE, and the National Science Foundation’s Science Nation series. In addition to his independent film work, he is a producer and correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, and an aviation analyst for CNN. He is currently an at-large member of the NAASA Advisory Council, offering strategic advice to the NASA administrator. Despite an accident necessitating the amputation of his left arm above the elbow, he has ridden numerous “century rides” on his bicycle, run two marathons, and recently finished a triathlon.
Miles O'Brien Productions
Miles O’Brien is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker and veteran journalist who focuses on science, technology, and aerospace. He has written, produced, and directed numerous documentary films for NOVA, FRONTLINE, and the National Science Foundation’s Science Nation series. In addition to his independent film work, he is a producer and correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, and an aviation analyst for CNN. He is currently an at-large member of the NAASA Advisory Council, offering strategic advice to the NASA administrator. Despite an accident necessitating the amputation of his left arm above the elbow, he has ridden numerous “century rides” on his bicycle, run two marathons, and recently finished a triathlon.
Douglas Owsley, Division Head
Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History
Douglas W. Owsley is Division Head for Physical Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He has identified remains from news-making crime scenes, mass disasters, and war zones. In addition to forensic case work, he researches historic and prehistoric North American populations, including the remains of 17th-century colonists, Civil War soldiers, and ancient Americans. Highlights of his work at Jamestown and Historic St. Mary’s City were featured in an exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History entitled Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake (2009-2014). Doug is planning a research symposium for 2019 that will feature these skeletal biology studies in the Colonial Chesapeake.
Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History
Douglas W. Owsley is Division Head for Physical Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He has identified remains from news-making crime scenes, mass disasters, and war zones. In addition to forensic case work, he researches historic and prehistoric North American populations, including the remains of 17th-century colonists, Civil War soldiers, and ancient Americans. Highlights of his work at Jamestown and Historic St. Mary’s City were featured in an exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History entitled Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake (2009-2014). Doug is planning a research symposium for 2019 that will feature these skeletal biology studies in the Colonial Chesapeake.
Sonya Pemberton , Filmmaker
Genepool Productions
Sonya Pemberton is a leading Australian documentary filmmaker and producer. She has written and directed over 60 hours of broadcast documentary, and her films have won over 70 international awards, including an Emmy Award in 2012, the 2015 Jill Robb Award, the 2016 Stanley Hawes Award for contribution to documentary, and five Eureka Prizes for Science Journalism. In 2011, Sonya partnered with Australia’s largest Independent production company Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ) to create Genepool Productions, Australia’s first science-focused television production company. Recent titles include Vaccines: Calling the Shots and Uranium: Twisting the Dragon’s Tail.
Genepool Productions
Sonya Pemberton is a leading Australian documentary filmmaker and producer. She has written and directed over 60 hours of broadcast documentary, and her films have won over 70 international awards, including an Emmy Award in 2012, the 2015 Jill Robb Award, the 2016 Stanley Hawes Award for contribution to documentary, and five Eureka Prizes for Science Journalism. In 2011, Sonya partnered with Australia’s largest Independent production company Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ) to create Genepool Productions, Australia’s first science-focused television production company. Recent titles include Vaccines: Calling the Shots and Uranium: Twisting the Dragon’s Tail.
Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology
Harvard University
Steven Pinker is an experimental psychologist and one of the world’s foremost writers on language, mind, and human nature. He has taught at Stanford, MIT, and, currently, Harvard University. He has received eight honorary doctorates, as well as several prizes from the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and the American Psychological Association. He has published several popular articles and books, including The Better Angels of Our Nature and The Language Instinct, and has been named to numerous top intellectual and top influencer lists.
Harvard University
Steven Pinker is an experimental psychologist and one of the world’s foremost writers on language, mind, and human nature. He has taught at Stanford, MIT, and, currently, Harvard University. He has received eight honorary doctorates, as well as several prizes from the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and the American Psychological Association. He has published several popular articles and books, including The Better Angels of Our Nature and The Language Instinct, and has been named to numerous top intellectual and top influencer lists.
Steve Ramirez, Junior Fellow and Principle Investigator
Harvard University
Steve is a Junior Fellow and Principle Investigator at Harvard University. His research focuses on artificially activating and erasing memories in the rodent brain, as well as studying how memory manipulation can be used to alleviate symptoms associated with psychiatric diseases. When not in lab, Steve cheers on all sports teams Boston over a round.
Harvard University
Steve is a Junior Fellow and Principle Investigator at Harvard University. His research focuses on artificially activating and erasing memories in the rodent brain, as well as studying how memory manipulation can be used to alleviate symptoms associated with psychiatric diseases. When not in lab, Steve cheers on all sports teams Boston over a round.
David Ropeik, Author & Consultant
Ropeik Associates
David Ropeik is an Instructor at Harvard University and a consultant on the psychology of risk perception, communication, and management. He is the author of How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don’t Always Match The Facts and co-author of RISK, A Practical Guide for Deciding What’s Really Safe and What’s Really Dangerous in the World Around You. David was a television reporter for WCVB-TV in Boston from 1978–2000, where he specialized in reporting on environmental and scientific issues. He has won two DuPont-Columbia Awards and seven regional Emmy awards, and is a former MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow.
Ropeik Associates
David Ropeik is an Instructor at Harvard University and a consultant on the psychology of risk perception, communication, and management. He is the author of How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don’t Always Match The Facts and co-author of RISK, A Practical Guide for Deciding What’s Really Safe and What’s Really Dangerous in the World Around You. David was a television reporter for WCVB-TV in Boston from 1978–2000, where he specialized in reporting on environmental and scientific issues. He has won two DuPont-Columbia Awards and seven regional Emmy awards, and is a former MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow.
Michael Rosenfeld, Production Executive, Writer & Producer
Twin Cities PBS
Michael Rosenfeld is an award-winning producer, writer and television executive with extensive leadership experience in documentary production and new media. He has produced and written films covering a broad sweep of topics, from anthropology to history to volcanology. Prior to joining Twin Cities PBS as Head of National Production, Michael served as President of National Geographic Television and Head of Television and Film at Tangled Bank Studios. In a career spanning network broadcast, cable, and public television, he has won or led teams that won hundreds of industry awards, including the Peabody and 40 News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
Twin Cities PBS
Michael Rosenfeld is an award-winning producer, writer and television executive with extensive leadership experience in documentary production and new media. He has produced and written films covering a broad sweep of topics, from anthropology to history to volcanology. Prior to joining Twin Cities PBS as Head of National Production, Michael served as President of National Geographic Television and Head of Television and Film at Tangled Bank Studios. In a career spanning network broadcast, cable, and public television, he has won or led teams that won hundreds of industry awards, including the Peabody and 40 News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
Anna Rothschild, Digital Producer
Producer, NOVA
Anna Rothschild is a digital producer for NOVA and the creator and host of the YouTube series Gross Science from NOVA and PBS Digital Studios. She is the recipient of the American Institute of Physics’ 2012 Science Communication Award for New Media, and their 2015 Science Communication Award for Broadcast/ New Media.
Producer, NOVA
Anna Rothschild is a digital producer for NOVA and the creator and host of the YouTube series Gross Science from NOVA and PBS Digital Studios. She is the recipient of the American Institute of Physics’ 2012 Science Communication Award for New Media, and their 2015 Science Communication Award for Broadcast/ New Media.
Brooke Runnette
Executive Vice President, Chief Program and Impact Officer, National Geographic Society
Brooke Runnette is responsible for all grant-making, education, and public engagement around science, exploration, and grantees for National Geographic Society. An Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning producer, Brooke has served as president of National Geographic Studios and National Geographic Television. Before joining National Geographic Channel, she served as an executive producer and director of development for special projects at The Discovery Channel. Prior to that, she had a long career in broadcast journalism. She was a producer from 2002 to 2006, working with Ted Koppel at ABC News’ “Nightline,” and previously produced for “Frontline,” CBS’s “60 Minutes II” and for Peter Jennings at ABC News, among others.
Executive Vice President, Chief Program and Impact Officer, National Geographic Society
Brooke Runnette is responsible for all grant-making, education, and public engagement around science, exploration, and grantees for National Geographic Society. An Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning producer, Brooke has served as president of National Geographic Studios and National Geographic Television. Before joining National Geographic Channel, she served as an executive producer and director of development for special projects at The Discovery Channel. Prior to that, she had a long career in broadcast journalism. She was a producer from 2002 to 2006, working with Ted Koppel at ABC News’ “Nightline,” and previously produced for “Frontline,” CBS’s “60 Minutes II” and for Peter Jennings at ABC News, among others.
Sara Seager, Professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sara Seager is a planetary scientist and astrophysicist. She has been a pioneer in the vast and unknown world of exoplanets, planets that orbit stars other than the sun. Her ground-breaking research ranges from the detection of exoplanet atmospheres to innovative theories about life on other worlds to development of novel space mission concepts. Now, dubbed an "astronomical Indiana Jones", she on a quest after the field's holy grail, the discovery of a true Earth twin. Dr. Seager earned her PhD from Harvard University and is now the Class of 1941 Professor of Planetary Science and Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sara Seager is a planetary scientist and astrophysicist. She has been a pioneer in the vast and unknown world of exoplanets, planets that orbit stars other than the sun. Her ground-breaking research ranges from the detection of exoplanet atmospheres to innovative theories about life on other worlds to development of novel space mission concepts. Now, dubbed an "astronomical Indiana Jones", she on a quest after the field's holy grail, the discovery of a true Earth twin. Dr. Seager earned her PhD from Harvard University and is now the Class of 1941 Professor of Planetary Science and Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ari Daniel, Producer
NOVA
Ari Daniel has had a lifelong love of science. In graduate school, he trained gray seal pups and worked with wild Norwegian killer whales. These days, Ari produces digital interactives and web videos for NOVA, and he has reported public radio stories on science topics across five continents. Ari also co-produces the Boston branch of Story Collider and he is the lead producer of an occasional live storytelling, radio, and music show at the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science in Boston.
NOVA
Ari Daniel has had a lifelong love of science. In graduate school, he trained gray seal pups and worked with wild Norwegian killer whales. These days, Ari produces digital interactives and web videos for NOVA, and he has reported public radio stories on science topics across five continents. Ari also co-produces the Boston branch of Story Collider and he is the lead producer of an occasional live storytelling, radio, and music show at the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Genevieve Sponsler, Content Coordinator
Public Radio Exchange
Genevieve Sponsler is the Content Coordinator at PRX, which operates public radio’s largest open marketplace with over 96,000 audio pieces, and distributes The Moth Radio Hour, This American Life, Reveal, and the Radiotopia podcast network. Genevieve manages PRX's science podcasts Orbital Path with Michelle Thaller, Transistor, and others; and she runs PRX's open calls for new work and audio recommendations for stations and digital distributors. Genevieve also produces Boston StorySLAMs for The Moth, the acclaimed national live storytelling organization.
Public Radio Exchange
Genevieve Sponsler is the Content Coordinator at PRX, which operates public radio’s largest open marketplace with over 96,000 audio pieces, and distributes The Moth Radio Hour, This American Life, Reveal, and the Radiotopia podcast network. Genevieve manages PRX's science podcasts Orbital Path with Michelle Thaller, Transistor, and others; and she runs PRX's open calls for new work and audio recommendations for stations and digital distributors. Genevieve also produces Boston StorySLAMs for The Moth, the acclaimed national live storytelling organization.
Kurt Squire, Professor
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Kurt Squire is Professor of Digital Media at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and will join the Informatics faculty at UC-Irvine in 2017. He is co-director of the GLS Theme in the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, and the author of over 100 scholarly articles and books. He is the project lead on over a dozen games used by 100,000s of students across the world.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Kurt Squire is Professor of Digital Media at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and will join the Informatics faculty at UC-Irvine in 2017. He is co-director of the GLS Theme in the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, and the author of over 100 scholarly articles and books. He is the project lead on over a dozen games used by 100,000s of students across the world.
Dan Souza, Executive Editor
Cook's Science
Dan Souza graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America and went on to cook in Boston and New York. He is currently Executive Editor of Cook's Science, a cast member of the television show America’s Test Kitchen (ATK), and a contributor to the ATK Radio. He has also edited for Cook’s Illustrated and ATK’s The Science of Good Cooking (2012).
Cook's Science
Dan Souza graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America and went on to cook in Boston and New York. He is currently Executive Editor of Cook's Science, a cast member of the television show America’s Test Kitchen (ATK), and a contributor to the ATK Radio. He has also edited for Cook’s Illustrated and ATK’s The Science of Good Cooking (2012).
V.S. Subrahmanian, Director
Center for Digital International Government and Laboratory for Computational Cultural Dynamics
V.S. Subrahmanian is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland and director of the Center for Digital International Government (CDIG) and Laboratory for Computational Cultural Dynamics (LCCD). He served previously as Director of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He is a leader in predictive “big data” analytics with applications to forecasting a variety of phenomena ranging from behaviors of terrorist groups, election outcomes, spread of malware, and systemic banking crises in countries, to identifying fraud on e-commerce sites and malicious actors on social media.
Center for Digital International Government and Laboratory for Computational Cultural Dynamics
V.S. Subrahmanian is a professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland and director of the Center for Digital International Government (CDIG) and Laboratory for Computational Cultural Dynamics (LCCD). He served previously as Director of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He is a leader in predictive “big data” analytics with applications to forecasting a variety of phenomena ranging from behaviors of terrorist groups, election outcomes, spread of malware, and systemic banking crises in countries, to identifying fraud on e-commerce sites and malicious actors on social media.
Graham Townsley, Producer/Director
Shining Red Productions
Graham Townsley is an Emmy-nominated TV documentary filmmaker who has made films for PBS, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel. His work has also been aired internationally on BBC, Channel 4, ARTE, and ZDF. His most recent documentaries are “E.O. Wilson: Of Ants and Men,” and “Dawn of Humanity,” both of which aired in 2015.
Shining Red Productions
Graham Townsley is an Emmy-nominated TV documentary filmmaker who has made films for PBS, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel. His work has also been aired internationally on BBC, Channel 4, ARTE, and ZDF. His most recent documentaries are “E.O. Wilson: Of Ants and Men,” and “Dawn of Humanity,” both of which aired in 2015.
Albert Yu-Min Lin, Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer
Planet3
Albert Lin is an internationally renowned scientist, innovator, technologist, entrepreneur, and National Geographic Explorer. As Chief Science Officer of Planet3, Albert leads the scientific research efforts of the company. Albert also serves as a research scientist for the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology at the University of California, San Diego. Albert is recognized for his research in the Valley of the Khans Project and as a Co-founder of Tomnod, which uses crowdsourcing to identify objects and places in satellite images. Albert is passionate about the combination of exploration and citizen science to raise awareness and solutions for global issues. Albert is also the youngest recipient of the Nevada and Lowell Thomas Medals for Achievements in Science and Exploration. Albert Lin is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, where he earned his doctorate in Material Science and Engineering.
Planet3
Albert Lin is an internationally renowned scientist, innovator, technologist, entrepreneur, and National Geographic Explorer. As Chief Science Officer of Planet3, Albert leads the scientific research efforts of the company. Albert also serves as a research scientist for the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology at the University of California, San Diego. Albert is recognized for his research in the Valley of the Khans Project and as a Co-founder of Tomnod, which uses crowdsourcing to identify objects and places in satellite images. Albert is passionate about the combination of exploration and citizen science to raise awareness and solutions for global issues. Albert is also the youngest recipient of the Nevada and Lowell Thomas Medals for Achievements in Science and Exploration. Albert Lin is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, where he earned his doctorate in Material Science and Engineering.
Marco Werman, Host of THE WORLD
Public Radio International and BBC
Marco Werman is the host of PRI’s The World, the daily radio newsmagazine that connects American listeners with events that shape our days and the cultural trends that change our lives. Werman helped launch the show as a producer and reporter for The World in 1996. As host and Senior Editor, Werman now brings together the work of a team of journalists, while each day interviewing people at the heart of the day’s news.
Public Radio International and BBC
Marco Werman is the host of PRI’s The World, the daily radio newsmagazine that connects American listeners with events that shape our days and the cultural trends that change our lives. Werman helped launch the show as a producer and reporter for The World in 1996. As host and Senior Editor, Werman now brings together the work of a team of journalists, while each day interviewing people at the heart of the day’s news.
James Williams, Vice President of Digital Video
National Geographic Partners
James Williams is the vice president of digital video at National Geographic Partners, where he is responsible for all stages of short-form video development, from creating strategies to executing content. Williams’ unique vision, storytelling faculties and 15-plus years of industry experience have helped National Geographic Partners broaden its digital reach and become a leader across several platforms. Before coming to National Geographic, Williams worked for nearly 10 years at Discovery Communications. While there, he founded the first Discovery News video team and went on to become an executive producer at Discover Digital Networks in San Francisco, where he launched the Animalist Network.
National Geographic Partners
James Williams is the vice president of digital video at National Geographic Partners, where he is responsible for all stages of short-form video development, from creating strategies to executing content. Williams’ unique vision, storytelling faculties and 15-plus years of industry experience have helped National Geographic Partners broaden its digital reach and become a leader across several platforms. Before coming to National Geographic, Williams worked for nearly 10 years at Discovery Communications. While there, he founded the first Discovery News video team and went on to become an executive producer at Discover Digital Networks in San Francisco, where he launched the Animalist Network.
Benjamin Wolfe, Microbiologist
Tufts University
Benjamin Wolfe is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Biology at Tufts University. His lab uses food microbial communities to address fundamental questions in microbial ecology and evolution. Benjamin is a passionate promoter of microbial literacy through teaching and writing. He has taught food microbiology courses at the Harvard Summer School and Boston University's Gastronomy Program and has taught classes or workshops at Formaggio Kitchen, the San Francisco Cheese School, and for artisan food guilds across the country. Benjamin is a regular contributor to the food magazine Lucky Peach and writes an online series about the biology of food for Boston magazine. He is a co-founder of MicrobialFoods.org, a website that digests the science of fermented foods.
Tufts University
Benjamin Wolfe is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Biology at Tufts University. His lab uses food microbial communities to address fundamental questions in microbial ecology and evolution. Benjamin is a passionate promoter of microbial literacy through teaching and writing. He has taught food microbiology courses at the Harvard Summer School and Boston University's Gastronomy Program and has taught classes or workshops at Formaggio Kitchen, the San Francisco Cheese School, and for artisan food guilds across the country. Benjamin is a regular contributor to the food magazine Lucky Peach and writes an online series about the biology of food for Boston magazine. He is a co-founder of MicrobialFoods.org, a website that digests the science of fermented foods.
Richard Wrangham, Ruth B. Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology
Harvard University
Richard Wrangham is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1989. He is a former president of the International Primatological Society, an ambassador for UNEP/UNESCO’s Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP), and a fellow of the both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the British Academy. His most recent book is Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human (Basic Books, 2009).
Harvard University
Richard Wrangham is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1989. He is a former president of the International Primatological Society, an ambassador for UNEP/UNESCO’s Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP), and a fellow of the both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the British Academy. His most recent book is Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human (Basic Books, 2009).
Peggy Wu, Senior. Research Scientist
Smart Information Flow Technologies (SIFT)
Peggy Wu Peggy Wu heads innovations in technologies for societal benefit, focusing on Virtual Reality, games, Human Computer Interactions, and AI. She is currently leading an investigation on the use of VR for future long duration space missions involving a twelve-month Mars isolation mission on an active volcano in Hawaii. She also consults for the "gamification" of public health related to sleep hygiene, Narrative Therapy for Aphasia, and use of VR for fall assessments for the elderly and other biotech applications. She has been an invited participant at both NASA and ESA workshops and holds three U.S. patents.
Smart Information Flow Technologies (SIFT)
Peggy Wu Peggy Wu heads innovations in technologies for societal benefit, focusing on Virtual Reality, games, Human Computer Interactions, and AI. She is currently leading an investigation on the use of VR for future long duration space missions involving a twelve-month Mars isolation mission on an active volcano in Hawaii. She also consults for the "gamification" of public health related to sleep hygiene, Narrative Therapy for Aphasia, and use of VR for fall assessments for the elderly and other biotech applications. She has been an invited participant at both NASA and ESA workshops and holds three U.S. patents.