Meet Our People

SRI's innovative thinking depends directly on the people who work here. Meet members of our team and learn why they joined SRI -- you may discover that you would like to join the team, too. Visit Careers @ SRI for descriptions of current openings.

Focus @ SRI:
Science and technology policy research and analysis

Title and Location:
Director, Science and Technology Policy Program
Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Development, SRI in Washington D.C.

Day in the Life @ SRI:
Brainstorming with teams and staff on projects and proposals; writing and research on projects

Before SRI:
After college, I worked as a geologist on oil rigs in Saudi Arabia and Mexico. After graduate school, I spent 6 years at the Congressional Research Service, working on science and technology issues for Congress. During this time I spent a year as a visiting researcher at a university in Japan. Then I worked for the private-sector Council on Competitiveness, and split my time with the Competitiveness Policy Council and the Optoelectronic Industry Development Association. I returned to government as a Clinton Administration political appointee in the Department of Energy, focused on improving technology transfer from the national laboratories, and later management reforms at the national labs. I did some consulting before joining SRI in 1998, left for a start-up think tank, the Internet Policy Institute, a year later, and rejoined SRI in 2001.

Academics:
Sc.B., Geology and Biology, Brown University
S.M., Technology and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D. Candidate, Public policy, George Mason University

Why SRI?
SRI offers a great combination of work that is both useful and interesting. It has a relatively relaxed and flexible work environment. I work part time, which lets me do other activities as well. There are no limits to what one can do here.

Inspiration and Motivation:
Science and technology change the world, mostly for good but sometimes for bad. Nothing is more important than helping society make sound decisions about science and technology.

Away from the Office:
Time with family, mostly chauffeuring my children to music and sports, and enjoying our vacation home in the Poconos. I'm finishing my Ph.D. dissertation, which examines how information technology affects science. I also swim with a "masters" team, the Ancient Mariners, and was nationally ranked in my age group in a couple of events last year.

Languages:
At various times in my life I've been able to converse passably in Swedish, French, Spanish, and Japanese, but cannot do so in any of them now!

Proudest Professional Accomplishment:
While at the Council on Competitiveness and the Competitiveness Policy Council, I was part of a small group that did the analyses and wrote the reports that became the basis for the Clinton Administration's technology policy. Later, at the Department of Energy, I had a role in implementing some of those policies.

Words of Wisdom for New SRI Team Members:
Your clients and potential clients are your real bosses. If you keep them happy, you'll do fine.

Favorites:
Atlantic Monthly (which I've been reading for decades), Calvin & Hobbes comics, convertibles, chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream, biking to work on nice days