SFIS Newsletter – January 2021

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ASU student team’s fog-free mask design wins $1 million international competition

A student team from Arizona State University, led by Innovation in Society student Nikhil Dave, won the million-dollar XPRIZE Next-Gen Mask Challenge to redesign the face masks used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by making them more comfortable, functional and affordable. Their fog-free mask design beat nearly 1,000 entries from 70 countries to earn the top spot.

ASU’s Innovation Quarter kicks off

Arizona State University is home to innovation, and now everyone is getting the chance to experience it first-hand. ASU’s new Innovation Week and Innovative Quarter initiative featured five weeks of free virtual programming for students, staff, faculty and the community, including several events from the College of Global Futures. The first day of Innovation Week included a session from futurist and SFIS Professor of Practice Brian David Johnson. In his talk, Johnson spoke about the life of a futurist and his work with governments, militaries, trade organizations and startups to help them envision their future.

Research

HSD PhD student Gabrielle Lout wrote the blog “Creating a new table: The invisibilization of female fisheries workers and a call for equity” for the Global Human Right Hub Fellows Program, discussing the need for equal protection of rights and equal participation in fisheries. 

HSD PhD student Anna Muldoon has been researching and discussing conspiracy theories surrounding COVID-19. She has a new book out, “COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories,” and her first modeling paper on COVID-19 with Clinical Assistant Professor Heather Ross, “COVID-19 healthcare demand projections: Arizona,” is now available. Muldoon also joined the Virginia Rural Health Association’s podcast to discuss the anti-vaccine movement and its implications for addressing COVID-19. 

PIT graduate student Shalin Jyotishi wrote a piece for the World Economic Forum, “How teaching ‘future resilient’ skills can help workers adapt to automation,” highlighting how quality non-degree credentials can mitigate automation displacement and lead to quality jobs. Jyotishi also serves as the CEO of the non-profit Journal of Science Policy and Governance (JSPG) which has partnered with AAAS and the Kavli Foundation to launch a new call for papers focused on reimagining U.S. science policy to honor the 75-year anniversary of Endless Frontier.

HSD PhD student Katherine Balland Assistant Professor Kirk Jalbert published the paper “Making the board: participatory game design for environmental action” in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. The paper was based on Ball’s MSTP applied project.

HSD PhD student Elma Hajric worked on a new report released by GAO, “Capabilities and Challenges for an Evolving Network,” and also collaborated with Associate Dean Andrew Maynard on the Risk Bites video “Five Ethical Challenges of Neuralink-Like Brain Computer Interfaces.” 

Assistant Research Professor Jesse Senko published a chapter in the book “Sea Turtle Research and Conservation,” titled “Addressing sea turtle bycatch in developing countries: A global challenge that requires adaptive solutions for the 21st century.”

Associate Professor Laura Hosman, Assistant Professor Heather Ross and SolarSPELL Project Manager Stephanie Peterson co-authored an article about their recent work on the nursing and midwifery digital library for South Sudan. “Developing an offline digital library for South Sudan – the SolarSPELL Health: nursing and midwifery library,” was published in the South Sudan Medical Journal.

Recognition

HSD PhD students Jieshu Wang and Chelsea Dickson, Postdoc Margaret Hinrichs and Professor Erik Johnston were part of a team that was awarded a grant from the Volkswagen Foundation project “Artificial Intelligence – Its Impact on Tomorrows Society” for their project “AI FORA – Artificial Intelligence for Assessment.”  

MSTP student Jenna Robinson was selected as a 2021 Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Finalist. The PMF is a flagship leadership development program at the entry level for advanced degree candidates.

HSD PhD student Alycia de Mesa participated in the ASU Project Humanities panel discussion “Environmental Justice: Indigenous Communities,” which explored colonialism and environmental racism’s effect on Indigenous communities.

Katina Michael
Professor Katina Michael received the IEEE Phoenix Section’s Outstanding IEEE member Contributing to Global Humanitarian Projects or Activities Award for 2020 in recognition of her contributions to a better understanding of the impact of emerging technologies on humanity.
Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty

Assistant Professor Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty gave several talks and participated in panels about space governance, including “RACE FOR RESOURCES: Debating Conditions for Lunar Space Settlement” at the Space Institute Rice University, “Our Lunar Future” for the New York Academy of Sciences, and “Testing the Space Governance System” at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University. She moderated the United Nations panel “Climate Change Data using Satellites, AI and Big Data: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective,” and was featured on Xploration Outer Space “Space for All” and “Catalyst: Space, the final frontier, may need rules to maintain peace” on Arizona PBS. She also discussed space governance on the America Future Series Space Talks with Z.  

Elisabeth Graffy

Professor of Practice Elisabeth Graffy led the 2020 SEEK Annual Workshop. This year’s theme was “Climate Action, Energy Stewardship and Care for Creation: A Collaborative Workshop.” Graffy was also the keynote speaker at the STGlobal Webinar on Knowledge in Action: Effective Scholarly Communication for Impacting the Policymaking Process, presented “Ambiguous & Wicked: Integrating energy, adaptation, and climate Intervention governance” at EASST/4S, and spoke at AASHE’s Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education on Accelerating Just Energy Transitions by Inviting Faith Communities to the Table.

Faheem Hussain
Clinical Assistant Professor Faheem Hussain discussed online safety for women internet users in Bangladesh at an event arranged by UN Women, part of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence #OrangeTheWorld” program. He also gave the keynote “ICTs, Sustainable Development, and #NewNormal” in the International Lecture Series organized by Tarlac State University in the Philippines.
Diana Ayton-Shenker

Professor of Practice and Executive Director of ASU-Leonardo Initiative Diana Ayton-Shenker spoke at the Broto: Art-Climate-Science Affinity Conference session “Interaction, not Extraction,” took part in the 2112 Foundation Visionary Award and Exhibition with the “New World City” AR art installation with William T. Ayton, and participated in the Healthy Cities Design 2020 presentation for the final keynote plenary. She also was part of the panel “Toward an Ecology of Courage” during the Transmeet Science Art Festival, and received a $500,000 grant from the California Arts Council for Leonardo’s CripTech Incubator.

Luke Tate

Professor of Practice Luke Tate gave the keynote address “Leveraging Emerging Innovations to Expand Economic Opportunity” at the October 2020 Disrupting Poverty conference. 

Events

Jan 19 – LASER Talks at Tempe

Jan 27 – Afrofuturism’s Reimagined Tomorrows

February 4 – Sci-Fi TV Dinner Small Bites: Akoota (Online)

Publications

Brian David Johnson
How to Shape the Future of Your Farm
Successful Farming Magazine
November 18, 2020

Katherine Ball, Kirk Jalbert
Making the board: participatory game design for environmental action
Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences
November 24, 2020

Erik Fisher 
From Affect to Action: Choices in Attending to Disconcertment in Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Science, Technology and Human Values
November 25, 2020

ShErik Johnston, Margaret Hinrichs 
The creation of inclusive governance infrastructures through participatory agenda-setting
European Journal of Futures Research
November 25, 2020

Laura Hosman, Heather Ross, Stephanie Peterson
Developing an offline digital library for South Sudan – the SolarSPELL Health: nursing and midwifery library
South Sudan Medical Journal
November 2020

Anna Muldoon, Heather Ross
COVID-19 healthcare demand projections: Arizona
PLOS ONE
December 2, 2020

Shalin Jyotishi
How teaching ‘future resilient’ skills can help workers adapt to automation
World Economic Forum
December 18, 2020

Anna Muldoon
Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories
McFarland Books

Gabrielle Lout
Creating a new table: The invisibilization of female fisheries workers and a call for equity
School of Politics and Global Studies

Jesse Senko 
Addressing sea turtle bycatch in developing countries: A global challenge that requires adaptive solutions for the 21st century
Sea Turtle Research and Conservation: Lessons From Working In The Field

In the Media

Darshan Karwat 
The Role of the Activist Engineer in Society
Engineering Influence from ACEC
November 17, 2020

Jesse Senko
These Items in Your Home Are Harming America’s Sea Animals
The New York Times
November 19, 2020

Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty
Catalyst: Space, the final frontier, may need rules to maintain peace
AZ PBS
November 30, 2020

Anna Muldoon
Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories
McFarland Books

Daniel Sarewitz 
Issues in Science and Technology Editor-in-Chief Daniel Sarewitz 
Zócalo Public Square 
December 8, 2020

Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty
Space for All
Xploration Outer Space
December 12, 2020

Andrew Maynard
We are living a dizzying rate of technological change. Is it good for us?
ZDNet
December 17, 2020

Andrew Maynard
Waymo’s driverless ride service moves to metro Phoenix toward autonomous future
ABC 15 
December 31, 2020