OUR FUTURE IS SCIENCE is an initiative of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program, which serves as a laboratory to test ideas and approaches that help explain, connect, and maximize the benefits of science for public good.
Team Retreat, New York City, July 2024
Left to Right: Hassan, Caroline, Aaron, Alex, Ebony, Jylana
Team Retreat, New York City, July 2023
Left to Right: Jylana, Ebony, Davina, Caroline, Hassan, Aaron
LEADERSHIP
Aaron F. Mertz, Ph.D., is a biophysicist and educator and has been recognized internationally for his laboratory research and advocacy for underrepresented groups in science. He joined the Aspen Institute in 2019 to found the Science & Society Program after a postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University and graduate studies in physics at Yale University and the history of science at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
Jylana L. Sheats, Ph.D., M.P.H., has leveraged her education, training, and experience to lead, shape, and innovate across public, private, and non-profit sectors. Her individual and collaborative efforts have focused on understanding and designing solutions to address the complex interplay between individual, interpersonal, community, and societal factors that impact health behaviors and health outcomes. Passionate about STEAM education and mentoring, Jylana has been teaching at the university level for 15 years and has current faculty appointments at top-ranking schools of public health.
TEAM
Hasan Farah, Ph.D., is an OFIS alumnus mentor and the Science & Community Postdoc in the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program. While completing his Bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in Biomedical Sciences, Hassan developed and directed leadership training and peer mentorship programs. He has also organized large-scale demonstrations and negotiations as a student activist.
Caroline Gelb is an advisor to the OFIS initiative and a senior-level producer at C&G Partners. She loves to share about her excitement about the promises science can bring to future generations.
Ebony Tyler is an advisor to the OFIS initiative and a certified rehabilitation counselor with 20 years of experience in public education. She is the founder and Executive Director of Liberated Success Inc., a youth career development nonprofit. Ebony is passionate about youth career development, exposing young people to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and being a part of young people's first employment experience. Ebony is a mom, yoga enthusiast, and lover of plants and beaches.
Michelle Ruiz, MAEd, is an instructional designer with a decade of experience designing effective and engaging online learning experiences. She has led the instructional design of successful university-level courses in the health sciences and public health at the University of San Francisco and, most recently, at UC Berkeley Public Health. She is also an EdD doctoral candidate in Learning Technologies at Pepperdine University, focusing on the design of online instruction in science and mathematics for adult learners.
Alexandra Montgomery is a sophomore at Princeton University concentrating in Economics with a minor in History. She leverages her background in multicultural advocacy and event organizing as a program assistant for OFIS. Alexandra formerly held positions as an Intern with the Science & Society Program, an Intern with Dr. Elizabeth Rule (American University), and a research assistant for Dr. Shannon Speed (UCLA).
Dorianis Peréz, Ph.D., completed her Ph.D. in Computational Science from Florida State University. She serves as the Vice President of Collegiate Relations for SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) New Mexico Professional, the Board Secretary for The MASTERS Program Early College Charter High School, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Physical Sciences at Northern New Mexico College. She has been involved with OFIS as a Mentor, Ambassador, and Lead Ambassador.
Breana Turner, Ph.D.(c), is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health program at Virginia Tech. She earned a Master of Public Health from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in kinesiology. Breana’s research combines frameworks from Black Feminist Theory and Superwoman Schema to understand Black women’s perceptions surrounding health and wellness.
ADVISORY GROUP
Our Future Is Science’s Advisory Group offers expertise, experience, and counsel to ensure the initiative stays true to its mission.
Dao-Yi Chow: Co-founder of the fashion brand Public School
2021-2023
Jay Flores: Global STEM ambassador and founder of Invent the Change
Gabriel Reyes, M.S.: Founder and CEO of FLi Sci, Ph.D. student at Stanford University
Omar Gowayed, Ph.D.: NYU Chemical Engineering Ph.D. graduate, head of NYC March for Science
Mandë Holford, Ph.D.: Associate Professor in Chemistry at CUNY Hunter College and The CUNY Graduate Center
Dietram Scheufele, Ph.D.: Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2021-2023
Jayshree Seth, Ph.D.: Chief Science Advocate and Corporate Scientist at 3M
Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna: Harvard graduate, high school Science Talent Search Finalist, Forbes 30 Under 30, Research Assistant at Brigham and Women's Hospital
2021-2022
Adnaan Wasey: Emmy Award-winning producer and writer with a history of championing the work of a diverse group of storytellers for mainstream and emerging platforms
2021-2023
INITIATIVE HISTORY
In 2020, the nonprofit Aspen Institute Science & Society Program, in collaboration with the citizen centered-design firm Coda Societies, conceptualized Our Future Is Science in response to tremendous societal forces: 1) youth activism around the world on behalf of issues rooted in science, such as climate change and water management, and 2) the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter
movement raising necessary calls for equity across fields, especially in science and public health, based on vast disparities in outcomes from the COVID pandemic. That year, the Aspen Institute and the science-outlet LeapsMag published an article, “Democratize the White Coat,” introducing the ethos and societal dynamics that inspired OFIS.