NCIS welcomes 19 new members from 7 countries
Posted on August 5, 2024
FULL MEMBERSHIP
Dr. John Botke (USA) holds a PhD in Particle Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Botke is developing a new model of cosmology that answers many of the outstanding questions resulting from the standard model of cosmology. Botke has served as a peer-reviewer for multiple publications and has a solid scientific background and experience in scientific writing and editing. Botke’s expertise in microscopy, botany, and molecular biology and my experience working in diverse international research environments has honed my creativity and adaptability. The most recent co-authored publication can be found in Plant Systematics and Evolution.
Dr. Lizzy Brewster (Netherlands) holds a MD and PhD and is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC). Brewster is a Surinamese medical specialist in global cardiovascular population health, based in the Netherlands. She works to improve global cardiovascular health of underserved population groups and to address cultural, economic, and geographic barriers to healthcare. She is the author of several book chapters and more than 120 papers on cardiovascular disease published in international, peer-reviewed journals. She is a member of professional organizations including the Society for Healthcare Professionals with Disabilities. Lizzy is the mother and caregiver of a warm-hearted and generous-spirited home-schooled son with complex needs.
Natalie Cohen (USA) holds a Masters in Public Administration from New York University and is founder and President of National Municipal Research, an independent consulting and research company focused on U.S. state and local government finance. She publishes at The Public Purse. A seasoned analyst, writer and speaker, she started her career at New York City OMB, has worked at a rating agency, in bond insurance, reinsurance, a bank and is known for her published work on municipal bond defaults. She was recognized by the Bond Buyer as a “Trailblazer” and has received “Career Achievement” awards from Smith’s Research and Gradings and the National Federation of Municipal Analysts, NFMA. Cohen has an MPA from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service and a BA from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA.
August Darbonne (USA) has gained a unique worldview from his upbringing in a multicultural family and the diverse city of New Orleans. A learner and scholar at heart, he received his B.A. and M.A. in History from the University of New Orleans. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education from the Xavier University of Louisiana. Darbonne currently works as a Social Studies teacher in Dallas, Texas. His research covers history/social studies education and cultural issues in the United States educational system.
Rachel Huber (France) is an Independent Researcher and French translator whose interdisciplinary approach to cultural studies, digital studies and critical race theory interrogates networked spaces, surveillance, brandscapes and the intersections between the virtual and the material. Huber’s work focuses on memory, placemaking and contemporary representations of French identity through the lens of French luxury and fashion. Huber holds a Masters in Global Communications completed at the American University of Paris. Huber’s most recent contribution is a 2023 chapter to the book “Fallen Monuments and Contested Memorials.” I have just presented my paper “Hashtag Orangerie, Hashtag Paris: Withering Water Lilies and Blooming Aura Within Instagram Representations of Claude Monet’s Nymphéas.”
Ponn P. Mahayosnand (Palestine) holds a Master’s in Public Health and has three main research interests: 1) Gaza Public Health Reform 2) theory/concept of health reform, and 3) Prophetic Medicine Islam & Health. Mahayosnand has publications on topics related to E-mentoring and Remote Research primarily with marginalized groups of female scholars professionally. Under the name Ponn M. Sabra quoted works can be found on various news outlets: CNN, US News & Money Report, USA Today, TIME, Associated Press, PBS, Hartford Courant, New Haven Register, ABC News, numerous international and local Muslim news outlets.
Dr. Alex Maltsev (USA) earned a PhD in Biophysics from Cornell University, with research focused on studying protein structure using solution NMR spectroscopy. This was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at National Institutes of Health, in the lab of Ad Bax, utilizing NMR to study intrinsically disordered protein alpha-synuclein. Maltsev then made a career pivot and is currently a senior software engineer at Google. Maltsev is looking to contribute to research related to a variety of environmental issues.
Dr. Ainara Mancebo (South Africa) holds a PhD in Political Science and Public Administration from the UNED University (Spain). Currently Ainara works as an independent scholar and public affairs consultant from South Africa. Her current research portfolio addresses the challenges of democratic consolidation, state-building and the sustainability of party competition. Her work focuses on party behavior engaged in the process of institutional design and the legislative capacity to influence the exercise of executive power. Ainara’s research can be found in indexed publications such as the Journal of Legislative Studies, Politikon, Insight On Africa, etc.
Dr. Heather Maughan (Canada) holds a PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona is a biologist whose research and writing focuses on the evolution and ecology of bacteria and their viruses. After finishing her postdoctoral research, Heather moved to a farm in Ontario, Canada, where she operates a freelance writing, editing, and microbiology consultant business. She is also researching content for a book about the ecology and evolution of bacteria and their viruses.
Dr. Bart H. McGuyer (USA) earned a Ph.D. in experimental atomic, molecular, & optical physics from Princeton University and completed postdoctoral work at Columbia University. Bart’s academic research focuses on atoms and molecules in vapor cells or at ultracold temperatures to make better atomic clocks and more precise measurements. Currently, Bart works for Amazon on Project Kuiper’s Optical Inter Satellite Link team. Additional scholarly interests include applied physics, electronic circuits, and educational demonstrations.
Dr. Elaine L.P. Nunes (Portugal) is interested in plant morphology, floral anatomy, development, and evolution. Nunes completed her PhD in Brazil (UNESP, FAPESP fellowship, 2014), did a post-doctorate in Germany (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, 2016-2017) and a 3-month research fellowship in the Netherlands (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Martin Fellowship, 2018). Since October 2020, and she dedicated herself exclusively to the family until August 2021, wherein Nunes has been collaborating with her former research groups and consulting on diverse themes in life sciences.
Dr. Laura Plybon (USA) received an MA in Child and Developmental Psychology from Sarah Lawrence College and a MS and PhD in Experimental Developmental Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Plybon has a success consulting business, acting as statistics consultant for a police personality assessment firm and as a dissertation mentor, providing writing and analysis guidance for doctoral students in diverse fields. Dr. Plybon’s research interests are African American psychology, with a focus on body image, and police psychology.
Dr. Silvia Sanduleanu-Dascalescu (Netherlands) holds a MD and PhD and is a clinical scientist and academic educator with international experience in the prevention, endoscopic diagnosis and resection of early cancer. Her team’s research significantly contributed to deciphering the clinico-molecular signature of flat colorectal neoplasms and their role in carcinogenesis. She has led the Expert Group ‘Right-sided lesions and interval cancer’ of the CRC Screening Committee of the World Endoscopy Organization to standardize the nomenclature for interval cancers and has worked tirelessly to disseminate strategies on improving the quality and effectiveness of CRC screening. Current active efforts are focused on development and implementation of 21st century educational methods to optimize the quality and effectiveness of teaching.
Robert Spinelli (USA) is a librarian and archivist working at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville, TN. Prior to this role, he has worked in special collections and as the sole librarian at various colleges in the area. Mr. Spinelli holds an MA (Philosophy) and an MS (Information Sciences. He has presented at conferences speaking about conspiracy theories and its connections with religion and social media and has co-presented on African American funerary traditions. Other research interests include death traditions, cultural memory and digital methods of memorialization.
Dr. Cheryl Sundberg (USA) holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a specialty in science education from the University of Alabama. Sundberg taught high school chemistry (regular, AP, and International Baccalaureate) and physics, science education courses (secondary and elementary), technology education courses, and college chemistry (introduction and freshman). Currently, Sundberg works as a temporary, part-time adjunct instructor in a small university teaching chemistry to pre-nursing students. Current research interests include creating and field-testing online modules for chemistry courses, including laboratory courses; developing and field-testing online chemistry laboratory modules using safe and ubiquitous materials; teacher professional development using webinars and other Web 3.0 tools; preparing and field-testing instructional units and books using emerging technologies; and using ubiquitous tools like cell phones in science instruction for data collection/analysis tools.
Dr. Robert Trumbull (USA) is an independent scholar based in Seattle. He holds a PhD in the History of Consciousness from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with specialization in 20th-century and contemporary Continental philosophy. A specialist of deconstruction and psychoanalysis, his work has appeared in Philosophy Today, Derrida Today, Journal of Speculative Philosophy, and Symposium. His monograph, From Life to Survival: Derrida, Freud, and the Future of Deconstruction, was published in 2022 by Fordham University Press.
Roy Zheng (USA) earned a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Southern California. His field of research which received coverage by The Conversation is in the fields of VR, cybersecurity, and AI. He has almost a decade of experience building complex and large-scale software systems at companies including Amazon Web Services, EAT Club, and 23andMe working in roles spanning software security, DevOps, and full stack.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Dr. Jeremy Benson (USA) holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico and is a Computer Scientist with experience in realizing applied artificial intelligence solutions in cloud environments. Benson’s research and development expertise is in applied artificial intelligence programs for distributed and cloud computing scenarios, particularly for medical device data. Benson’s most recent co-authored publication can be found in Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering.
Nathan Fox (Canada) Since 2007, Fox’s research has focused on developing a model of cognition that explains a particular range of volitional behaviors. These behaviors are systematically irrational (i.e., inconsistent with the evidence) and sometimes harmful to others, or they involve competing motivations. This work consistently assumes that the primary cognitive mechanisms mediating these behaviors have evolved and were maintained due to natural selection, adapting to both diverse and variable environments conditions.
