Ticora V Jones

Dr. Ticora V Jones is the Acting Director for the Innovation, Technology & Research Hub and the Deputy for Research in the Innovation, Technology & Research Hub of the US Agency for International Development.  She manages research and development programs for the Agency that build bridges between development professionals and universities through a multidisciplinary lens on science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Beginning in 2009 as a AAAS Diplomacy, Security, and Development Fellow, she helped manage the establishment of an Agency-wide agenda for science and technology through policy and programming designed to elevate USAID’s presence in this area.

Prior to joining USAID, Dr. Jones served as the 2008-2009 Materials Societies Congressional Fellow for Senator Russell D. Feingold (D-WI) where she worked on energy and environment issues. Before beginning her congressional fellowship, Dr. Jones conducted post-doctoral research focused on creating and characterizing nanoparticle/composite-based functional materials at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Jones earned her BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and her PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

 

 

Aubra Anthony

Dr. Anthony leads the Strategy & Research team in the Technology Division of USAID’s Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub. Her team investigates the social, political, and ethical dimensions accompanying the introduction of digital technologies in developing economies. Her portfolio has spanned Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Digital Identity, Open Data, the Data Revolution, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, and the development of USAID’s first-ever Digital Strategy.

Dr. Anthony received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and worked in academic research in physics and cosmology before turning to technology policy as a Research Affiliate with the C.U. Boulder Center for Science and Technology Policy Research. She was a Hatfield Scholar with the Center for Democracy and Technology and an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow with USAID’s Center for Data, Analysis & Research before joining ITR/T’s predecessor, the Center for Digital Development, in 2015.

 

 

 

 

Victoria Mico Egea

Dr. Victoria Mico Egea is a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics team at EPSRC, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). In this role, Victoria has been involved in the development of the UKRI Statement of Opportunities on AI, leads work on Responsible AI and is the programme manager for the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems programme, among other responsibilities.

Before joining EPSRC she obtained a PhD in Physics at the University of Leeds. Victoria recently completed an unassisted row across the Atlantic Ocean for charity, as part of a team of 4, becoming the first Spanish woman to ever row an ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Booth

Dr Michael Booth is the UKRI Head of International Development Partnerships. Dr. Booth has worked for UKRI for over 10-year and is currently leading UKRI activities in forging strong, equitable and enduring partnerships, both bilateral and multilateral, with the goal of delivering global development impact from research and innovation. The partnerships Michael supports address critical development challenges including: poverty, access to healthcare, climate change, and peace and security.

Dr. Booth has oversight of UKRI involvement in the £735M Newton Fund, coordinating the individual UKRI Councils and working with the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to foster world-class collaborations between academics and innovators in the UK and developing countries.

Having studied for a BSc. (Honours) in Biochemistry at the University of Otago, New Zealand, Dr. Booth moved to the UK to undertake a PhD in Enzyme Structure and Function (Biochemistry) at the University of Bristol. Prior to joining UKRI, he was involved in research related to enzymes implicated in anti-microbial resistance.

 

 

 

 

Mary Jane Parmentier

Dr. Mary Jane C. Parmentier is a Clinical Associate Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation and Society, and the College of Global Futures at Arizona State University. From 1986-1988, Dr.  Parmentier served as a Peace Corps volunteer near Marrakesh, Morocco, teaching high school English. Since her appointment at Arizona State University in 1999, her research and curriculum development have focused on the role of technology in economic, social and political development, and the regions of North Africa and Latin American development, and she is a founding faculty member of the M.S. in Global Technology and Development. She is also a senior sustainability scientist with the Global Institute of Sustainability & Innovation.

Dr. Parmentier received her Ph.D in International Studies from the University of Denver. Her goal is to constantly innovate and improve university teaching, including the development of methodologies and techniques to enhance the online learning environment.

Dr. Parmentier will cohost the virtual conference together with Dr. Ahearn and Dr. Hussain.

 

 

Faheem Hussain

Dr. Faheem Hussain is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. degree in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. His research interests include Digital Solutions for Refugees, Information and Communication Technology for Sustainable Development, Digital Afterlife, Social Media, Digital Rights, Gender Empowerment using STEM, and Sustainable Development Goals. He is also a Senior Sustainability Scientist in the School of Sustainability at ASU.

Before joining ASU, he worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Technology and Society, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at State University of New York (SUNY), Korea. Beyond academia, Dr. Hussain works as a Technology Policy Specialist in various research projects with UN-ESCAP/APCICT, USAID, international development agencies (e.g., IDRC, DFID, Ford and Rockefeller Foundation), and international think tanks (e.g., Freedom House, LIRNEasia, Ideacorps) in the fields of Technology, Public Policy, and Development.

Dr. Hussain will cohost the virtual conference together with Dr. Ahearn and Dr. Parmentier.

 

 

Laura Ahearn

Dr. Laura Ahearn is a Technical Director with Social Impact. She is currently conducting a developmental evaluation of the implementation of USAID’s Digital Strategy. Previously, she was a Science & Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Ahearn has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. She was a tenured professor at Rutgers University and a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Ahearn has published two books and many articles on language, gender, and social change in Nepal and elsewhere.

Dr. Ahearn will cohost the virtual conference together with Dr. Parmentier and Dr. Hussain.