ISGP Staff
George H. Atkinson, Ph.D
Founder and Executive Director
Dr. Atkinson is an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Optical Science at the University of Arizona. His professional career includes academic teaching, research, administration, roles as a corporate founder and executive, and public service at the federal level. He is former Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Arizona, the founder of a laser sensor company serving the semiconductor industry, and Science and Technology Advisor (STAS) to U.S. Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice. In 2014, Dr. Atkinson was named president of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Based on principles derived from his personal experiences, he launched the ISGP in 2008 as a new type of international forum in which credible experts provide governmental and societal leaders with the objective understanding of the science and technology that can be reasonably anticipated to help shape the increasingly global societies of the 21st century.
Camelia Bou, M.S.
Senior Fellow, Program Manager
Camelia Bou graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor’s in International Affairs and Economics, and continued her studies in the Environmental Science and Policy Master’s Program. During her time at Northeastern University, she participated in Genocide and its Aftermath Dialogue of Civilizations Program, a faculty-led study focused on the effects of genocide in Greek society. As part of one of her graduate courses, she was able to attend COP 26 Glasgow virtually as an observer, where she had the opportunity to explore her interest in international climate policy. Camelia worked at the Rian Immigrant Center in the Learning Exchange Program as a program assistant, helping students and recent graduates from Ireland on the J-1 visa on their job search in the United States. She is fluent in English and Spanish, and is at a beginner level French. Camelia hopes to continue to work in the environmental justice and policy field.
Jennifer Boice, M.B.A
Program Coordninator
Ms. Boice worked for 25 years in the newspaper industry, primarily at the Tucson Citizen and briefly at USA Today. She was the Editor of the Tucson Citizen when it was closed in 2009. Additional appointments at the Tucson Citizen included Business News Editor, Editor of the Online Department, and Senior Editor. She also was a business columnist. Ms. Boice received her M.B.A. from the University of Arizona and graduated from Pomona College in California with a degree in economics.
NiCole Pulitzer
Senior Fellow, Program Coordinator
NiCole Pulitzer previously worked on the Innovative Foods and Ingredients and Future of Modern Agriculture conferences and rejoins the ISGP to assist in organizing the Global Emerging Persistent and Infectious Disease conference. She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Arizona and has had a diverse range of professional experiences in education, management, marketing, business, and travel.
Sophie Bartholomaus
Senior Fellow
Sophie Bartholomaus is a graduate of Roanoke College where she earned a B.A. in Public Health. She has a desire to aid and educate communities which is rooted in her work with the Local Environmental Agriculture Program (LEAP), a nonprofit located in southwest Virginia. Through her work with LEAP, she was able to inform the local public on the importance of local, sustainable farming along with bringing green spaces and community gardens to areas with food insecurity. Through working with various nonprofits, she has gained experience in program development, grant proposal writing, budgeting, and community outreach. As a student, she was able to not only gain these skills, but also expand on them to see what primary level implementations may be needed to promote positive impacts.
Adam Greco
Senior Fellow
Adam Greco graduated from the University of Florida in 2023, double majoring in International Studies and Political Science. In addition to being a founding member of the Florida John Quincy Adams Society (UF's largest international relations-based club), he was also an officer at the University of Florida Model United Nations. While a student at UF, Mr. Greco spent two semesters studying at Sciences Po, Paris where he focused on sustainable development and greatly developed his level of French. Mr. Greco was also a fellow at UF's Center for European Studies where he focused on democratic backsliding in the Southern Mediterranean, and he is currently part of the Bob Graham Center's Junior Fellows program where he is developing a research project on diversifying the global solar panel supply chain from China, intersecting his foci of sustainable development and national security.
Manuel de la Puerta, B.A.
Adjunct Senior Fellow
Mr. de la Puerta graduated from Eckerd College in 2019 and received a B.A. in French Language as well as a second major in Biochemistry. During his time at Eckerd, he worked as a research assistant on two projects in the chemistry department; the synthesis of potential dopamine transporter inhibitors and the synthesis of novel tridentate ligands to model the active sites of zinc metalloproteases. Upon graduating from Eckerd, he worked for two years as an English teaching assistant in Les Mureaux, France through the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF). Mr. de la Puerta is interested in the fields of International Relations, Climate Change, and particularly the areas where the Natural Sciences and International Affairs converge. Mr. de la Puerta is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, and has reached intermediate-level fluency in Arabic. Mr. de la Puerta is currently based in Bologna, Italy where he is completing his master’s in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and interning at the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development (CCSDD).
Emmanuela Akoto
Fellow
Emmanuela Akoto is a currently serving a pivotal role at the Italian Embassy in Accra. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Central University, Ghana and a Master's degree in International Relations from Webster University, Ghana campus, with a semester at the Geneva campus. Her position allows her to utilize her expertise and diplomatic finesse to foster strong relationships between Italy and Ghana. Prior to this, she has also made noteworthy contributions to influential institutions such as UNAIDS, where she played a vital role in advocating for meaningful engagement in the global response to HIV and AIDS, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, further honing her diplomatic skills and exploring various aspects of foreign policy. Raised in Italy, Emmanuela spent her formative years in a diverse and culturally enriched environment, which greatly shaped her broad perspective and deep understanding of different societies. She effectively communicates in multiple languages including English, Italian, Twi (Ghanaian local dialect), intermediate French and basic Spanish. Emmanuela is a fervent advocate for international cooperation, sustainable development, and humanitarian causes, continuing to make valuable contributions to the field of diplomacy and international relations through the ISGP.
Gayle L. Ballard
Fellow
Gayle Ballard graduated from Bradley University with a B.S. in Political Science and an M.A. in Guidance, Counseling, and Psychotherapy. Gayle also earned an M.B.A. with an additional specialization in Healthcare Administration. In addition, she received a Post Graduate Executive COA – Certificate of Achievement: Institute for Business Strategy Development from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Gayle has traveled to 43 countries and has extensive experience in both domestic and international business. As a Business Executive with 25 + years of diverse experience, her career has focused on results-driven strategic and tactical planning, business development, and project management. Her demonstrated competencies include strategic planning and tactical implementation, business development, government legislative analysis, market intelligence and analysis, and business acumen. Gayle is exceptionally skilled in comprehensive market and business analysis, mergers, acquisitions, J.V.s, start-ups, and turnarounds, identifying business opportunities that are creative, innovative, and leverage windows of opportunity based upon current and future business environments, markets, and business/payment models. As a visionary strategist and tactician, she has demonstrated a consistent record of growth, revenue, operational performance, and profitability for various organizations, for both for-profit and non-profit healthcare related, and non-healthcare entities.
Shibl Gill
Fellow
Shibl Gill is an MSc Physics graduate, from the University of Stavanger in Norway, where he defended his thesis on Density Functional Theory and Neutron Spectroscopy. He also holds a BSc in Mathematics from Westminster University, Salt Lake City, where he completed the interdisciplinary Honours Program, emphasizing studies in international relations, economics, and the history and philosophy of science. Shibl has a keen interest in science policy and non-formal science education, which was the driving force behind the “Shaking Matters” podcast he is producing with academics and researchers in Norway. With experience as a Data Analyst at the State of Utah, a Securities Analyst at a multinational investment bank, and technical writing at a Technology company, he brings a multidisciplinary perspective to topics being addressed at the ISGP.
Liat Kugelmass
Fellow
Liat Kugelmass graduated from Cornell University with a Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry, after completing her undergraduate studies at Vassar College. Liat’s dissertation was focused on chemical recycling strategies to depolymerize plastics back into their starting materials, to promote a more circular plastics economy. Liat’s passion for environmental issues has carried through to her various research projects, which have ranged from plastics recycling to harnessing energy from microbes. During her graduate studies, Liat also organized and facilitated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming for the purpose of diversifying the field of Chemistry and STEM at large. Liat is excited to combine her background in STEM and dedication to environmental and social issues to support a better global future with the ISGP.
Mattia Anfosso Lembo
Fellow
Mr. Mattia Anfosso Lembo is a former employee of the Embassy of Italy in Accra, Ghana. He graduated with honors from the University of Trieste in 2019 where he earned a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Cooperation. He also holds a Master’s course in Diplomatic Studies from the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI) based in Rome, Italy. During his time at the Embassy of Italy in Accra, Mattia had the chance to fully immerse himself in an international environment. Through daily analysis and the preparation of reports on West African politics and economy, he acquired a great knowledge on how African countries, with the help of Western and Asian countries, are working to overcome major problems that afflict their population such as terrorism, famine, drought. Mr. Anfosso Lembo ultimately hopes to work at the United Nations in order to foster positive relations with various audiences from different political and economic organizations as well as with national and international institutions. He is passionate about science, history, geopolitics, international relations and philosophy. Mr. Anfosso Lembo is fluent in Italian, English and has a good working knowledge of French.
Peyton Newsome
Fellow
Peyton Newsome is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. She is currently earning her Master of Public Policy from Northeastern University. In her time at UMass Lowell, Peyton was involved in numerous research projects with the Center for Security and Terrorism Studies and the Psycho-Legal Experimental Applications Lab, and she completed the Immersive Scholars and Emerging Scholars programs. Most recently, Peyton was working with UMass Lowell’s Climate Change Initiative on their Climate Pathways project, which studied the reactions of participants to the climate change model, En-ROADS. She was proud to graduate with the Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Academic Achievement and a Trustees’ Key. Peyton also spent some time working with the non-profit, Seeding Success, researching and organizing criminal justice reform efforts in Memphis, TN. Peyton is passionate about utilizing sound scientific research to promote effective policy.
Sophia Huntley Smith
Fellow
Sophia Huntley Smith graduated from the University of Vermont with her Bachelors in Arts and Science from the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. During her time at the University of Vermont, she joined the Student Government Association and was elected Chair of the Committee on the Environment. Within this role, she undertook a nine year mission to divest the University’s endowment from fossil fuel holding companies. During her term, she was able to see this goal to fruition by coordinating between diverse stakeholders. This success allowed her to become a member of the University’s Board of Budget, Finance, and Investment Committee and the Socially Responsible Investment Advisory Council which oversaw the transition of the funds. Sophia was also an active member of multiple on-campus commissions and organizations on topics such as climate change mitigation and the application and grant funding of clean energy projects. Sophia’s passion and expertise is centered around the collaboration of diverse entities towards a united vision of sustainable investment and environmental stewardship. Her past, current, and future goals are inspired by this passion.
Brianna Bellamy
Adjunct Fellow
Brianna Bellamy is a graduate of New York University where they earned a Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Science and Black and Indigenous Studies with a minor in American Sign Language (ASL). She was a leader in the Divest NYU campaign that led NYU to divest from fossil fuels and is passionate about environmental justice and community science. During undergraduate, they explored various roles such as policy intern at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and another as a Science, Technology, Arts, and Creativity (STAC) Expert at NYU Gallatin. Additionally, she was awarded the Horn Family Fund for Environmental Research scholarship and completed environmental research in Utah in summer 2023, which was later presented at two conferences. She has gained skills in quantitative analysis, communication, and research interviews. Brianna is an advocate for innovative climate solutions and prioritizes getting insight from multiple stakeholders to inform a more collaborative, equitable world.
Queshia Bradley
Student Adjunct Fellow
Queshia Bradley works in private sector consulting, leading business development for global health and supply chain. Her expertise is in designing, developing, managing, and implementing a diverse range of programs for international and national non-governmental organizations. Ms. Bradley is an accomplished proposal writer, effective capacity strengthening/training specialist, proficient researcher and strategic analyst. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and Marketing from Howard University in Washington, DC. She is currently pursuing a Master of International Public Policy at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. Queshia lends her time and expertise to numerous community organizations, whose missions range from adult workforce to youth development, immigration rights, supporting returning citizens, anti-war efforts, expanding political education in underserved African-American communities, to promoting international solidarity, and advancing the role of women of color working in peace, security and conflict transformation.
Pranab Chatterjee
Student Adjunct Fellow
Pranab is a global health epidemiologist and physician-scientist. He obtained his MD in Preventive Medicine from the University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, and holds a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, from the Royal College of Physicians, London. He is a PhD Student and graduate researcher in the Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. He has worked with non-profit as well as government research organizations, where his work focused on infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, vaccines, and One Health.
Sarah Otwey
Student Adjunct Fellow
Sarah Otwey is an undergraduate Public Health major at the University of Maryland, College Park with plans to graduate with her B.S. degree in Public Health. Currently, Sarah works alongside research faculty at the University with a research interest in antimicrobial processes and antibiotic resistance as a global threat. Sarah's passions derive from a varied lens, ranging from public policy to community and behavioral health with her current public health journey being focused on addressing community health challenges with an emphasis on current public health initiatives. With a dedicated passion for consistent learning and application of skills. With a learning background in lab techniques and research, alongside a beginner application of French.
Haneesh Venkata Sai Sigirisetty
Student Adjunct Fellow
Haneesh Venkata Sai Sigirisetty is a highly skilled professional with a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Johns Hopkins University. With a strong background in consulting, including roles at Beaver Health and Johns Hopkins Hospital, he has a proven track record of fostering partnerships and identifying key market opportunities. Haneesh has demonstrated leadership through his involvement with organizations like HPAIR HCONF'22 and the United Nations Volunteers. He is a recipient of the Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award and Global Youth Fellowship, and possesses a wide range of business skills and technical expertise.