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.
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.
Liat Kugelmass
Senior 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.
Peyton Newsome
Senior 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
Senior 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.
Daniela Baeza Breinbauer
Adjunct Senior Fellow
Ms. Daniela Baeza Breinbauer is a Project Manager and Researcher at the LSE where she leads the Food Systems and Security Hub (FSSH) and oversees projects in the fields of Food Security; Environmental Economics; Development Economics; and Human Rights. By training, she is a Development and Environmental Economist with a background in Human Rights and Science Policy. She has previously consulted for a variety of government and non-government institutions. Some of her recent work includes evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to strengthen rural governance for food security on behalf of Welthungerhilfe, investigating zoonotic disease risks of livestock farming practices for the European Parliament, exploring sustainable food consumption choices for WWF, and assessing the food security implications of trade negotiations between the EU and Mercosur for the European Commission. She holds an M.Sc. in International Development Management (Applied Development Economics Specialism) from the LSE, an M.Sc. in Environmental Economics from the LSE, and an Advanced Diploma in Agriculture and Farming Systems from Capel Manor. She is also a current PhD candidate in Environmental Economics at LSE’s Grantham Research Institute where she is using Bayesian Machine Learning techniques to develop an early warning system focused on the food security consequences of climate risks across East Africa.
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).
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.