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Fall 2024 Bulletin: Annual Report

Science, Engineering & Technology

People in hard hats and construction vests pass sandbags down a line through a flooded agricultural field.
Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Ƶ’s record of distinction in Science, Engineering, and Technology dates to its founding mission “to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.” Rather than generate new scientific research, the role of the Ƶ has been uniquely interdisciplinary, bridging the social sciences and arts with the physical sciences to support a national understanding, belief, and trust in science and discovery. Perhaps no better example of this can be found than in the mid-1800s when the Ƶ hosted hotly contested debates about a new scientific theory–the theory of evolution.

Ƶ projects in Science, Engineering, and Technology seek to strengthen the capacity of science and engineering to improve the human condition. This goal has never been more important for the nation or for the world than it is today. Global challenges increasingly require collaboration across disciplinary, professional, and national boundaries. Likewise, rapid advances in information processing and transmission raise new issues for the management of scientific knowledge and for action on new discoveries. 
 

Advisory Committee
 

Robert F. Higgins, Cochair 
Causeway Media Partners

Shirley Tilghman, Cochair 
Princeton University 

Maya Ajmera 
Science News

Ken Alder 
Northwestern University

Nancy C. Andrews 
Boston Children’s Hospital

Juan Enriquez 
Excel Venture Management

Efi Foufoula-Georgiou 
University of California, Irvine 

Fred H. Gage 
Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Paula A. Johnson 
Wellesley College

James M. Manyika 
Google

David W. Oxtoby 
American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences

Joe Palca 
formerly, National Public Radio

Mercedes Pascual 
University of Chicago

Peter L. Slavin 
Massachusetts General Hospital
 

Advisory Committee Meetings
 

August 23, 2023; 
December 6, 2023; 
March 28, 2024; 
August 14, 2024; 
November 13, 2024

Project

Commission on Accelerating Climate Action
 

A manmade cement breakwater partially covered by water sits amid a rocky shore in the foreground. Red and gray machinery can be seen floating in the ocean in the background.
Photo by SCAPE.

The scientific consensus is clear: climate change is upon us, and its impacts will be devastating and increasingly difficult to prevent and address if we do not take action now. While most Americans express support for a broad array of climate policies and government action, a continued partisan divide has impeded the United States’ efforts to craft a long-term plan for climate action. Recent legislative successes have begun to create momentum for change, yet the country still lacks a broad and politically durable coalition to ensure that progress does not stall. To address this challenge facing our global society, the Ƶ launched a project on climate action in September 2021.

Unlike other climate change studies, the Commission on Accelerating Climate Action did not produce or analyze climate science data, nor limit its recommendations to certain disciplines or economic sectors. Rather, the Commission leveraged the full toolkit of its broad membership to reveal unique and creative interdisciplinary solutions: novel, specific, targeted actions that, if taken, would dramatically alter the trajectory of U.S. action on climate change.

In fall 2023, the Commission published its recommendations in a consensus final report, Forging Climate Solutions: How to Accelerate Action Across America. The report offers five strategies and twenty-one recommendations for forging a climate blueprint and articulates how a whole-of-society commitment can emerge. These include prioritizing equity, fairness, and justice in climate action; engaging and educating; mobilizing investments; deploying strategic mitigation; and ensuring adaptation everywhere. Together, the strategies and recommendations detail how the private sector, frontline communities, government, and environmental groups convene to build infrastructure, reduce emissions, and prepare for the impacts of climate change, with justice as a guiding philosophy. The Commission’s report outreach has prioritized reaching new audiences through briefings and presentations to share the whole-of-society approach.
 

COMMISSION CHAIRS
 

Mustafa Santiago Ali 
National Wildlife Federation; Revitalization Strategies

Christopher Field 
Stanford University

David G. Victor 
University of California, San Diego

Patricia Vincent-Collawn 
PNM Resources
 

COMMISSION MEMBERS
 

Benjamin Backer 
American Conservation Coalition

Phyllis L. Bayer 
Dumbarton Strategies, LLC

Mitchell Bernard 
Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

Philip Bredesen
State of Tennessee; Silicon Ranch

Patricia Cochran 
Alaska Native Science Commission

Ertharin Cousin 
Food Systems for the Future

Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar 
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

L. Kealoha Fox 
Institute for Climate & Peace

Tim Guinee 
Climate Actors

Rebecca Henderson 
Harvard University

Mitchell C. Hescox 
Evangelical Environmental Network

Charles O. Holliday, Jr. 
Mission Possible Partnership

Russel L. Honoré 
Joint Task Force Katrina, Leadership, Safety & Global Preparedness Authority

Bob Inglis 
republicEn.org

Kathleen Hall Jamieson 
University of Pennsylvania

Alexander Karsner 
X (Alphabet Inc.)

Elizabeth Kolbert 
The New Yorker

John Paul Mejia 
Sunrise Movement

Katherine Orff 
SCAPE

David W. Oxtoby 
American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences

Gary Roughead 
Hoover Institution

Linda Rudolph 
Public Health Institute; Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health

Roger Sant 
The Summit Foundation

J. Marshall Shepherd 
University of Georgia

Doreen Stabinsky 
College of the Atlantic

Hilary Tompkins 
Hogan Lovells

Elke Weber 
Princeton University
 

PROJECT STAFF
 

Carson Bullock 
Hellman and Simons Fellow in Science and Technology Policy

Kate Carter 
Senior Program Officer for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Peter Robinson 
Chief Program Officer 

Jennifer Smith 
Program Associate for Science, Engineering, and Technology
 

FORMER PROJECT STAFF
 

Sophia Charan 
Hellman Fellow for Science and Technology Policy

Leo Curran 
John E. Bryson Program Director for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Islam Qasem 
John E. Bryson Program Director for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Kelsey Schuch 
Hellman Fellow for Science and Technology Policy 

Rebecca Tiernan 
Program Associate for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Amanda Vernon 
Program Officer for Science, Engineering, and Technology
 

FUNDERS
 

John E. Bryson and Louise Henry Bryson

Hansjörg Wyss

Bob Higgins

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment

The David and Ellen Lee Family Foundation

William and Helen Pounds

Roger Sant and Doris Matsui

 

Commission Publications
 

Forging Climate Solutions: How to Accelerate Action Across America (American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences, 2023)

Proven Principles of Effective Climate Change Communication (American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences, 2023)

Climate Change Security Risks and Opportunities (American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences, 2023)

Barriers to Private Sector Action (American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences, 2023)

 

Commission Meetings
 

Report Launch: Forging Climate Solutions: How to Accelerate Action Across America

October 24, 2023 
Washington, D.C. 

To celebrate the release of Forging Climate Solutions: How to Accelerate Action Across America, Laura Helmuth (Scientific American) moderated a panel discussion with the Commission’s cochairs. The event offered a unique opportunity for the cochairs to reflect on their time working with a diverse group of climate experts and discuss a whole-of-society plan to combat the climate crisis. The event also marked the beginning of the Commission’s outreach phase with government, industry, and nonprofit organizations.

A view from the aisle of the commission cochairs addressing the audience at the launch event to promote Forging Climate Solutions.
Moderator Laura Helmuth (Scientific American), on the far left, in conversation with the Climate Commission cochairs (from left to right) Mustafa Santiago Ali, Christopher Field, David Victor, and Patricia Vincent-Collawn. Photo by Noah Willman.

 

Meeting with Environmental Organizations

October 24, 2023 
Washington, D.C.

Commission members gathered with representatives from environmental nongovernmental organizations, a foundational set of stakeholders in the climate movement. The attendees discussed the Commission’s final report, Forging Climate Solutions.

 

American Geophysical Union Conference

December 12, 2023 
San Fransico, CA

Commission cochair Christopher Field and Leo Curran, John E. Bryson Program Director for Science, Engineering, and Technology, presented the Commission’s final report at the annual American Geophysical Union conference. The participants included climate change experts from academia, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and government.

 

Alaska Forum on the Environment

February 5–9, 2024 
Anchorage, AK

Commission cochair Mustafa Santiago Ali and Commission member Patricia Cochran spoke about the work of the Commission at the Alaska Forum on the Environment, the largest environmental conference in Alaska.

 

Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health Annual Meeting

February 11–12, 2024 
Washington, D.C.

Commission cochair Mustafa Santiago Ali and Commission member Linda Rudolph spoke at the annual meeting of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health. 

Mustafa Santiago Ali addresses a seated audience.
Commission cochair Mustafa Santiago Ali giving a keynote presentation at the annual meeting of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health. Photo courtesy of the Medical Society Consortium.

 

Inspiring Collective Climate Action in California and Beyond

February 13, 2024 
San Diego, CA 

Commission cochair David Victor spoke about the recommendations and final report at a meeting of local Ƶ members in San Diego, CA.

 

Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

February 15–17, 2024 
Denver, CO

At the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, members of the Ƶ staff and Commission member L. Kealoha Fox hosted a consensus-building workshop that used the Commission’s final report as an example of how to manage consensus across diverse groups.

Carson Bullock, L. Kealoha Fox, and Leo Curran stand together in front of a table of colorful publications.
Ƶ staff Carson Bullock (left) and Leo Curran (right) with Commission member L. Kealoha Fox at a booth at the AAAS Annual Meeting. Photo by Kelsey Schuch.

 

Accelerating Climate Action Across America

March 18, 2024 
Rice University, Houston, TX

At a panel discussion hosted by Rice University and the Ƶ’s Houston Program Committee, Commission cochairs Christopher Field and Patricia Vincent-Collawn, Ƶ President David Oxtoby, and member Robert Bullard discussed how to achieve ambitious and durable action on climate change. Ƶ member and Rice President Reginald DesRoches opened the program. 

Patricia Vincent-Collawn, Christopher Field, Robert Bullard, and David Oxtoby, seated in chairs next to one another, address an audience not pictured.
Patricia Vincent-Collawn, Christopher Field, Robert Bullard, and David Oxtoby at a program at Rice University on Accelerating Climate Action Across America. Photo by Jeff Fitlow.

 

Panel at CERAWeek 2024 Conference

March 19, 2024 
Houston, TX

As part of the CERAWeek 2024 Conference, Commission cochair David Victor moderated a panel discussion with his fellow cochairs Mustafa Santiago Ali, Christopher Field, and Patricia Vincent-Collawn and with Julien Perez, Strategy and Policy Vice President at the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative. 

David Victor, Patricia Vincent-Collawn, Christopher Field, Mustafa Santiago Ali, and Julien Perez are seated on stage and face an audience, which is seated at round tables. The backdrop behind the panelists reads “CERAWeek by S&P Global.”
David Victor (far left) moderates a panel discussion with Patricia Vincent-Collawn, Christopher Field, Mustafa Santiago Ali, and Julien Perez at the CERAWeek conference. Photo by Leo Curran.

 

Climate Conversation: Pathways to Action–Environmental Justice

April 26, 2024 
Virtual

The Ƶ cohosted a seminar on environmental justice as part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s monthly webinar series. The seminar featured the work of Commission member Hilary C. Tompkins.

 

Integrating Environmental Justice and Philanthropy: Lessons and Opportunities

May 24, 2024 
Virtual

The Commission organized a virtual panel discussion to connect environmental justice organizations nationwide with grantmakers who fund justice-focused climate action. The five-person panel, moderated by Commission cochair Mustafa Santiago Ali, discussed how a justice-centered approach to grantmaking addresses the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities and enhances the effectiveness and long-term impact of philanthropic investments. 

Project

Mental Health in the Modern World
 

A person sitting in a field with their arms around a dog on their right and a robot on their left.
Photo by iStock.com/miriam-doerr.

America is suffering a mental health crisis, with up to 40 percent of Americans now living with a chronic mental health disorder. An ongoing provider shortage and poor insurance coverage mean that less than half receive treatment–and the rates are even lower for minority populations and those living in rural areas. Recognizing the significant physical, emotional, and societal consequences of untreated mental disorders, especially among youth and historically underrepresented populations, it is a high priority to understand the causes and find solutions to this epidemic. 

Technology may be both mental health’s savior–and its downfall. Americans on average spend six hours a day consuming digital media, which has mixed effects of connecting communities and empowering the disenfranchised, while also increasing loneliness and creating powerful addictions. Technology can improve diagnosis and treatment through AI-assisted psychotherapy, virtual reality exposure therapy, and behavioral tracking to identify mental distress. With 92 percent of Americans owning a smartphone, building access and increasing equity in health care is possible if significant concerns about coverage and privacy are addressed.

While many studies examine how social media impacts the mental health of children and young adults, these investigations cannot keep pace with the rate of technological change. It is important to acknowledge the significant societal changes that are already taking place. Systems in health care, education, and policy need tools and guardrails to support innovation and protect the most vulnerable groups in society.

The project on Mental Health in the Modern World will leverage the Ƶ’s power to convene interdisciplinary groups to help identify key policy priorities that will advance the understanding and application of emerging technologies in mental health. 
 

PROJECT CHAIRS
 

Paul Dagum 
Applied Cognition

Sherry Glied 
New York University

Alan Leshner 
American Association for the Advancement of Science (Emeritus)
 

Steering COMMITTEE Members
 

Daniel Barron 
Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Marian Croak 
Google

Alison Darcy 
WoeBot

Holly DuBois 
Avail Telemedicine

Henry T. Greely
Stanford University

Eric Horvitz 
Microsoft

Kacie Kelly 
Meadows Institute

Arthur Kleinman 
Harvard University

Jaron Lanier 
Microsoft

Robert Levenson 
University of California, Berkeley

Peter Slavin 
Massachusetts General Hospital

Sherry Turkle 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
 

PROJECT STAFF
 

Carson Bullock 
Hellman and Simons Fellow in Science and Technology Policy

Kate Carter 
Senior Program Officer for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Peter Robinson 
Chief Program Officer

Jennifer Smith 
Program Associate for Science, Engineering, and Technology

 

Project Meetings
 

Kick-off Meeting

June 25, 2024 
House of the Ƶ, Cambridge, MA

Project cochairs Sherry Glied, Alan Leshner, and Paul Dagum met with members of the steering committee to discuss the vision and scope for the project.

A group of individuals, in business attire, stand together and look at the viewer.
Left to right: Kate Carter, Daniel Barron, Sherry Glied, Sherry Turkle, Kacie Kelly, David Oxtoby, Peter Robinson, Peter Slavin, Alan Leshner, and Carson Bullock. Photo by Jen Smith.

 

Virtual Steering Committee Meeting

August 12, 2024

Steering Committee members gathered virtually to discuss a workplan for equitable access to effective emerging technology in mental health. The participants discussed a variety of topics related to regulation and societal impacts.

 

Other Virtual Steering Committee Meetings

October 7, 2024; November 4, 2024; December 9, 2024

Exploratory Meeting 

Mental Health & AI 

March 11–12, 2024 
House of the Ƶ, Cambridge, MA

The Ƶ convened an exploratory meeting on the risks and opportunities that artificial intelligence poses for measurement, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of serious mental illness. The interdisciplinary group of participants discussed themes such as access, equity, ethics, and appropriate regulation. 
 

MEETING CHAIRS
 

Paul Dagum 
Applied Cognition

Alan Leshner 
American Association for the Advancement of Science (Emeritus)
 

PROJECT STAFF
 

Carson Bullock
Program Associate for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Kate Carter
Senior Program Officer for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Leo Curran
John E. Bryson Program Director for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Peter Robinson
Chief Program Officer

Kelsey Schuch
Hellman Fellow for Science and Technology Policy 

Jennifer Smith
Program Coordinator for Science, Engineering, and Technology
 

FUNDER
 

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation 

Alan Leshner and Paul Dagan stand together and smile at the viewer.
Alan Leshner and Paul Dagum, cochairs of the exploratory meeting on Mental Health & AI. Photo by Martha Stewart Photography.

Cross-Program Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee

Working across the established program areas, the AI Advisory Committee advises the Ƶ on proposed events, projects, and publications related to AI. The committee helps determine optimal ways for the Ƶ to engage members and outside experts to develop AI-related policy recommendations for government, academia, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector.
 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE
 

Anita LaFrance Allen, Chair
University of Pennsylvania Law School 

Marian Croak
Google

Xuedong Huang
Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

Tshilidzi Marwala
United Nations University

Alondra Nelson
Institute for Advanced Study

David W. Oxtoby
American Ƶ of Arts and Sciences 

Nathaniel Persily
Stanford Law School

Sherry Turkle
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jeannette M. Wing
Columbia University

 

AI Advisory Committee Meetings
 

January 16, 2024; 
June 17, 2024; 
October 16, 2024

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