Aaron Levine, associate professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy, was recently named a 2019-2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Alan I. Leshner Leadership Institute Public Engagement Fellow.

Along with nine other scientists and engineers, Levine was chosen for having demonstrated leadership and excellence in his research career as well as an interest in promoting meaningful dialogue between science and society.

“I hope my efforts will help encourage evidence-based policymaking for ethically contentious new biomedical technologies,” Levine says.

The incoming AAAS Leshner Fellows will focus on human augmentation, which studies technologies that attempt to temporarily or permanently change the capabilities of the human body. Their work varies widely, from assistive technologies and wearable sensors to tattooing and antibiotics. 

The AAAS Leshner Fellows will meet in June 2019 at AAAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. for a week of intensive public engagement and science communication training, networking, and public engagement plan development. In the following year, the fellows will use these tools and networks to increase the impact of their engagement activities and their capacity for public engagement leadership. AAAS staff provide ongoing support and continuing professional development throughout their fellowship year.

The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.