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Our Team

Director

Manfred Laubichler

Director
Global Futures Professor and President's Professor of Theoretical Biology and History of Biology. He is Director of Decision Theater, the School of Complex Adaptive Systems and the Global Biosocial Complexity Initiative at Arizona State University. His work focuses on evolutionary novelties from genomes to knowledge systems, the structure of evolutionary theory and the evolution of knowledge.

Team

Ashish Amresh

Research scientist
Research Scientist at the Center for Human, AI and Robot Teaming and the Decision Theater. Conducted research in the development of Serious Games and led the Computer Gaming initiatives at ASU.

Brandon Andrews

Systems analyst
Specializes in managing and maintaining essential computing and AV technology for the Decision Theater Network, and assists in researching and recommending new technologies to implement.

Tanya Bils

Data analyst
Specializes in spatial modeling, GIS, statistics, and geo-visual analysis to generate insight and understanding of complex socio-ecological systems.

Britnie Britton

Project coordinator
ASU Alumni, dual master's degree in Public Policy and Sustainability Solutions. My passion for research stems from environmental injustices impact on health risks for many vulnerable communities.

Melissa Cortazar

Project coordinator
Coordinates project details through meticulous planning and stakeholder collaboration to ensure optimal team effectiveness and organizational efficiency.

Nicole Cox

Senior coordinator
Specializes in the grant-writing process for federal, state, charitable, and industry partnerships and assists in the development, review, and management of research proposals for Decision Theater.

DeAnn Fedyski

Program manager
Over 35 years of experience in program and project management, executive leadership of non-profit organizations, as well as convention and meeting planning. Operations minded and results-oriented.

Jessica Fernandez

Manager of strategic partnerships
Connects people, projects, and ideas through practical growth of complex partnerships with an emphasis on multi-level relationship advancement. Specializes in transdisciplinary CO2 removal and storage efforts.

Ramesh Gorantla

Research software and DevOps lead
Works with researchers and stakeholders involved in complex social systems to engineer user-friendly applications that integrate computational modeling and big data analytics for real world problems.

Ana Hernandez

Interaction designer
Specializes in building data visualizations and designs user interfaces for Decision Theater decision- support models. Also creates visual graphics for proposals, print, web, and marketing materials.

Natalie Johnson

Project coordinator
Coordinates project organization through effective communication and detailed planning, and facilitates stakeholder engagement to translate decision science into action.

Ishrat Lallmamode

Associate UX designer
Designs interactive solutions for researchers and stakeholders. Also explores future design and media relationships to enhance further visualizations.

Rui Li

Assistant research scientist, data scientist
Rui Li, an Associate Research Professional at Decision Theater, specializes in conducting simulations and analyses to explore the resilience and vulnerability of social, environmental, and technological systems.

Mary Martiniak

Administrative specialist
Specializes in administrative support, ensuring the office is organized and running smoothly. Assists with coordinating calendars, events and meetings. A welcoming presence at the DT front desk.

Victoria McDonald

Product manager
Leads rapid data visualization unit, provides contextual and background research to frame useful decision-support tools, and services as a liaison between subject matter and the software team.

Siddharth Mehta

Senior software engineer
Specializes in developing robust and scalable systems that seamlessly integrate extensive datasets, geospatial insights, computational modeling, and big data analytics into dynamic web applications.

Pranathi Pantham

Software development lead
Passionate Software Engineer, who loves to apply innovative software solutions to complex real-world requirements.

Holly Smith

Communications specialist
Develops communications material to share the technical and social impacts of Decision Theater initiatives.

Sean Snitzer

Systems analyst principal
Sean has over 25 years in Higher Education technology systems design and support. Sean helps research and oversee the technology & AV systems for Decision Theater Network.

Erzhena Soktoeva

UX design lead
Designs interactive web applications with and for scientists and policymakers to help solve complex problems.

Kayleigh Steele

Research analyst assistant
Specializes in creating interactive data visualization dashboards for public audiences. Also assists with project coordination in multi-stakeholder projects.

Vipin Verma

Assistant research scientist
Assistant Research Scientist at the Global Futures Laboratory at ASU. Develops serious games and software applications for research at ASU.

Jieshu Wang

AI postdoctoral scholar
Engages in interdisciplinary research, employing data-driven approaches to delve into the societal impact of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly on invention and innovation.

Fangwu Wei

Associate research scientist, senior data scientist
Conducts research work by employing machine learning, statistical analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis, data visualization, and prototype development.