New advances in science and technology should create, rather than inhibit, social and environmental good. Innovations in areas like citizen science, open data, and open source hardware can accelerate progress while creating opportunities for the public to be involved.

Leveraging her PhD from the University of Maryland’s iSchool, Anne takes a research through design approach to understanding opportunities for democratizing science and technology. For example, she leads the Wilson Center’s work on Earth Challenge 2020, which seeks to become the world’s largest coordinated citizen science campaign. The process of designing key Earth Challenge 2020 technologies, including a data standard, mobile application, and open data platform, can reveal broader insights about how citizen science and open data initiatives help solve local problems while contributing to national and global research and monitoring efforts.

Beyond citizen science, Anne is interested in elevating the value of open data, particularly through innovations in environmental monitoring like Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). Anne’s research also explores the importance of including democratic values in the design of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 5G.

Outside the Wilson Center, Anne is a Regional Facilitator for UN Environment North America, where she helps stakeholders including business and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide inputs to UN processes.