Dr. Josh Anderson
Director of the SCSG VIP
Dr. Josh T. L. Anderson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Arizona. Anderson’s work focuses on studying science communication from an ecological perspective by examining the ways that social systems reinforce or interrupt behaviors related to the production, dissemination and consumption of science information. His research contributes to theoretical development in Agenda Building and Social Identity scholarship. As a mixed methodologist, Anderson draws on a variety of research methodologies, including: survey and experimental methods, interview-based qualitative methods and computational methods such as time series and Granger causality modelling. Anderson has published work in Science Communication, the Journal of Science Communication, Digital Health and Journalism Studies. Before attaining a PhD in Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Texas at Austin, he attained a Masters’ degree in Life Sciences Communication (University of Wisconsin - Madison) and a Bachelors’ in Biology (University of Texas at Austin).
Dr. Yotam Shmargad
Co-Director of the SCSG VIP
Dr. Yotam Shmargad, Associate Professor at the School of Government and Public Policy, is a computational social scientist whose research focuses on understanding how digital platforms shape social and political life in the United States. He uses a mix of statistical and computational techniques, including social network analysis, online data collection, virtual experimentation, machine learning and econometric methods. His research speaks to questions about how social media dampen certain disparities while magnifying others, and how social media can both fuel political polarization and incivility as well as extinguish their flames. Shmargad’s work has appeared in the Journal of Politics, Political Communication, the Journal of Information Policy, the Journal of Political Marketing, the Journal of Interactive Marketing, PLOS One, Social Science Computer Review and the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, among other venues. Before joining the University of Arizona, Shmargad received his PhD in Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Laine Kowalski
Graduate Student Member
Laine Kowalski is a science journalist and communicator passionate about making complex science concepts clear, compelling and accessible to the public. Holding dual degrees in Astronomy (B.S.) and Journalism (B.A.) with a Physics minor from the University of Arizona, she is now pursuing an M.A. in Science Journalism. She works for the Office of Research and Partnerships authoring intricate research features and producing science-focused media content. Her experiences range from covering local science and astronomy news to cohosting a campus research podcast. She is the Spring 2025 recipient of the School of Journalism’s Excellence in Science and Environmental Journalism Award and is an active National Association of Science Writers (NASW) member. As part of the Science Communication for Social Good research team, Laine will work towards enhancing the effectiveness of science communications to reshape public understanding and trust in science and media. Her goal is to strengthen evidence-based communication practices, while ultimately bridging space sciences and storytelling to foster greater public engagement.
Anna Brandigi
Undergraduate Student Member
Anna Brandigi is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Arizona working toward their B.S. in Astronomy and Physics with a minor in Mathematics. Their research interests include radio astronomy, high energy astrophysics, and science outreach and education. They are currently working under Dr. Thomas Stuber as a Space Grant intern, where they assist in research on exozodiacal dust. They are also investigating dense gas in the Taurus Molecular Cloud as part of a radio astronomy research project led by Prof. Yancy Shirley at Steward Observatory.
Penny Duran
Undergraduate Student Member
Penny Duran is senior at the University of Arizona majoring in Physics with minors in German Studies and Professional & Technical Writing. Her research background is in experimental nuclear physics, and she has contributed data analysis and laser polarimeter alignment to experiments at Jefferson Lab in Newport News, Virginia. She has experience in science writing through her positions as a University of Arizona NASA Space Grant Science Writing Intern and a Student Staff Writer & Media Specialist for Postdoctoral Affairs. Her science communication work has mostly revolved around writing press releases and research highlights about research at the University of Arizona. Penny is interested in making complex scientific information more digestible for general audiences, and she is eager to study misinformation in science news. Outside of her research and science communication work, Penny dances for Golden Lotus, the University of Arizona’s fan dancing group, and volunteers with a student-run non-profit.
Ruth Garcia
Undergraduate Student Member
Ruth Garcia is a Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Arizona, pursuing a career in biotechnology and non-invasive medical solutions. She discovered her passion for this field while leading product design in a competitive business case, theorizing a medical device and contributing to a second-place team victory. Although early in her research journey, Ruth is dedicated to improving the quality of people’s lives.
Harshit Khatwani
Undergraduate Student Member
Harshit Khatwani is a Journalism and Global Studies major student at the University of Arizona. He is an international transfer student from India and was studying Journalism and Mass Communications. He has worked as a marketing and communications intern for Sonoran Institute. He has been engaged in several research projects like Asylum Project and research on the impact of climate change on the health of Khasi Indigenous people of India. Furthermore, he has presented a research paper at Society for Applied Anthropology (SFAA) focusing on the impact on livelihood of Nigerians due to Boko Haram and reasons for the failure of the Nigerian government to prevent their attacks. Additionally, he has worked as the Orientation Leader and Global Ambassador for the University of Arizona. He would like to pursue a career in the communications industry or political think tanks.
Siobhan Leavy
Undergraduate Student Member
Siobhan Leavy is an undergraduate fourth-year student working towards her B.S. in Astronomy and B.A. in East Asian Studies with an emphasis in Chinese language at the University of Arizona. She currently works with the MACAWS research team, which aims to build a Chinese Language Corpus to support language research. This summer, she traveled to Taiwan for a seven-week Chinese language study abroad program at Tunghai University. Although she has little prior involvement in Science Communication or Science Communication research, she is open to discussing and researching different disciplines that she can potentially connect to her majors. This semester, she aims to involve herself in Astronomy-based research, and in the future, she plans to apply to Astronomy or Physics graduate school programs in Taiwan.
Luke Meier
Undergraduate Student Member
Luke Meier is a sophomore at the University of Arizona majoring in Astronomy and Physics. He is currently engaged in research across the departments of Physics, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, and Journalism. In the 2025-2026 TIMESTEP Research Apprenticeship program, he is working in a team to improve models of interstellar dust maps in the Milky Way galaxy. In his role as a member of the Science Communication for Social Good VIP team, he brings an intellectually diverse background rooted in the natural sciences to bear on the methods of social science used to understand how science and scientific literacy interact with the public and politics. His goal with the project is to understand how to isolate specific barriers that prevent people and communities from engaging with science or from acting and voting in their own best interests with regards to science-related policies in areas like climate change and public health.
Cassandra Shortino
Undergraduate Student Member
Cassandra Shortino is an undergraduate Biology student at the University of Arizona whose work focuses on biomedical topics. As a former executive chef and restaurant owner, James Beard Award nominee and National Outdoor Leadership School graduate, she is recognized for her strong leadership and drive to connect innovation with social impact. Cassandra plans to attend law school, with a specialty in genetic biotechnology through studies in biomedical policy and intellectual property.
Lukas Swayne
Undergraduate Student Member