Forum Network

Bret Easton Ellis is the author of five previous novels including, *Less Than Zero*, *The Rules of Attraction*, *American Psycho*, *Glamorama*, and *Lunar Park*, and a collection of stories, *The Informers*. His works have been translated into twenty-seven languages. *Less Than Zero*, *The Rules of Attraction*, A*merican Psycho*, and *The Informers* have all been made into films. He divides his time between Los Angeles and New York City.

Kemal Derviş is vice president and director of Global Economy and Development. Formerly head of the United Nations Development Programme, he focuses on global economics, emerging markets, development and international institutions.

David McCabe is the Coordinator of the Teacher Preparation Program and Assistatn Professor of Education at Pasadena City College.

Matthew W. Powner, PhD, is an organic and biological chemist and research fellow at the Harvard Medical School, working on the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative Since 2009, Dr. Powner has worked with Nobel laureate Prof. J. W. Szostak in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.

Laura Eldridge is a women’s health writer and activist living in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of *The No-Nonsense Guide to Menopause* and the co-editor of *Body Politic: Dispatches from the Women's Health Revolution*.

Fredrik Stanton, former president of the *Columbia Daily Spectator*, has written for the *Boston Herald* and the United Nations’s *A Global Agenda*. He was an election monitor in Armenia, Republic of Georgia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Azerbaijan.

John Seiradakis is a radioastronomer and professor in the Department of Physics in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. After taking his first degree in Athens, he went to the Victoria University of Manchester in the UK where he completed his MSc and PhD. His main research interests are in Neutron Stars (Pulsar searches – Emission mechanisms – High frequency radio observations – High frequency polarization – Interstellar medium investigations), Flare Stars (UBV Optical Observations – Flare monitoring – Studies of the atmospheric activity of Flare Stars and RS CVn stars) and The Centre of our Galaxy (High frequency radio maps – Polarization – Modeling of radio observations). With nearly 90 publications to his credit, he is very active both in research, teaching and the promotion of astronomy. His publications include 44 papers in journals as well as educational books and conference proceedings. In addition to chairing many committees at his university and representing Greece on numerous European and international organizations, he has served as both Secretary and President of the Hellenic Astronomical Society.

Tom Malzbender is a senior research scientist in the Multimedia Communications and Networking Lab within Hewlett-Packard Laboratories. Much of his work has taken place at the intersection of interactive 3D computer graphics, computer vision and signal processing.

Kim Severson has been a staff writer for* The New York Times* since 2004. Previously, she spent six years writing about cooking and the culture of food for the *San Francisco Chronicle*. Before that, she had a seven-year stint as an editor and reporter at *The Anchorage Daily News* in Alaska. She has also covered crime, education, social services and government for daily newspapers on the West Coast. She has won several regional and national awards for news and feature writing, including the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for her work on childhood obesity in 2002 and four James Beard awards for food writing. Her previous books include *The New Alaska Cookbook* and *The Trans Fat Solution: Cooking and Shopping to Eliminate the Deadliest Fat from Your Diet*.

Cary S. Burgess, CPP, Senior Vice President of Operations, has been a leader at Zoo Atlanta for over 20 years. Prior to joining the zoo staff as Operations Manager in May 1988, Cary served as Director of Transportation and Parking Operations and Special Events Logistical and Operations Coordinator for Friends of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. At Zoo Atlanta, Cary oversees all aspects of the logistical planning and management of the Zoo’s Operations and Guest Services functions. In his role as Senior Vice President, Cary has led numerous initiatives improving net revenue, and the quality of guest services and the overall visitor experience. He continues to be instrumental in providing a safe, clean and friendly environment for all zoo visitors and staff. Cary serves as the Chair of the Diversity Committee, and the Immediate past Chair of the Business Operations Committee, both of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. He is also a Certified Protection Professional with the American Society for Industrial Security, ASIS, and is the Immediate past Chair of the Cultural Properties Protection Organization of Georgia. Cary is also an advisor to the American Association of Museum’s (AAM) Diversity Counsel, and a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, IAAPA A lifelong supporter of wildlife with over 28 years spent in the zoo community, Cary has led zoo-sponsored photographic adventures to Kenya/Tanzania, and Antarctica. Cary is an avid sports fan who knows his way around a tennis court.