Dr. Liliana Losada Awarded Prestigious AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship

Dr. Liliana Losada, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Biology at Trinity, has received a highly prestigious Science and Technology Fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was selected through a competitive application process.

The Science and Technology Fellowship program that Losada will participate in next year has two major goals: to get scientists and engineers involved in policymaking and to make policymakers more knowledgeable about scientific issues. Losada will work in the area of bioterrorism. Reflecting on why she sought this fellowship, Losada said: “I have explicit expertise in new and upcoming high-throughput methods for detection and identification of microorganisms, but more importantly, I have a very strong commitment to social justice and equal representation of all individuals in our preparedness and intelligence plans. I felt that I could contribute in many ways to the federal and local bio-defense policy.”  She added, “I owe this success in great part to my experiences at Trinity, and as such, I see this as an occasion for all of us to celebrate.”

Losada will be on leave from Trinity during the 2009-10 academic year to participate in the fellowship program in one of the relevant federal agencies — Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, or the FBI.  

“Please join me in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Losada on this wonderful achievement,” said President Patricia McGuire. “We are recruiting additional faculty for biology, so I wish to assure students and faculty that in her absence we will still have a strong team in Trinity’s biology program.  Equally important, Dr. Losada’s fellowship year will give Trinity’s biology program great visibility in the federal science policy arena, and we have every expectation that this opportunity will open new avenues for Trinity students and faculty in the future.  In particular, her work in bioterrorism and biodefense will be a tremendous addition to Trinity’s growing range of expertise in security and intelligence studies, and it’s a great step forward to bring our science programs into that arena.”

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world’s largest general scientific society, operating since 1848 and serving 262 affiliated scientific organizations around the world.   AAAS publishes the esteemed journal Science.   Read more about AAAS on the society’s website.

Dr. Liliana Losada (left) with a Trinity student

Dr. Liliana Losada (left) with a Trinity student

AAAS

AAAS Science & Technology Fellowships

Clare Boothe Luce Program

Biology Program at Trinity