Voting closed on Monday, July 14th, at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
Vote for up to four candidates
Dana Powell
My interest in joining 4S Council is to help elevate organizational capacity for meaningful impact in regional and transnational STS. As a US citizen scholar based in Taiwan, active in Taiwan STS locally and 4S globally, and with professional relations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, I can serve as a connector and amplifier across sites of scholarship and practice. I bring: 3 decades of skills as an organizer and 2 decades as a scholar in environmental, feminist, and Indigenous STS concerns, with empirically grounded, collaborative projects in in Navajo Nation, North Carolina, and Taiwan; leadership roles in my home discipline of anthropology; institutional resources in my current position in a leading medical university in Asia; and skills in collaborative and convergence research. Having worked in several institutions in the USA (UNC-Chapel Hill, Appalachian State, Cornell) and two very different institutions in Taiwan (National DongHwa University and Taipei Medical University) enables me to draw upon different kinds of organizational knowledges to help ignite new forms of doing STS. Likewise, my long-time commitment to collaboration with community-based researchers and intellectuals enlarges my epistemic and organizing scope, as I have learned immensely from capacity-building outside the university.
As a senior scholar in the Graduate Institute of Medical Humanities at Taipei Medical University, I serve as a bridge between the US and Taiwan specifically, especially within environmental, biomedical, and Indigenous Studies communities. I bring a demonstrated commitment to building opportunities for junior scholars of diverse backgrounds. In Taiwan, I mentor graduate students from around the world who are emerging as the next generation of scholar-clinicians and scholar-activists in a wide domain of practice. I am committed to cultivating their leadership within Taiwan and for their respective places of origin, extending 4S’s networks for transnational work as well as for the place-based, regional associations that will be invigorated by this kind of engaged mentorship.
As an anthropological political ecologist, I study and teach about resource extraction, land-relations, and lived experiences of “transition” projects in rural, predominantly Indigenous territories, with methodologies designed around collaborative, convergent, and decolonial research. I also attend to questions of gender, the body, and disaster. I examine the afterlives of energy infrastructures especially in places where these projects pose critical impacts for land rights, environmental governance and environmental health. I have experience forming long-lasting partnerships with tribal and social/environmental justice movements who are responding to environmental policies’ emergent “landscapes of power” that push new problems for environmental governance, sovereignty, and shifting meanings of human-environment relations. During my term at Appalachian State, I built the environmental anthropology program and co-founded the Eastern NC Environmental Justice Co-Lab with community-based partners and interdisciplinary scholars; in Taiwan, I have taken the Co-Lab methodology to form a new research team, the Co-Lab for Environmental Health Equity and Renewal, foregrounding Indigenous junior scholars.
Emily Wanderer
I am an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh. My research and teaching interests in STS focus on the environment, health, technology, and non-human animals. My work has been published in Science, Technology, and Human Values, BioSocieties, Medical Anthropology Quarterly, and Cultural Anthropology.
My current research, supported by funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Wenner-Gren Foundation, examines the datafication of wildlife. Over the past few decades, scientists have developed an ever-expanding network of technology for tracking and monitoring wildlife. This network includes animal-borne tags, autonomous recording devices, and other sensors, as well as machine learning and AI tools. My research examines how these tools have changed the way animal life is tracked, quantified, and understood and the broader impact of datafication and AI on conservation, animal management practices, and ecology as a science. Through ethnographic research, I consider how AI and other emerging technologies are reformatting human relationships with animals. Implicit in tech for conservation initiatives is often the idea of a better Anthropocene for non-humans, one in which the human impact on the world is used to improve ecological systems. While the Anthropocene represents an unintended and unplanned transformation of ecosystems and lives, this project considers how a better Anthropocene calls for the cultivation of even animals categorized as “wild.”
My first book, The Life of a Pest: An Ethnography of Biological Invasion in Mexico (California, 2020) is on the politics of nature in Mexico. In it I examine biopolitics and biosecurity beyond the human, analyzing how scientists studying ecosystems, agriculture, and infectious disease thought about and manage the relationships between humans and nonhuman life forms. The Life of a Pest was a finalist for the 2022 Rachel Carson Prize.
Throughout my career, I have been an active member of 4S and I have benefited significantly from engaging with the society. I have served on several 4S committees, including the committee for the 2025 Rachel Carson book prize, and the committee for the 2024 David Edge Prize for outstanding peer-reviewed article or book chapter in STS. As a committee member for these prizes, I have had the privilege of reading a great deal of cutting-edge scholarship and working collaboratively with other 4S members. I have also organized 4S panels and participated in many annual meetings. These experiences have reinforced for me the breadth and range of STS scholarship, a strength of our discipline and one of the things that keeps 4S an exciting and engaging organization. In addition, I have contributed to Science, Technology, and Human Values, both as the author of a recent piece on non-human facial recognition and as a frequent reviewer. As a 4S council member, I hope to continue the society’s work in supporting engaged STS scholarship, and to focus on supporting and developing opportunities for students and early career researchers.
Grant Jun Otsuki
4S is the most important international organization that STS scholars have for building collegial relationships, furthering critical scholarship on technoscience, and supporting the careers of students. 4S’s role will grow and change as the shifting conditions of academic research worldwide place myriad constraints on our scholarly activities. In this context, one the most important duties that academics have, particularly those with the privilege of stable positions, is to maintain and improve the infrastructures that make our work possible. I believe my experiences, accumulated across four countries where I have studied and worked, will make me an effective member of 4S Council during this time.
I am currently an associate professor in cultural anthropology at the University of Tokyo, with a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Toronto, and an M.S. in STS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. I previously held positions at Victoria University of Wellington (Aotearoa New Zealand) and the University of Tsukuba. My primary research area is the anthropology and history of human-technology relations with a focus on Japan (https://www.gjotsuki.net/).
Students are the most important members of 4S. The society would not last long without their passion and energy. Beginning with my service as the Graduate Student Representative for the Society for Cultural Anthropology, I have organized mentorship workshops and served as a mentor, and I actively seek out students’ thoughts in any work that I do. I will support 6S to create opportunities for students to thrive.
As co-chair of the 2023 4S meeting in Honolulu, we faced a question that 4S needs to answer every year. How will 4S organize conferences in ways that recognize its responsibilities to its diverse membership, its host communities, and the planet? I believe that an in-person meeting is essential, but this is just one part of the answer. Building on what the Council has already achieved, I will work so that our events continue to be attentive to the specificities of the places we choose to gather, and to the needs of those who gather.
As a member of the Editorial Collective of Engaging Science, Technology, and Society, I have collaborated with colleagues passionate about building good infrastructures for fostering transnational STS, open scholarship, and the development of STS pedagogies. Good infrastructures are essential for a sustainable publication ecosystem, which includes all the journals associated with 4S. I intend to work on council in collaboration with its journals’ editors to support this ecosystem.
Through my past involvement in 4S activities, I am keenly aware of how interconnected each of these things are. Our publications and conferences are not just venues for knowledge dissemination or opportunities for collaboration and exchange, but parts of a whole linked through people, policies, histories, and financial concerns. My blend of experiences will make me an effective member of 4S Council, and it would be a true privilege to have this opportunity to learn and grow as a scholar. I humbly ask for your support.
Martin Perez Comisso
It is with deep enthusiasm and commitment that I submit my candidacy for the 4S Council. My academic and personal journey across Latin America, the United States, and international STS communities for more than a decade has been animated by a conviction: that the future of Science and Technology Studies lies in global collaboration, epistemic plurality, and a sustained commitment to public action. As a researcher, educator, and organizer, I have sought to build inclusive spaces for dialogue, education, and transformation—values I will bring to the Council.
I am currently based at the Universidad de Chile as Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Initiative in the School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. I also serve as President of the Board of Wikimedia Chile until April 2026. I completed my Ph.D. at Arizona State University’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society, with a dissertation on Latin American Futurism/s that explored how communities in the region craft alternative visions of technology. This work continues through my involvement in projects such as ERASMUS+ Nanomer (with partner institutions in Latin America and the European Union), national science-policy interface projects, and education initiatives focused on sociotechnical awareness and responsible innovation.
My service to the STS community has been sustained and multifaceted for over a decade. I have organized and led conferences such as the XI Encuentro de Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad in Chile (CTS-Chile) and co-chaired sessions at 4S since 2017, where I have also been an awardee (Making and Doing 2017). I curated the 4S Making & Doing Committee in 2022 and currently serve on the 4S Scientific Committee for 2025. I have also participated actively in the 4S mentorship program. I have worked to bridge STS communities across languages and geographies, co-editing bilingual essays, fostering Latin American STS collaborations, and creating collaborative pedagogical experiences across hemispheres.
As a council member, I would bring an enduring commitment to community building, public engagement, and epistemic justice. At times when our peers face uncertainty and adversity, I see the Society not only as a scholarly institution but as a platform for plural and responsible futures-making. We must continue efforts that amplify voices from the margins—geographic, linguistic, disciplinary, and otherwise—and to promote the value of the transformative research of STS scholars around the world. With my previous experience in citizen science, digital knowledge platforms, and cross-sectoral policy advising, I aim to contribute to initiatives that strengthen STS’s civic and democratic relevance from the Council.
The 4S Council is uniquely positioned to shape global conversations about technology, science, and social change. If elected, I will work to deepen the Society’s ties with international communities; support open, public, and multimodal knowledge production; and promote critical pedagogy as a central pillar of STS practice. The technological, political, and environmental transitions that the world is experiencing can be found in our Society spaces to make sense of our complex world, co-producing sense together. I am particularly invested in the younger generation of STS scholars and practitioners, interested in how 4S can support academic programs that train them, and will advocate for mentorship, multilingual resources, and expanded participation opportunities to all our members.
It would be an honor to continue contributing our vibrant, intellectually rigorous, and socially committed community from the Council. I am grateful for your consideration and excited by the possibilities that lie ahead.
Sonja van Wichelen
I am Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Sydney, based in the School for Social and Political Sciences. Trained in the Netherlands, I completed my PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2007, followed by postdoctoral appointments in the U.S. at Yale and Brown. Since relocating to Australia in 2010, my work has engaged with the cross-disciplinary node of law, life, and science in a globalizing world, with fieldwork spanning sites in both the global North and South. I am the author of Legitimating Life: Adoption in the Age of Globalization and Biotechnology (2019) and, more recently—with Marc de Leeuw—of Biolegality: A Critical Introduction (2024). I am a member of the Editorial Committee of the Annual Review of Anthropology and serve on the editorial boards of Science, Technology & Human Values and Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience. My research has been supported by institutions such as the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where I was a Member in 2020–2021, and the Center for the Study of Law and Society at UC-Berkeley where I held a visiting appointment in 2017. This winter, I will join the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge as Visiting Fellow.
My current work is a study of bioscience diplomacy and openness in a fractured world—taking Southeast Asia as its focal point. I am passionate about critical science journalism, especially in regions outside of the Global North, and recently organized events that brought together science journalists, bioscientists, and STS scholars in the Southeast Asian region. As a 4S Council Member, I would be keen to expand support and visibility for collaborative efforts between STS and science journalism, especially in underrepresented regions—recognizing their vital role in amplifying critical knowledge. I am also eager to foster capacity-building initiatives that empower early-career researchers to communicate their work with impact at a moment when public understanding of science and technology has never been more essential.
4S is my intellectual home, and I am grateful to count many of its community members among my collaborators and friends. Since becoming an active member in 2014, I attended seven annual meetings and organized a dozen panels and roundtables. I also served on several committees and helped organize various events, including the Biolegality Pop-Up Research Lab held alongside the annual meeting in Sydney in 2018. While these efforts have been collective, I’ve been proud to support and help grow the STS community in Sydney and across Southeast Asia. These experiences have given me a solid understanding of the values and challenges that shape our field. I would be honored to contribute further to the 4S community by serving on the council, bringing a collective spirit, regional perspective, and a deep commitment to nurturing a rigorous and engaged STS scholarship.
Vote for up to two candidates
Franziska Zirker
I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Marburg, where I research the politics of Covid-19 dashboards. My academic journey has included studying sociology and political science at the Universities of Marburg and Frankfurt, as well as a visiting PhD position at the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies Department at the University of Edinburgh.
Currently, I serve as a representative of the doctoral candidates on the board of the Collaborative Research Centre where I work. This position has enhanced my understanding of academic self-governance and student politics, building on my earlier experience as the elected speaker for the queer feminist department of the Marburg Student Union during my undergraduate studies. I am eager to expand this experience by engaging with the governance of a large and diverse academic professional association like 4S. I believe that participating in 4S governance will enhance my understanding of academic organizing, allowing me to contribute to ongoing developments in the field of Science and Technology Studies.
My research passion lies in analyzing technologies and the diverse social interests they embody, fostering discussions about how to support livable worlds. In my teaching, I am committed to empowering students to explore technoscience and its social contexts creatively, moving beyond traditional written formats. I am also a proud contributor to the Making & Doing Award recipient “STS Teachbook.” The 4S community has been instrumental in my academic growth. Attending the last two conferences has significantly improved my work and I look forward to convening a panel and presenting at the upcoming conference. Because of this positive experience, I am enthusiastic about upholding and strengthening 4S as a space for the professional development of students and early career researchers.
In these challenging times, where academic freedom is increasingly under threat, I believe that practical support and community are paramount. As a 6S representative, I would focus on improving access to attendance for students and ECRs through travel grants and exploring options for lowering costs, such as assisting with accommodation. Furthermore, I aim to maintain and enhance support for graduate students and ECRs by reviving the mentorship program for the annual conference, connecting students and ECRs with established scholars. To inform 6S initiatives, I will prioritize the needs and ideas of PhD students and ECRs, ensuring open communication channels. Regularly surveying the concerns of graduate students and ECRs will enable me to effectively represent their interests to the 4S Council.
Overall, I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to 6S and am eager to foster a vibrant and inclusive community for students and early career researchers within the STS field. This role would not only provide a valuable chance for me to develop my leadership skills and understanding of organisational dynamics, but it would also allow 4S to benefit from a dedicated student representative committed to working towards maintaining and strengthening 4S as a hub for enacting socioecological justice.
Vivian Giang
Currently, I am a PhD candidate (interdisciplinary: anthropology and engineering) at the University of Alberta and an Assistant Professor (communications) at MacEwan University, where I mentor and guide undergraduate students through their academic journey to their future career paths. My previous experiences relevant to this volunteer posting include serving on various nonprofit boards and committees and being a professional editor and event planner.
At the University of Alberta, I actively arranged major events for students on a volunteer basis, including the Alberta Student Leadership Summit and activities centered on the International Year of Indigenous Languages. For the Alberta Student Leadership Summit, I was Director of Schedule Programming. In this capacity, I developed the technical programme, including recruiting keynote speakers and workshop presenters to provide professional development skills for emerging student leaders. To increase equity, diversity and inclusion, I sought external funding to facilitate participation by Indigenous youth from a reserve located 95 km outside of the city who otherwise would not have the resources to participate in this two-day leadership summit.
Since 2011, I have volunteered with the United Nations Association in Canada – Edmonton Branch and served in various roles including Prairie Regional Director for the National Board, Branch President for two terms, Past-President & Returning Officer (present), Chair of the Bylaws Committee, Information Officer and as a Special Advisor to the Board. These roles required excellent interpersonal and organizational skills and a high degree of collaboration.
I recently completed being a Mentor for the Fulbright Women Affinity Group (November 2024 – February 2025). In this capacity, I provided mentorship to women who are completing their Fulbright experience and looking forward in their career aspirations. This program did not exist when I completed my Fulbright experience in 2022, and it would have been an invaluable opportunity to receive mentorship as I was navigating my future prospects—that is why I volunteered to provide mentorship to other Fulbright Women. It is with this same spirit that I would approach representing graduate student voices and organizing events and mentoring spaces for early career researchers.
From this role, I would be interested in developing more experience in working with editorial boards. Additionally, in my department, I am the only (early career) researcher in STS, so I am looking at ways to expand this field’s presence in my faculty. I am optimistic that working with others in 6S will help me better understand how this can be approached and increase interest for STS studies at the undergraduate level.