Leonard M. Rieser (1922–1998) was a physicist, professor, mentor, and a vocal advocate for the peaceful resolution of conflict. Through the Rieser Fellowship, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists honors his belief in the ability of the next generation to play a critical role in finding solutions to persistent global problems. This year's recipients are:
Christopher Affolter, University of Texas at Dallas
Molecular and Cell Biology, 2007
Christopher plans to create short discussion guides and literature geared toward doctoral students in life sciences, addressing codes of ethics related to biological weapons proliferation. Christopher will work under the direction of Patricia Lewis, head of the U.N. Institute for Disarmament Research, in Geneva, Switzerland. While at UNIDIR, he will attend the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Review Conference and will assist with ongoing biological weapons disarmament research.
Kafui Gbewonyo, Harvard College
Environmental Science and Public Policy, 2007
Kafui will conduct a comparative study of the use of wastewater for agriculture in Ghana and in Kern County, California. She will assess the quality of wastewater used for agriculture, the health and environmental risks, and the ways to reduce risks so that wastewater irrigation can be used to increase food production in developing countries as well as in the industrialized world.
Andrew Leifer, Stanford University
Physics and Political Science, 2007
Andrew will intern at the Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. He will work with the center's director, Norman Neureiter, to propose a joint agricultural science project between U.S. and North Korean academics. He will also attend hearings on Capitol Hill, track legislation, and conduct background research on science and security policy issues.
Lee Pearson, Duke University
Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2008
Lee will lead a team of four other students to research and design a safe and stable water supply for two villages near Kampala, Uganda. He will focus on a rainwater catchment system, as rainwater harvesting has proved successful in East Africa. With village leaders, his team will also develop a written agreement on how water resources will be allocated, how access will be insured, and who will maintain the water supply.
Founded in 1945 by Manhattan Project scientists, the mission of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is to create a forum for scientists to explore and debate the impact on world security of nuclear technology and innovations in other fields as varied as bio-engineering and computer sciences, and to convey significant aspects of these debates to policy makers and the general public. Through the Rieser Fellowship, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists invests in the next generation of scientists, researchers, and leaders, emboldening them to pursue their dreams of a safer and better world.
To learn more about the Fellowship and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, visit www.thebulletin.org.