Early in my professional career, I became interested in how emerging technologies are governed, while a Masters student at PSU. I joined the Wilson Center’s (then) Project on Emerging Nanotechnology/Synthetic Biology Project in summer of 2009, and worked on a few very interesting projects. I continued in this area as a teaching assistant to Prof. John Kelmelis back at Penn State. I continued studying nanotechnology governance, and in 2013 while a PhD student at GMU’s (then) School of Public Policy, I presented my first academic conference paper:
- Issues with US Nanotechnology Policy. David Morar. Transatlantic Policy Consortium’s Transatlantic Perspectives in Public Affairs: Technology, Safety, Security Conference. May 2013, The Hague, NL.
This lead to collaborations with others, also as conference presentations:
- Using Institutional Risk Factors to Focus Transnational Efforts on Improving Nanotechnology Governance. David Morar, Alexander Smith. Jonah Bea-Taylor. Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Fall 2014 Conference. Science and Technology Policy Area. November 2014, Albuquerque, NM. (nominated for Best Comparative Paper Award)
- Global Governance for Nanotech? An Analysis of Institutional Risk Factors David Morar, Alexander Smith. Jonah Bea-Taylor. American Political Science Association Annual Meeting 2015. Technology and Environmental Policy Division. August 2015, San Francisco, CA.
- Enhancing Governance Risk Profiles Through Leveraging National Political Institutions for Transnational Nanotechnology Governance. (Accepted as Part of a Panel) David Morar, Alexander Smith. Jonah Bea-Taylor. Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Fall 2015 Conference. Science and Technology Policy Area. November 2015, Miami, FL.