NASA Officers
Find out what NASA Officer Duties are.
Learn more about the people serving as NASA officers! Click on their names below:
Officer Positions and Executive Committee Seats
Jason Miller, President
Marcy Hessling, President-elect
Melinda Bernardo, Secretary-Treasurer
Jenny Chio, Newsletter Editor
Marc Hébert, e-Journal Editor
Sandhya Ganapathy, Graduate Representative-at-Large
John Trainor, Graduate Representative-at-Large
Madeline Kerins, Undergraduate Representative-at-Large
Robert Miller, Undergraduate Representative-at-Large
Committee Positions
Keri Canada, Nominations Committee Chair
Melanie Duda, Nominations Committee Member
Mel Marsh, Nominations Committee Member
Marcy Hessling, Program Committee Chair
John Trainor, Program Committee Member
Naomi Parekh, Program Committee Member
Melanie Duda, e-Journal Committee Member
Madeline Kerins, e-Journal Committee Member
Mel Marsh, Web Editor & Web Development Committee Chair
Jeremy Franchi, Web Development Committee Member
Open Position, Web Development Committee Member
Open Position, Opportunities List Editor
Melinda Bernardo, Travel Award Committee Chair
Keri Canada, Carrie Hunter-Tate Award Committee Chair
Jason Miller, President (2007-2008)
University of South Florida
I am a Ph.D. student in the Applied Anthropology program at the University of South Florida. I currently work on the “Effects of College Degree Program Culture on Female and Minority Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Participation”(STEP) project with the Alliance for Applied Research in Education and Anthropology integrating participatory methodologies to enhance the traditional research that is being undertaken to assess the climate of STEM programs in Florida. In addition, I coordinate the Service Learning Leadership Academy with the USF Collaborative for Children, Families and Communities.I received my BA in Theater Design from Seattle University and my MA in Cultural Anthropology from Western Washington University. My master’s thesis was entitled: Participating, Acting and Researching: Aspects of PAR and its Applications. My thesis explored the theoretical implications and applications of Participatory Action Research, an applied anthropological methodology. I have also done graduate work with community/higher education institution cooperation in collaboration with Campus Compact and AmeriCorps and also completed a year long ethnography of an ecumenical religious organization. I also completed an extensive field project through University of British Columbia with the Stó:lô people of the Fraser Valley, BC looking at international transportation of religious artifacts and ceremonial masks.
I am interested in community based learning and research, specifically the relationship between Higher education, civic engagement and community collaboration. My wider anthropological interests are varied and include visual anthropology, applied anthropology, religion, social justice and community development. I have published several articles about Participatory Action Research (PAR) and its relationship to education. In addition, I have created and taught numerous PAR courses and workshops.
View Jason Miller's curriculum vitae.
Email Jason with your comments.
Marcy Hessling, President-Elect (2007-2008)
Program Committee Chair (2007-2009)I am a second year graduate student at Michigan State University. My focus is on the relationship between urban migration and higher education in Benin, West Africa and I've been studying Yoruba for the past year and a half. My current research builds from an undergraduate pilot project undertaken in Benin during the summer of 2005. I received my BA from Wayne State University in December, 2005.
Between the years of 2005-2007 I have served as the Undergraduate Representative-at-Large for NASA, and have been the organizer of the NASA Mentoring workshop for the past two years. I am co-chair of this year's Program Committee, along with Rory McCarthy. I am looking forward to my term as President-Elect (to be started in 2007), and hope to continue my service with NASA in the years to come. Please contact me with any concerns, suggestions or ideas for the future of NASA.
Email Marcy with your comments.
Melinda Bernardo, Secretary-Treasurer (2007-2009)
NASA Travel Award Committee Chair (2007-2009)
New School for Social ResearchMelinda is a 2nd year grad student in anthropology at the New School for Social Researchin NYC. Her interests include immigration and medical practices in Israeli society. She previously served as the Editor of the NASA column in Anthropology News, and is pleased to continue her service as Secretary/Treasurer.
Email Melinda with your comments.
Email Jenny with your comments.
Marc Hébert, E-Journal Editor (2007-2009)
University of South FloridaEmail Marc with your comments.
Sandhya Ganapathy, Graduate Representative-at-Large (2006-2008)
Temple UniversityHi, my name is Sandhya Ganapathy and I'm a doctoral candidate/ABD at Temple University - currently writing. My dissertation research focuses on Native rights and environmental politics in Alaska, specifically pertaining to the Arctic Refuge controversy. I conducted fieldwork in Arctic Village, AK, Fairbanks, AK and Washington DC between August 2004 and June 2006, which was funded by a Wenner Gren Fieldwork Grant and a University Fellowship from Temple. My research interests include anthropology of policy, NGOs, social movements, Indigenous identity and Indigenous rights movements, environmental anthropology/political ecology and space and place. Additional interests (when not writing the dissertation) include bike riding, sewing, small woodworking projects and target shooting. I received a BA in anthropology from Rutgers and an MA in applied anthropology from South Florida. I am pictured with my trusted and very capable research assistant Aloo (on the left) who was an invaluable asset to my research endeavor and who proved to be an excellent fieldworker, easily developing rapport with all of the children and most of the adults and other dogs in the community.
Email Sandhya with your comments.
John Trainor, Graduate Representative-at-Large (2007-2009)
Annual Program Committe Member (2007-2009)
Email John with your comments.
Madeline Kerins, Undergraduate Representative-at-Large (2007-2009)
e-Journal Committee Member (2007-2009)Email Madeline with your comments.
I'm a fourth year honors student in anthropology currently writting my honors thesis on catholic practices within the church and identity. Planned graduate studies include Japanese Housewives and symbolism, as
well as Japanese Gay Bear culture and organic solidarity. I presented a paper last year on my experience with so called sacred and profane elements of catholic culture. I am currently hoping to attend the
University of Michigan for graduate studies.Email Robert with your comments.
Keri Canada, Nominations Committee Chair (2007-2009)
Carrie Hunter Tate Award Committee Chair (2007-2009)
Email Keri with your comments.
Melanie Duda, Nominations Committee Member (2007-2009)
e-Journal Committee Member (2007-2009)Wayne State University
Email Melanie with your comments.
Email Naomi with your comments.
Mel Marsh, Web Editor & Web Development Committee Chair (2006-2008)
Nominations Committee (2006-2008)Mel Marsh just graduated with a Master of Science degree in Space Studies from University of North Dakota (2007) and also holds a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology & Human Biology and Medieval & Renaissance Studies from Emory University (2003) and is currently enrolled in a community college for language training.
Mel's diverse areas of interest include: the evolution of human behaviour, physiological and psychological factors in long duration spaceflight, and astrosociology.
Mel, overburdened more and more each day, is begging for any NASA member with web programming experience to email immediately as more help is needed on the website. Mel reminds everyone that committee memberships look very good on your CV.
Email Mel with your comments.
Jeremy Franchi is an undergraduate in cultural anthropology at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. His academic interests include the effects of globalization and post-industrialism, critical analysis of mass media representation, and hegemony. Also involved in the photography department at Wayne State, he plans on attending graduate school for visual anthropology with the career goal of producing photo essays and documentaries.
Email Jeremy with your comments.
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