Wilson Center Experts
Aaron Lovell

Writer/Editor
Science and Technology Innovation Program
Contact Information:
T 202-691-4000
// F 202-691-4001
Aaron Lovell is a writer/editor for the Science and Technology Innovation Program (STIP) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Before joining STIP, he worked as a reporter for Inside Washington Publishers, covering Congress, the federal agencies, environmental policy, and nanotechnology. Aaron also reported on international finance in North America, Europe, and Asia, and has covered politics, business, and culture for a variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites in the United States and abroad.
He has an M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University and a B.A. in history from DePaul University.
Related Content for this Expert
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Mar 04, 2013Social media is responsible for much positive change in the world. But these new tools can be used by bad actors to foment strife and undermine stability, as seen during violent incidents in the Assam state of northeast India in July 2012. Cybersecurity efforts must take into account the growing potential for cyber-attack using social media, where hoax messages are incorporated into a stream of otherwise legitimate messages, and understand how quickly mobile apps and text services can disseminate false information. more
Trends in American and European Press Coverage of Synthetic Biology: 2008 – 2011
Mar 01, 2013Press coverage of synthetic biology in the United States and Europe increased significantly between 2008 and 2011. This report builds on the project’s earlier study of press coverage in the United States and Europe during the 2003-2008 period. The new report finds an increase in the sheer number of articles about synthetic biology. It further finds that this coverage is driven by high-profile events and that there are growing similarities in how the technology is covered in the United States and Europe. This report also highlights key recommendations from recent reports focused on the press and public engagement.
more
Communicating Synthetic Biology: How the Media Covers Emerging Technology
February 26, 2013 // 12:00pm — 2:00pm
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2011 Social Media + Emergency Management Camp: Transforming the Response Enterprise
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Responding to Liability: Evaluating and Reducing Tort Liability for Digital Volunteers
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Budget Hero Weekly Report
Mar 13, 2013Breaking Down the Numbers Behind Budget Hero: Election Edition
Communicating Synthetic Biology: How the Media Covers Emerging Technology
February 26, 2013 // 12:00pm — 2:00pm
From Neanderthal clones to cheap vaccines, the emerging field of synthetic biology has garnered much mainstream press coverage in recent years – and found itself at the center of a hot debate about our expectations for biotechnology.
On Cybersecurity, Crowdsourcing, and Social Cyber-Attack
Mar 04, 2013Social media is responsible for much positive change in the world. But these new tools can be used by bad actors to foment strife and undermine stability, as seen during violent incidents in the Assam state of northeast India in July 2012. Cybersecurity efforts must take into account the growing potential for cyber-attack using social media, where hoax messages are incorporated into a stream of otherwise legitimate messages, and understand how quickly mobile apps and text services can disseminate false information.
Trends in American and European Press Coverage of Synthetic Biology: 2008 – 2011
Mar 01, 2013Press coverage of synthetic biology in the United States and Europe increased significantly between 2008 and 2011. This report builds on the project’s earlier study of press coverage in the United States and Europe during the 2003-2008 period. The new report finds an increase in the sheer number of articles about synthetic biology. It further finds that this coverage is driven by high-profile events and that there are growing similarities in how the technology is covered in the United States and Europe. This report also highlights key recommendations from recent reports focused on the press and public engagement.
2011 Social Media + Emergency Management Camp: Transforming the Response Enterprise
Nov 07, 2012By harnessing the collective power of citizens and engaging communities in their own response and recovery, social media have the power to revolutionize emergency management. Yet, many challenges—including guidelines for use by response agencies, demonstration of value, and characterization of reliability—must be addressed if the potential of social media is to be fully realized in emergency response and relief efforts in the United States.
The National Broadband Map: A Case Study on Open Innovation for National Policy
Nov 06, 2012A whitepaper on the policy and technology behind the National Broadband Map, an open-source geographic information systems application allowing users to access detailed statistics on internet connectivity. This project demonstrates the value of transparency, collaboration, and cooperation in government projects.
Responding to Liability: Evaluating and Reducing Tort Liability for Digital Volunteers
Sep 14, 2012Major emergencies and crises can overwhelm local resources. In the last several years, self-organized digital volunteers have begun leveraging the power of social media and “crowd-mapping” for collaborative crisis response. Rather than mobilizing a physical response, these digital volunteer groups have responded virtually by creating software applications, monitoring social networks, aggregating data, and creating “crowdsourced” maps to assist both survivors and the formal response community. These virtual responses can subject digital volunteers to tort liability. This report evaluates the precise contours of potential liability for digital volunteers.



