The Wikimedia Foundation has hired four new staff members to guide the new Public Policy Initiative. Annie Lin, LiAnna Davis, Sage Ross, and Amy Roth will work with public policy programs at universities across the United States to incorporate improvements to Wikipedia articles into the professors' curriculum. The Public Policy Initiative will recruit Wikipedia volunteers to work with professors and students to identify topics needing attention and give professors the tools they need to incorporate Wikipedia editing into their classrooms. This pilot project will continue through the 2010-11 academic year and is funded by a grant from the Stanton Foundation.
As the Campus Team Coordinator, Annie Lin will work closely with university professors, students, and Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors to facilitate our outreach and in-classroom training efforts. Annie has a degree in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, and brings her teaching and team development experiences to her new Public Policy Initiative role.
LiAnna Davis steps into the Communications Associate role with a background in online writing and editing, including experience in university communications and nonprofit issue advocacy. LiAnna will be the voice of the Public Policy Initiative, responsible for communication with professors and the Wikipedia community. She has an undergraduate degree in Communication Studies from the University of Puget Sound and a master's degree in Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University.
As the former editor in chief of Signpost and a longstanding contributor to Wikipedia, Sage Ross joins the team as the Online Facilitator. He has been campaigning for academic experts to get more involved with Wikipedia since joining, and he has led several Wikipedia assignments for courses at Yale University. He is an avid photographer and Wikimedia Commons contributor as well. Sage is bringing his extensive knowledge of the platform and community to recruit volunteers and facilitate communication between the existing editors and stakeholders in the project. He holds a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Oklahoma and master's degrees in History and in the History of Science and Medicine from Yale University.
As the Research Analyst, Amy Roth will take the lead role in evaluating the process and outcomes of the project, suggesting areas for improvement along the way. Amy's extensive experience in data analysis will enable her to ensure the initiative develops best practices through feedback from students, professors, and Wikipedia's volunteer community. She received her bachelor's degree in Biology and Animal Science from California Polytechnic State University and her master's in Public Policy and Administration from California State University at Sacramento.
We welcome Annie, LiAnna, Sage, and Amy to the Wikimedia Foundation and the Public Policy Initiative.
-Daniel Phelps
Human Resources