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