Fizza Fareed, holding the award plaque is pictured with, left to right, Dr. Vedlitz, Director of the Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy and Ms. Fareed’s nominators – Assistant Professor Robichau and Professor Cheong, faculty in the Department of Public Service and Administration.

Fizza Fareed, who graduated from the Bush School of Government and Public Service this year with her Master’s degree in Public Service and Administration, distinguished herself as an exceptional scholar and emerging science and technology policy expert, specializing in the intersection of artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and public policy. In her capstone class on AI Data Center research, she demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership and performed at a high-level in all aspects of the research process – in depth literature review, stakeholder interviews and analysis, networking with industry experts, and project coordination. Ms. Fareed’s research produced valuable inputs to the overall capstone project, a project that developed a strategic framework for AI data centers that addresses the critical challenge of balancing commercial scalability with community and environmental sustainability. She stands out for her analytical rigor and determination to find answers to research questions. As Ms. Fareed pursues her next venture, her blend of work experience and academic rigor and analytical capabilities make her uniquely prepared to bridge the gap between technological innovation and sound policy frameworks. She is a worthy recipient of the Vedlitz Award for Excellence in Science and Technology Policy Studies.

When conferring the award to Ms. Fareed, Dr. Vedlitz remarked, “Science and technological discoveries identify problems and evaluate solutions to help policy makers make the best, empirically based decisions on complex problems. Ms. Fareed has mastered the use of the framing and analytic tools that will drive the policy relevance of much scientific innovation, which in turn drives everything from health security to food, water and energy security to economic security to national security. We are proud of you and know you will have a successful and meaningful professional career.”