The Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy is pleased to announce the addition of two new research affiliates to its Fellows program – Dr. Kaye Atobe and Dr. Clifford Young.

Dr. Atoba is a Research Scientist at the Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas at Texas A&M University. His work focuses on advancing a sustainable built environment that is resilient to environmental hazards, with particular emphasis on flooding and other climate related risks. Dr. Atoba’s research analyzes interactions between urban systems and natural hazards, and evaluates the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, and supports transboundary approaches to flood resilience. Much of his research is service driven, aimed at supporting under resourced communities through decision support tools that translate complex data into actionable policy for reducing disaster losses, planning transboundary flood mitigation, and designing nature based and land use interventions.

Dr. Young is a Visiting Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. His work sits at the intersection of public opinion, elections, and strategic decision-making, drawing on decades of experience leading research-driven organizations in the United States and abroad. His current research focuses on decision-making under uncertainty and on measuring populism, grievance, and related constraints in democratic systems. He is particularly interested in how public attitudes, media narratives, and elite messaging interact to shape political behavior and the policy process, and in how rigorous polling and foresight tools can help leaders navigate an era of polarization and democratic stress.