I help coordinate the Wireless Future Program for New America, which is a public-interest think tank. Most of what I do is educate congressional staff and Federal Communications Commission staff about issues relating to telecommunication and how our current policies can be modified to better suit public interests, especially given the remarkable transformations in technology we've seen in recent years.
Right now I'm advocating for fair spectrum allocation, particularly in the realm of television. Given the availability of wireless technologies, there is no reason why the public couldn't have access to television broadcast in the same way they can utilize the Internet. In fact, there are enormous amounts of unused space on the television broadcast spectrum—these are public airwaves and the public should have access to this space.
The idea behind the Wireless Future Program is to develop technology and pursue policies that maximize public access to the various modes of media distribution—print, web, radio, television. For me, this is an ideal role. I get to combine my interests in science with my inclinations toward activism—and I am lucky to work with a great range of people: academics, policy makers, technology experts.
I'm somewhat of an anomaly in that I participated in the research internship two summers in a row. My first summer I worked on chaos theory at the Polymer Test Center.
My second summer, I tried something quite different. I had gotten very involved in environmental activism, and I was able to join a lab researching organic pesticides. We varied the tannin and phenol levels in ferns to see if it affected the eating habits of geometrid caterpillars. It was great because the project involved field research as well as lab research—we went to the White Mountains in New Hampshire to collect caterpillars.
The research internship ended up being a real turning point for me. Despite the fact that I was very bright, I had really lost interest in school. And suddenly, it was like I was a kid in a candy shop. Learning was not just fun, but exhilarating.
It was amazing as a high school student to have the opportunity to participate in a significant study, one that had perhaps been years in the making. I found myself in an environment where I was not only able, but encouraged, to generate ideas and test them out. The experience was unlike anything I've ever done since, and unlike anything that most people have the privilege to experience.
My experience introduced me to the notion that there are huge problems to be solved—academic, social, and otherwise—and if you're not doing it, probably no one else is. The internship is a chance to pursue your own interests, to push yourself, to learn everything you can and be part of a team. By the end you'll be utterly exhausted, but utterly happy!