NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) 
Independent Advisory Board

The NRT Independent Advisory Board (IAB) consists of invited domain experts and thoughtful leaders (external from ASU) working in the field of Smart Cities and Smart Living. The IAB contributes its expertise and thinking to the current and future work of the ASU NRT grant project and provides formative assessment, guidance, and suggested actions to the NRT management team.

Board members are selected based on their background, reputation, and accomplishments in Smart Cities- and Smart Living-related efforts and research as well as their availability to commit time for an advisory role. Board members meet twice per year, and the NRT IAB term of office is for two (2) years, with the option to renew for an additional, third year. At the end of the term, board members may become partners with the NRT program, if interested.

The goals of the Independent Advisory Board are to:

• Provide informed guidance, programmatic assessment, and/or identification of forces that may impact the NRT program.
• Offer insights and resources to complement discussion raised by the NRT management team.
• Explore new ideas or directions (with the benefit of distance from day-to-day operations).
• Consider ways of improving operations and organizational efficiency and suggest actions.
• Identify new strategic IAB members for the next IAB term, and/or provide introductions to new, influential partners or other stakeholders.

Our Board Members:

• Jumana Abu-Ghazaleh, Founder, Pivot For Humanity
• Yani Deros, President of ATOM Innovation and CEO of CIRQ+
• Michael Germeraad, Resilience Planner, Association of Bay Area Governments & Metropolitan Transportation Commission
• Bernd Haber, Global Orchestrator & Progressive Executive & Business Entrepreneur; Founder and General Manager of Worldstrings Promotion
• Mathew Mytka, Moral Imagineer, Co-founder of Tethix and Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand at Financial Data and Technology Association