Diverse Expertise Joins Society for Science’s National Leadership Council: Lester Mackey and Naomi Shah Bring Machine Learning and Entertainment Industry Insights

Society for Science has announced the addition of two prominent individuals, Lester Mackey and Naomi Shah, to its National Leadership Council (NLC). The NLC, which was established in 2018, consists of alumni from the Society’s three science competitions: Science Talent Search, International Science and Engineering Fair, and middle school science research competitions.

Lester Mackey is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research who specializes in developing machine learning methods, models, and theory for large-scale learning tasks related to climate forecasting, healthcare, and social good applications. He is a recipient of the 2023 MacArthur Fellowship and a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. Lester earned his Ph.D. in computer science and master’s in statistics from UC Berkeley and his bachelor’s in computer science from Princeton University.

Naomi Shah is an entrepreneurial leader who founded Meet Cute, a modern entertainment company that produces and distributes original scripted stories. Prior to launching Meet Cute, she worked in the investment team at Union Square Ventures and at Goldman Sachs. She studied mechanical engineering with a minor in human biology at Stanford University. Meet Cute collaborates with thousands of creators to produce unique cinematic titles that expand traditional IP incubation processes while approaching genres from new perspectives.

Maya Ajmera expressed her excitement about the addition of these talented individuals to the NLC as President & CEO of Society for Science and Executive Publisher of Science News. She highlighted their achievements as innovators and leaders in their respective fields, emphasizing how they will bring valuable perspectives and expertise to the Society.