The Center for Science, Technology and Society will host Dr. Ann Keller, associate professor of health politics and policy at University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health, for a faculty seminar at noon Friday, Feb. 21, in Room 121 Computer Science Building.

Keller’s talk will examine scientific controversies that emerged during Covid-19 to demonstrate that, like any scientific domain, the emergence of facts in scientific communities involves a process of social discovery, in which the standing of novel findings can be ambiguous and contested for months. Taking the “social discovery” model into account leads to a distinct set of reforms from those currently in process.

Focusing on issues in health care, public health, emerging technologies and the environment, Keller studies controversies surrounding the use of science and expertise. She is the recipient of multiple National Science Foundation awards funding research on topics such as pandemic response and regulation of CRISPR/Cas-9 and autonomous vehicle technologies. Keller also serves as associate faculty director at the UC Berkeley Center for Catastrophic Risk Management.