Robin Ann Downey is currently a Science Technology and Society (STS) Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering at Bilkent University. She is interested in introducing engineering students to STS through reflexive practices and applied research. She holds an MA and PhD in Communications Studies from the University of Calgary and a BA in Science and Affairs from Concordia University. Her research work has mainly focused on technological controversies, including a cross-cultural analysis of media representations of cloning and an examination of how stakeholders helped to shape stem cell research in the Canadian context. She worked with the Technological, Commercial, Organizational and Social Lab at Simon Fraser University on emerging genomics developments related to bio-products and risk assessment methods and collaborated directly with scientists at the University of British Columbia as part of this effort. She was also the Genomics and Society Advisor for Genome BC where she helped to build interdisciplinary teams for Genome Canada’s large-scale genomics research program. Robin has taught classes on Environmental Studies, Science Policy and STS at the University of Calgary and DeVry Institute of Technology. She acted as a communications coach for a course on Design and Communications at the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. She is currently interested in introducing engineering students to responsible innovation approaches through applied projects.
