Executive Director

Psychology Professor, Director of the Interdisciplinary Cooperation Initative at ASU, and author of The Cheating Cell and A Field Guide to the Apocalypse. Aktipis studies cooperation, conflict, and decision-making across systems. As the founding director of CFI, she draws on decades of research in cooperation science and a career devoted to public engagement, from creating the Zombified Podcast and The Apocalypse Roadshow to writing books and articles that bring cooperation science to wider audiences.

Director of Education & Academic Partnerships

Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Rutgers University and author of Meeting at Grand Central: Understanding the Social and Evolutionary Roots of Cooperation. Cronk studies cooperation and cultural evolution, with a focus on how people share resources and solve collective problems. He has pinoeered interactive teaching tools and curriculum for cooperation science education. At CFI, he leads efforts to expand education, training, and academic collaborations in cooperation science.

Director of Human–Technology Systems

Provost Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and author of Simple Heuristics that Make Us Smart and Ecological Rationality: Intelligence in the World. Todd studies cooperation, decision-making, and how people think about the future, guiding CFI’s work on building adaptive, cooperative human–technology systems.

Director of Intergenerational Transmission & Cultural Systems

Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at The University of Utah and Arizona State University. She is a member of The National Academy of Sciences. Weissner has studied the role of technology in social and cultural change in small-scale societies, from the role of firelight to social media. She founded the Tradition and Transition Centre in Papua New Guinea to preserve and transmit Enga culture to the next generation.

Director of Operations

Liza Farmer is a seasoned operations and event-management professional with more than two decades of experience building people-centered systems, leading teams, and managing organizational infrastructure. She has founded and run successful small businesses, managed large-scale events, and overseen complex logistics with a signature blend of structure and adaptability. At CFI, she is responsible for operational planning, workflow coordination, and ensuring effective execution across programs and initiatives.

Director of Academic–Industry Mentorship

Cristina Baciu is an educational leadership specialist with deep expertise in mentoring, research development, and academic–industry partnerships. She is the founder of MentorMind Consulting and has held key administrative and research leadership roles at Arizona State University, including Assistant Director of Research at the W. P. Carey School of Business and Research Program Manager for major NIH-funded initiatives. At CFI, she leads the development of mentorship-driven pathways that prepare graduate students to collaborate with industry, launch ventures, and successfully transition between academic and business environments.

Director of Research Partnerships & Digital Scholarship

Liz Grumbach is a digital humanities scholar and research manager whose work focuses on ethical technological innovation, digital public humanities, and culturally responsible data practices. As Program Manager for Digital Humanities and Research at ASU’s Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, she leads collaborative projects and cultivates interdisciplinary research communities, and she serves on the Board of Directors for Digital Frontiers. At CFI, she builds and coordinates research partnerships across universities, strengthening connections with ASU’s Interdisciplinary Cooperation Initiative and other academic programs to advance cooperative, cross-sector innovation.

Director of Creative Ecosystem Design

Pamela Winfrey is an experienced facilitator who helps groups, organizations, and institutions surface shared goals, navigate differences productively, and use art and embodied inquiry to create environments that spark curiosity, connection, and new perspectives. She brings decades of experience at the intersection of art, science, and technology, beginning with her long tenure as a senior artist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco and continuing as Director of the Cancer Arts Program at ASU’s Arizona Cancer Evolution Center. She is also an author, playwright and director.

Director of Financial Operations

Karen Alexander has nearly 25 years of experience providing trusted bookkeeping and financial organization services for both individuals and businesses. At CFI, she oversees financial operations and administrative coordination, supporting the organization’s stability, transparency, and long-term strategic planning.