Shanni Silberberg
Dr. Shanni Silberberg serves as a Principal at Lewis-Burke Associates, providing strategic expertise to the firm's defense portfolio. With a unique background spanning neuroscience research and federal science policy, she brings a deep understanding of the intersection between scientific advancement and national security priorities. Dr. Silberberg is an expert in navigating federal regulatory environments, developing legislative strategies, and building coalitions to advance science and innovation. Dr. Silberberg spent five years advising the Director of Basic Research at the Department of Defense, where she shaped policy on research protection, international talent retention, STEM education, and scientific integrity initiatives. She was instrumental in developing DoD's research protection policy for fundamental research, working across federal agencies, Congress, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Issue Expertise: Defense science and technology, research security, basic research policy, STEM immigration, international scientific collaboration, research protection, scientific integrity, and federal R&D funding mechanisms, neuroscience, and genetics.
Additional Experience: Prior to her work advising DOD, she worked in the Engineering Division at the National Science Foundation, identifying research gaps and creating scientific funding programs to address critical challenges in biological and chemical engineering. Her experience also includes monitoring and evaluation of development programs at the United States Agency for International Development. Throughout her career, she has successfully secured federal grants for research, created grant programs within the federal government, and reviewed federal grant proposals from universities.
Vital Statistics: Dr. Silberberg holds a B.S. in Neurobiology and Physiology from the University of Maryland College Park and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California San Francisco. She was a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the United States Agency for International Development and the National Science Foundation. When not advocating for science policy, she spends time in nature, makes wearable art, and travels (aiming to visit all 50 states with her kids by 2050).
Julia Rizzo
Julia Rizzo supports Lewis-Burke by researching and providing insights on issues that intersect between engineering, technology, economic development, policy, and research innovation. With a background and education in public interest technology, Julia’s experience informs her research and helps her to provide clients with valuable perspectives on strategic partnerships and advanced manufacturing. She focuses on federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DOD), Economic Development Administration (EDA), and United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO).
Issue Expertise: Engineering, Economic Development, Defense, Public-Private Partnerships, and Technology
Additional Experience: Prior to joining Lewis-Burke Assoicates, Julia was an intern at the National Science Foundation Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships Directorate, assisting on the Regional Innovation Engines Program. This experience gave her insights into the federal government and regional innovation initiatives. Additionally, Julia has experience in State and Local Government through the Ohio Senate and Franklin County Board of Commissioners Office, giving her an understanding of the flow of funding and stakeholder engagement.
Vital Statistics: Julia is from northcentral Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in public management, leadership, and policy and minors in science and engineering and history. In her free time, she enjoys listening to live music, exploring new restaurants, and finding new hiking trails.
Leslie Albright
Ms. Leslie Albright is a Senior Policy Advisor to Lewis-Burke and will serve Lewis-Burke clients with interests in science, space, and national security interests. Ms. Albright has nearly three decades of budget and policy experience with both the executive and legislative branches of the Federal government.
Ms. Albright began her career at the Department of Commerce, in Washington, D.C., working nearly 10 years for the Department’s Chief Financial Officer to review budget requirements and make policy recommendations for the Economic Development Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration programs and for all Emergency Disaster declarations at the Department of Commerce. In 2001, Ms. Albright was hired as a Professional Staff Member for the U.S. House of Representatives, House Appropriations Committee. Among the departments and agencies Albright oversaw were the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Space Council, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Defense. As a Professional Staff Member, Albright was responsible for reviewing Federal agency budgets, drafting legislative and report language and making funding recommendations to Members of Congress, including the Chair or Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and relevant Appropriations Subcommittee “Cardinals.” Albright regularly convened meetings with relevant agency personnel, academia, private sector interests, the Government Accountability Office and the National Academies to inform funding and policy recommendations. Her last position was Minority Clerk for the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
Issue Expertise: Ground and space-based science infrastructure; human and uncrewed space exploration; basic research; tech development; national security, Federal law enforcement.
Additional Experience: Prior to joining Lewis-Burke, Albright worked with a firm advocating additional funding for national research facilities, academia, non-profits and FFRDCs.
Vital Statistics: Ms. Albright received a B.A. from SUNY Plattsburgh and an M.S. from Boston University. Ms. Albright retired from Federal service in 2019 and now resides with her family in the Hudson River Valley, New York. There, she serves on a local land conservation trust, serves as a merit badge counselor for a local Boy Scout Troop, and spends free time gardening, kayaking on the Hudson River, and hiking in the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains.
Anjali Tadavarthy
Anjali assists Lewis-Burke clients by tracking legislative developments and funding opportunities in the areas of public health, health delivery, biosecurity, and global health and security. With a background in health policy and international security , she provides insights on programs and policies across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Defense Health Enterprise.
Issue Expertise: Public Health, Health Delivery, Biosecurity, Global Health and Security Defense Health, Biomedical Research, Social Determinants, and Prevention Science.
Additional Experience: Prior to joining Lewis-Burke Associates, Anjali interned with Senator Tina Smith (MN) in her DC office, where she gained an understanding of various aspects of health policy and helped constituents navigate federal agencies. Anjali also interned with the Organization for Security Co-Operation Europe Parliamentary Assembly. During this experience, Anjali gained expertise in communication, negotiation, and research regarding multifaceted international issues.
Vital Statistics: Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Anjali graduated summa cum laude from Rhodes College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies. Outside of the office, she enjoys cooking and baking, and exploring new cities.
Susannah V. Howieson, JD, MEM
Susannah V. Howieson, JD, MEM is a Federal science and technology policy expert who focuses on basic and applied energy research and development and national security science and technology. In addition, her years of experience working with the Executive Office of the President, Federal research agencies, and Congress on critical science policy issues have provided her with broad expertise and networks that enable her to support clients across energy, defense, physical sciences, and economic development issues.
Most recently, Susannah led strategic planning, interagency coordination, and infrastructure planning for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science where she spearheaded efforts on laboratory modernization, place-based innovation, and increased research program integration. Susannah managed the development of an umbrella Memorandum of Understanding between the Office of Science and NSF and created a vision for the future of the National Laboratory complex (Laboratories of the Future) through far-reaching stakeholder engagement. She also completed a rotation in NNSA’s Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, further deepening her connections to and understanding of the nuclear community. Susannah is a master communicator, facilitator, and consensus builder, and is especially skillful in distilling complex policy topics down to key digestible messages.
Susannah has authored dozens of reports on topics such as technology transfer, facilities and infrastructure planning and prioritization, and government laboratory-university partnerships. Her efforts have been integral to the development of critical national policies, including the Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy, the National Security S&T Strategy, and the Presidential Memorandum on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, and she has served on multiple interagency committees, such as Lab-to-Market and the subcommittee on Critical and Emerging Technologies List.
Issue Expertise: Basic and applied energy research and development and DOE; Nuclear production, policy, and security and NNSA; physical sciences; Federal research management, national labs and FFRDCs, interagency coordination, and infrastructure; Technology transfer and regional economic development; emerging technology and the national security S&T enterprise.
Additional Experience: Before joining DOE, Susannah served in the office of Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) as a Nuclear Security Working Group fellow. For close to a decade prior, Susannah conducted science and technology policy analysis for the IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), a federally funded research and development center that supports the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and other Federal agencies. At STPI, Susannah focused on assessments of research organizations and national security. She also has significant experience in strategic planning and policy development, primarily through her work for the National Security and International Affairs Division of OSTP. Susannah co-led the research team for the Commission to Review the Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories (CRENEL) for DOE. Before STPI, she worked as an attorney at Sidley Austin, LLP in New York, NY, and for the Office of Climate Change Policy and Technology at DOE.
Vital Statistics: Susannah holds a BA from Rice University with a double major in Biology and Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, a JD cum laude from Boston University, and a Masters of Environmental Management (MEM) in Environmental Economics and Policy from Duke University. She lives in Alexandria with her husband, three children, and a dog, cat, and fish. In her free time, she loves to travel, especially to historical sites and nature preserves.
Devin Bryant
Devin Bryant is a seasoned professional with two decades of space policy experience, the majority of which has been focused on NASA and commercial space issues. Working in both the federal and legislative branches, Devin has cultivated long standing relationships with Agency leadership and Congressional staff on a variety of space matters. At Lewis-Burke, Devin covers issues related to physical sciences, space, transportation, and defense.
Prior to joining Lewis-Burke, Devin worked for NASA in the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. While at NASA, Devin advocated for NASA’s spaceflight and research initiatives by working with House and Senate Members and staff, Execute branch offices and other government agencies. Joining NASA in 2011, Devin worked with Human spaceflight program leadership in gaining Congressional support for the innovative Commercial Crew Program. Devin most recently worked as the lead legislative liaison for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate where he worked to secure Congressional support for the Artemis Program. Prior experience includes acting as the legislative liaison for the Space Technology Mission Directorate as well as the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorates where he helped to rollout and advance Congressional support for the Agency’s technology priorities as well as the forthcoming X-Plane initiatives.
Issue Expertise: Space, Physical Sciences, Transportation, Defense
Additional Experience: Before joining NASA, Devin worked on Capitol Hill for six years with the House Science, Space & Technology Committee. While there, Devin worked for both parties on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee as well as the Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee. During his time with the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, Devin assisted in the development and passage of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 which authorized the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft being used for NASA’s return of Astronauts to the Moon in the Artemis Program.
Vital Statistics: A native of Los Angeles, Devin volunteered in High School as the assistant telescope operator at the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood where he developed his passion for space and communications. He parlayed that interest into developing a Space Policy undergraduate degree which he earned from The University of Redlands’ Johnston Center for Integrative Studies in 2004.
In his free time, Devin enjoys Dodgers baseball, coaching his one and only Congressional softball team he has been on since 2004 (as well as his son and daughter’s tee-ball teams), any type of warm weather and spending time showing his wife and two children the cultural significance of 80s comedy films.
Solomon Morgan
Solomon Morgan supports Lewis-Burke by researching and providing information on opportunities and policy developments in energy and national security. With a background and education in public relations, consulting, and outreach, Solomon’s experience in government relations helps him to provide clients with valuable perspectives on emerging technologies, global clean energy efforts, and defense research and engineering. Solomon is focused on funding opportunities and other new developments from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DOD) and applies his knowledge of energy and national security programs to support cross-cutting issues in science and technology.
Issue Areas: Energy, Defense and National Security, Critical and Emerging Technologies.
Additional Information: Before joining Lewis-Burke, Solomon held several internships around Washington D.C. to expand his knowledge of consulting and public policy. He interned in the United States Practice at the Albright Stonebridge Group, where he provided analysis on business applications of the CHIPS and Science Act. He served as a Corporate Diplomacy Fellow at the Meridian International Center, working to support corporate engagement with foreign officials. Solomon also worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Strategic Alliances & Outreach Department, supporting business efforts to promote and engage with Minority-Serving Institutions and underserved communities. He also interned for the District Office of Congressman Bradley Schneider (D-IL), where he focused on student loan forgiveness and supporting constituents' receipt of Paycheck Protection Program Loans.
Vital Statistics: Solomon was born in Waukegan, Illinois and received his Bachelor’s degree with honors from Howard University in Washington D.C, where he studied Political Science and Economics. Solomon enjoys global politics and economics and spends time researching issues including the global market for clean energy, critical minerals, and finance. Outside of the office, Solomon explores D.C. restaurants, events, and bookstores, and especially likes restaurant week. He enjoys walking and cooking as well as reading historical and science fiction, political novels, and international literature.