Founder and Board of Directors
PAMELA HURST-DELLA PIETRA, DO
Founder and Chair of the Board
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatric Public Health, Department of Family, Population & Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook Medicine
In 2013, Dr. Hurst-Della Pietra founded the interdisciplinary Children and Screens institute, utilizing her medical degree, non-profit experience, philanthropic resources, and a long-standing interest in media and children to become one of the leading conveners, curators, grant-makers, and experts in the field of digital media and children’s health.
At Children and Screens, Dr. Hurst-Della Pietra launched the “Digital Media and Developing Minds” International Congress, bringing together international researchers and clinicians from top institutions, as well as the “Ask the Experts” public education webinar series, which was granted the “Webby Honors Distinction” by the Webby Awards, “Internet’s highest honor,” according to The New York Times. She developed an NIH-style grants program that awarded more than $750k in pilot funds to interdisciplinary groups, published the landmark “Digital Media and Young Minds” supplement in The Journal of Pediatrics, and launched a Media Impact Screening Toolkit working group, to help identify and assess young patients impacted by media. Through policy briefs and legislative advocacy, Dr. Hurst-Della Pietra also championed important federal legislation to address the impact of digital media on children’s health, including the Children and Media Research Act.
Early in her career, Dr. Hurst-Della Pietra worked in television production for Sesame Street and other children’s educational programs, and as an executive at an NYC based Public Relations and Advertising agency. Since then, she has devoted her life to the non-profit, medical, and education sectors.
In addition to her current role at Children and Screens, Dr. Hurst-Della Pietra holds the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatric Public Health, Department of Family, Population & Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.
NANCY GOROFF, PHD
Board Member
Former Chair of the Chemistry Department,
Stony Brook University
Dr. Goroff earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University in 1990, and Ph.D. in Chemistry from UCLA in 1994. She held a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship in chemistry at Michigan State University and a Research Corporation postdoctoral fellowship in chemical education at the University of Michigan before starting at Stony Brook in 1997. Dr. Goroff’s research focuses on organic materials, and especially carbon-based conductors and semiconductors. In 2013, she was recognized with the American Chemical Society’s Award for Creative Research and Applications of Iodine Chemistry.
During Dr. Goroff’s tenure at Stony Brook, she has made significant contributions to graduate education, including leading with colleague Kathlyn Parker the Chemistry Department’s efforts in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate and serving on the President’s Five-Year Plan Task Force on Graduate Education. Dr. Goroff served as Graduate Program Director for the Chemistry Department from 2007 to 2012, for which she was recognized with the 2011 Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service. She also served on the University’s Graduate Council from 2011-2013. Dr. Goroff is a member of the American Chemical Society’s Graduate Education Advisory Board and the National Advisory Board of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and she serves on the Steering Committee of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.
KRISHNA NATHAN, PHD
Board Member
Technology Executive
Krishna Nathan is a seasoned technology executive with over 30 years of leadership experience at the intersection of business and technology. Most recently serving as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Viasat, he spearheaded the company’s digital transformation, driving initiatives focused on process optimization and modernization of enterprise systems. He also led global workforce strategies, balancing offshore and onshore staffing to support the organization’s worldwide operations. Prior to this, he co-founded Vaiu Global, a fintech venture aimed at bringing the benefits of digital payment methods to cash through tokenization while preserving its value proposition.
Earlier in his career, Krishna held senior executive roles including EVP and CIO at S&P Global, where he was instrumental in executing technology strategies aligned with organizational change. He championed the adoption of emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, and blockchain to enable new business models, while leading key initiatives like cloud migration, cybersecurity modernization, and operational streamlining through consolidation and a metrics-driven approach. At IBM, he held a variety of roles bridging business and technology ranging from general management of a B2C business to leadership of a Nobel Prize-winning research lab.
A pioneer in artificial intelligence and machine learning, his early innovations in speech and handwriting recognition led to the invention and commercialization of one of the first pen-based handheld devices. He is a firm believer in the power of data-driven, customer-centric cultures as a foundation for success. Krishna holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Sciences from Brown University.