People
Bill Gates, Director
Bill Gates serves as the Executive Director of the ASU Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory (“MODL”) and is a Professor of Practice of the ASU Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Bill was elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. In 2019, as Chairman of the Board, Bill negotiated a re-organization of the Maricopa County Elections Department with then-Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes. During the November 2022 General Election, Bill participated in 16 press conferences as the eyes of the world were on the Maricopa County Elections Department as numerous statewide races with razor thin margins were counted over a 13-day period. Bill served as the main spokesperson for the Maricopa County Elections Department under the Board of Supervisors during the 2024 election as well.
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Gisselle Ayala, Coordinator
Gisselle is a Coordinator within the Watts School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Gisselle is a member of the Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory (MODL) team. She actively supports MODL’s mission by coordinating events, assisting with communications and managing administrative functions that help drive the lab’s initiatives forward.
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Andrea DiFronzo, Assistant Director, Business Operations
Andrea is an Assistant Director, Business Operations in the Morrison Institute for Public Policy within the Watts School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Andrea is a member of the Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory (MODL) team. She has over 20 years of business operations experience in higher education and actively supports MODL’s mission by running MODL’s business operations that help drive the lab’s initiatives forward.
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Allison JoAnn Lester, PhD, Director of Curriculum Development, AI + Elections Clinic
Allison JoAnn Lester, PhD, is an Assistant Teaching Professor in University College at Arizona State University whose work focuses on AI ethics, digital literacy, and civic leadership. As Director of Curriculum Development for MODL’s AI + Elections Clinic, she designs training and learning resources that help election officials responsibly apply AI to strengthen election security, voter communication, and trust. She also hosts the Thinking Through… podcast on AI, human flourishing, and the futures we are shaping together.
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Sara Villalobos, Program Manager
Sara serves as Program Manager for the MODL Elections Administration Undergraduate Fellowship at Arizona State University, where she oversees program operations, coordinates partnerships, and supports the development of future election administration professionals through a nationally recognized, student-centered initiative. With over a decade of experience in higher education and public service programs, she is recognized for building effective systems and fostering collaboration. Sara holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Northern Arizona University, a foundation that informs her creative, solutions-oriented approach to advancing civic and educational initiatives.