Emerson Johnston

Bio

Emerson Johnston is a Research Assistant at the Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator, where she works on the Stanford Emerging Technology Review and research related to emerging technologies and their impact on national security. She is currently on leave from Stanford’s MA program in the History of Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine, where her thesis examines how institutional and historical legacies have shaped the framing of the internet as a telecommunications system rather than a civic or social space. More broadly, her research focuses on the sociocultural implications of digital platforms, algorithmic governance, and the intersection of technology and international policy. A first-generation, lower-income college student and a native of Los Angeles, California, she received an B.S. in ‘Politics, Philosophy, and Economics’ and in ‘History, Culture, and Law’, summa cum laude, from Northeastern University and an MA in International Policy from Stanford, where she is a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.

You can find more about her and her work on her website: https://www.emersonjohnston.org

Supervisors

• Martin Peter Giles
• Herbert Lin
• Amy Zegart

Education & Certifications

• Master of Arts, Stanford University, International Policy, specializing in Cyber Policy and Security (2025)
• Bachelor of Science, Northeastern University, History, Culture, and Law (2023)
• Bachelor of Science, Northeastern University, Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (2023)