President Obama Names Science Advisors

President Obama has nominated four highly prominent scientists to serve on his S&T team. John P. Holdren of Harvard University has been tapped to serve as Science Advisor to the President, and the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Harold E. Varmas, President and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Eric Lander, founding Director of the Broad Institute (a Harvard-MIT Joint Institute) will serve, along with Holdren, as Co-Chairs of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Finally, Jane Lubchenco of Oregon State University has been tapped to serve as NOAA Administrator.  President Obama’s focus on S&T issues is clear from these appointments; selection of scientists with expertise in climate change and energy issues (along with confirmation of Nobel Laureate Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy) provide indications of his attention to these national and global issues.  More details on these announcement and biographical information on the nominees can be found here.
 

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