Appointments double the Administration’s science diplomacy cadre
Newswise — Senator Richard Lugar announced Dr. Rita Colwell, distinguished professor both at the University of Maryland at College Park, and Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health Chairman; Dr. Gebisa Ejeta, distinguished professor of agronomy, Purdue University; and Dr. Alice Gast, president of Lehigh University as science envoys. These envoys follow Dr. Bruce Alberts, Dr. Elias Zerhouni and Dr. Amhed Zewail, who were announced by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in November 2009 as the first three science envoys to Muslim-majority nations.
The announcement occurred during Lugar’s remarks as he accepted the 2010 CRDF George Brown Award for International Scientific Cooperation last night at the National Press Club. At the award event, Lugar was honored alongside the late Dr. Norman Borlaug and Dr. Bruce Alberts for their scientific and humanitarian achievements.
“Last November, Secretary Clinton announced the first three science envoys,” Lugar said. “Secretary Clinton called me and…learned of this remarkable banquet tonight in which so much of the scientific leadership of the country is located. She asked me to announce the second round of science envoys here tonight.”
According to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Science Envoys help demonstrate the Administration’s commitment to science diplomacy and the creation of international partnerships in science and technology. The envoys will engage foreign governments as well as research, education, nonprofit, and business communities and will identify areas of mutual interest and potential partnership.
“The Science Envoy program,” said CRDF Global President and CEO Cathy Campbell, “underscores the value of international science engagement to promote peace, partnership and progress.”
MEDIA NOTE: Photos of the 2010 George Brown Awards are available upon request from CRDF Global Communications. Contact EA Dyson at 703-526-2339, [email protected]. CRDF Global plans to produce video of the event’s speakers and honorees at http://www.youtube.com/internationalscience
About CRDF GlobalCRDF Global is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by the U.S. Congress and established in 1995 by the National Science Foundation to promote international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources and training. CRDF Global has 15 years of experience managing international research funding programs and supporting emerging science and technology infrastructure in more than 30 countries in Eurasia, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
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