Named Executive Director of Policy and Global Affairs, USA

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vaughan C. Turekian to be the Executive Director of the Policy and Global Affairs Division (PGA), effective May 12, 2018.

Dr. Turekian is currently serving a joint appointment as Senior Director of the Program on Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS), a program within PGA for which he was hired August of 2017. Prior to joining the STS program, Dr. Turekian served as the fifth Science and Technology Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State. In this capacity, he advised the Secretary of State and other senior State Department officials on international environment, science, technology, and health matters affecting the foreign policy of the United States. From 2016 to 2017, he served as a country co-chair, along with the Kenyan Ambassador to the United Nations, for the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, a high-level discussion at the United Nations designed to accelerate progress toward globally agreed upon development targets. In 2018, Dr. Turekian was appointed by the U.N. Secretary General as one of the ten international members to promote the role of science, technology, and innovation for achieving for the 17 SDGs.

Dr. Turekian drew upon his background in atmospheric chemistry and extensive policy experience to promote science, technology, and engineering as integral components of U.S. diplomacy. Previously, he was Chief International Officer for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Director of AAAS's Center for Science Diplomacy (2006 - 2015). In this capacity, he worked to build bridges between nations based on shared scientific goals, placing special emphasis on regions where traditional political relationships are strained or do not exist. As Editor-in-Chief of Science & Diplomacy, an online quarterly publication, he published original policy pieces that have served to inform international science policy recommendations. In addition, Dr. Turekian worked at the State Department as a Special Assistant and Advisor to the Under Secretary for Global Affairs (2002 - 2006) on issues related to sustainable development, climate change, environment, energy, science, technology, and health. He also served as Program Director for the Committee on Global Change Research at the National Research Council (2000 - 2002), where he was study director for a White House report on climate change science.

Dr. Turekian holds a B.S. in Geology and Geophysics and International Studies from Yale University and a M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia where he focused on the transport and chemistry of atmospheric aerosols in marine environments. Dr. Turekian not only brings both technical expertise and over 15 years of policy experience to the position, but also a decorated track-record and steadfast commitment to utilizing our nation's capital science and technology innovation to advance the long-term sustainability and U.S. diplomacy.

Minister of Science, Technology and Research, SriLanka

Susil Premajayantha, MP, had his primary and secondary education at St. John's College, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka. In 1982, he completed the Bachelor of Law Degree at the University of Colombo and passed out as an Attorney-at-Law in 1985. He has also completed a Master of Public Administration at the Post Graduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Presently, he is reading for a Doctorate in Business Management at the Open University of Malaysia. He has followed short term programs at Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA in 2007.
Mr. Premajayantha commenced his political career with his appointment as Deputy Chairman of Sri Jayawardhanapura, Kotte, Urban Council in 1991. In 1993 he was elected as a Provincial Council Member of the Western Province and was the Minister of Agriculture of the local Government in the Western Provincial Council. In 1995 he was appointed as the Chief Minister of Western Province. Subsequently the electorate reposed their faith in him by re-electing him and he became the Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council between 1995 and 2000.

He was elected to the Sri Lanka Parliament in the year 2000 and has continued to be in Parliament since then. During this period he has held the Cabinet portfolios of Education and Higher Education, Power and Energy, Petroleum Industries, the Minister of Environment and Renewable Energy and is presently the Minister of Science Technology and Research.

In the International arena he was elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO in 2007 and was the Chairman of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO 2005-2010, Chairman of Sri Lanka Russia Parliamentary Friendship Association, Vice Chairman Sri Lanka Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association and Chairman, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Association.

Beginning his political career as a grass root politician at the Urban Council level he is now associated in many initiatives at the national and International level on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka. He placed his signature on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka to Climate Change Paris Agreement on 22 April 2016 at UN head Quarters in New York. He has attended many International Fora as a participant and as a Minister during his tenure as Minister of Science Technology and Research.

Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations in New York

H.E. Mrs. Lana Nusseibeh was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations in New York in September 2013. She currently serves as the President of the UN Women Executive Board, and was recently appointed cofacilitator of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the UN General Assembly by the President of the General Assembly. She previously co-facilitated the review process of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). She also serves as co-chair of the Friends of the Future of the UN (FFUN), an informal group of UN Permanent Representatives working to strengthen the UN’s capacity to deliver on its priority mandates.

Prior to her appointment as Permanent Representative to the UN, she served in a number of capacities within the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most recently launching the Ministry’s Policy Planning Department and serving as its first Director for three years. Previously, she served as the Head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Campaign Task Force at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as Director of Research and Communications for the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs.

Ambassador Nusseibeh received a Bachelors and Masters in History from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and a Masters with distinction in Israeli and Jewish Diaspora Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.

Women's Leaders Committee of OAS Youth United In Action, Venezuela

I am Venezuelan, lawyer specializing in Family Law and inheritance. I am a researcher, my specialist thesis was on the Right to Genetic Identity. Diploma in Public Policies for Democratic Development for the Americas, University Teaching, International Election Observation, Human Rights, Gender Diagnosis for National HIV Responses, Public Policies with a Gender Focus, National and International Protection Mechanisms for Women, Workshop on The Protocol for the Investigation of Femicides. Citizen activist, feminist and human rights defender. President of the NGO Youth United in Action with experience in initiatives and coordination of projects related to the development of public policies for youth with a gender focus. Member of several international youth networks Which stands out as the founder of the Youth Network of the Americas and the Latin American Network for Democratic Development. Focal point of the Ibero-American Women's Network, Global Youth Ambassador for education and Active Member of the Committee of Women Leaders of the OAS. Highly committed to building a more just and inclusive world.

President, Center for Autonomy and Development of Indigenous Peoples, Nicaragua (and TFM 10-Member Group)

Dr. Myrna Cunningham Kain is an indigenous Miskita woman from Nicaragua and President of the Center for Autonomy and Development of Indigenous Peoples which is an organization working in areas of intercultural communication, cultural revitalisation, indigenous women’s rights, and climate change and its impact on indigenous communities. With a professional background as doctor of medicine, she has experience in health issues and health policy. She collaborates with Nicaragua’s Autonomous Regional Governments in establishing Intercultural Health models. She has also supported the rights of indigenous peoples and served as Secretary-General of the Indigenous Inter-American Institute, as well as Chair of the UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues from 2011 to 2013. She has worked as a consultant for many multilateral, bilateral, governmental and non-governmental organizations on issues ranging from health, education, land, environment and natural resources, racial discrimination, evaluation mechanisms, to international human rights instruments. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Global Fund for Women.