President, National Academy of Sciences, USA

Marcia McNutt (B.A. in physics, Colorado College; Ph.D. in earth sciences, Scripps Institution of Oceanography) is a geophysicist and the 22nd president of the National Academy of Sciences. From 2013 to 2016, she was editor-in-chief of Science journals. McNutt was director of the U.S. Geological Survey from 2009 to 2013, during which time USGS responded to a number of major disasters, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. For her work to help contain that spill, McNutt was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard’s Meritorious Service Medal. She is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Geological Society of America, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the International Association of Geodesy. Her honors include membership in the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1998, McNutt was awarded the AGU’s Macelwane Medal for research accomplishments by a young scientist, and she received the Maurice Ewing Medal in 2007 for her contributions to deep-sea exploration.

Counsellor to the President of Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan

Dr. Nakamura graduated from the University of Tokyo and joined Hitachi Central Research Laboratory in 1967, where he was engaged in compound semiconductors and optoelectronics research. He was a pioneer of semiconductor DFB laser development. In 2004, he was appointed Executive Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi Ltd., and then assumed a position of Board of Director till September 2011. He was responsible for corporate technology development and new business incubation. He was a visiting Researcher at California Institute of Technology in 1972-73. Since October 2011, he has been serving as President of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), where policy-driven R&D funding is a major mission. Also, the dissemination of scientific information, science education for young generation, and science communication are among current activities. He has been actively working on national science and technology strategy. He served for Industrial R&D Committee of the Japan Business Federation, Council of Competitiveness Japan, Management Committee of Tsukuba Innovation Arena, Nanotechnology Business Creation Initiative (NBCI), and Council for Science and Technology of Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). He is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the Promotion of Science and Technology Diplomacy. He is entitled IEEE fellow, JSAP fellow, and IEICE fellow.

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.

Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, United Arab Emirates

Abdullah Naser Lootah is the Director General of Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), a UAE federal government entity created by Presidential Decree No.7 of the year 2015, mandated to strengthen and enhance UAE’s national data and competitiveness capacities. Prior to leading the FCSA, Mr. Lootah was the Secretary General of the Emirates Competitiveness Council (ECC), the entity that merged with the National Bureau of Statistics, to form the FCSA.

During his time in ECC, Mr. Lootah oversaw all aspects of the organization’s work relating to UAE’s globally competitive position and global rankings. This included extensive liaisons with federal and Emirate-level government entities and on competitiveness strategies in areas including health, education, business and ICT.
Advocating for policies to enhance the nation’s productivity and well-being, Mr. Lootah also shaped ECC’s research and policy agenda as well as creating a central meeting point connecting public and private sectors, and international organizations.

Prior to joining the ECC, Mr. Lootah was the Country Manager at Microsoft Oman, where he in charge of the world’s largest software developer operations in that country, after leading for a number of years, the UAE’s public sector business for Microsoft. Mr. Lootah was recognized on various occasions, and was awarded the Microsoft Circle of Excellence Award in 2005 for his outstanding contribution and performance.

In his previous work at Emaar, the developer of the world tallest structure, Burj Khalife, Mr. Lootah was part of the team that delivered the region’s first freehold development, The Dubai Marina, in 2000.

Lootah holds a degree from Richmond, the American International University in London, as well as credentials from Columbia Business School and Ashridge Business School.

Senior Scholar, Visiting Scientist, Center for Science Diplomacy, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Prof. Dr. E. William Colglazier is currently Senior Scholar at the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is also co-chair of the 10-Member Group of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism. He served as 4th Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State from 2011 to 2014. His role was to provide scientific and technical expertise and advice in support of the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. Previously, he served as Executive Officer of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Research Council (NRC) where he helped to oversee the studies that provide independent, objective advice on public policy issues, and as Executive Director of their Office of International Affairs. From 1983 to 1991, he was a Professor of Physics at the University of Tennessee where he directed several research centers: Energy, Environment, and Resources Center; Waste Management Research and Education Institute; and the Water Resources Research Center. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1971, and prior to 1983 worked at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. While at Harvard, he also served as Associate Director of the Program in Science, Technology, and Humanism of the Aspen Institute. In 1976-77, he was an AAAS Congressional Science Fellow. He is past chair of the Forum on Physics and Society of the American Physical Society (APS) and a Fellow of the AAAS and APS.