Joe Biden has nominated the leading Indian-American scientist, Dr Arti Prabhakar, as a top science advisor to the US President. The White House and the Indian-American community hailed the decision as “historic”.
If Senate approves the nomination, Dr Prabhakar will make history as the first woman, immigrant, or person of colour to head Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She will also be joining the Indian-American community of highly-qualified professionals to be named for a key position in the Biden administration.
“Dr Prabhakar is a brilliant and highly-respected engineer and applied physicist and will lead the Office of Science and Technology Policy to leverage science, technology and innovation to expand our possibilities, solve our toughest challenges and make the impossible possible,” Biden said on Tuesday.
“I share Dr Prabhakar’s belief that America has the most powerful innovation machine the world has ever seen. As the Senate considers her nomination, I am grateful that Dr Alondra Nelson will continue to lead OSTP and Dr Francis Collins will continue to serve as my acting Science Advisor,” he said.
Dr Prabhakar would be the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. In this capacity, she will be the President’s Chief Advisor for Science and Technology, a co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and a member of the President’s Cabinet.
Further, the 63-year-old Prabhakar would become the third Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander to serve in President Biden’s Cabinet, joining Vice President Kamala Harris and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
“Today’s nomination is historic, with Prabhakar being the first woman, immigrant, or person of colour nominated to serve as Senate-confirmed director of OSTP,” said the White House.
Prabhakar has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate before to lead the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and was the first woman to hold that role. She later served as Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the birthplace of breakthrough technologies like stealth aircraft and the Internet.
Meanwhile, the Indian Americans have welcomed Prabhakar’s nomination.
