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U.S. Science Envoy Program

Meridian International Center has partnered with the U.S. Department of State since 2011 to support the implementation of the U.S. Science Envoy Program. U.S. Science Envoys are selected by the Secretary of State to build and strengthen connections between the U.S. scientific community and counterparts abroad. Through this program, distinguished U.S. scientists and engineers apply their expertise and professional networks to identify opportunities for sustained international cooperation in science, technology, and engineering fields.

Envoys typically serve for one year and engage on issues of shared interest that advance U.S. foreign policy and research priorities. What Science Envoys Do Science Envoys help bridge government institutions and scientific communities by building peer-to-peer connections between in-country researchers and the U.S. scientific community. Their work supports transparent, merit-based research institutions, promotes science education and public engagement, and highlights the role of science in society.

Envoys also advise U.S. government representatives on programs and opportunities that advance international scientific collaboration. Who Science Envoys Are Science Envoys are distinguished leaders in academia and research, including senior university faculty, nationally recognized scientists, Nobel laureates, published authors, and former government advisors. Their expertise spans a wide range of disciplines, from chemistry and physics to medicine, engineering, agronomy, space, and related fields.

Global Reach and Impact Since 2010, 34 Science Envoys have engaged in more than 70 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South America, and Southeast Asia. Their engagements bring together government and non-government science leaders, academic institutions, and research organizations to convene dialogue at the intersection of foreign policy and science. Advancing Science Diplomacy Envoy engagements address critical global challenges including emerging technologies, energy, public health, environmental science, and research capacity-building.

In select cases, Envoys also support regional dialogues and workshops that foster sustained collaboration. Through this work, the U.S. Science Envoy Program strengthens and mobilizes international scientific networks aligned with U.S. priorities in science, innovation, and technology. Former U.S. Science Envoys Dr. Thomas Lovejoy Former President of the Amazon Biodiversity Center; University Professor @ George Mason University Peter Jay Hotez Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine @ Baylor College of Medicine Dr.

Jessica Gephart Assistant Professor in Environmental Science @ American University Dr. Stephanie "Steffi" Diem Assistant Professor in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics @ University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Rumman Chowdhury CEO @ Humane Intelligence Dr. Linda Abriola Joan Wernig and E. Paul Sorensen Professor of Engineering @ Brown University Dr. Prineha Narang Professor and Howard Reiss Chair in Physical Sciences @ University of California Los Angeles Dr.

Bruce Alberts Emeritus Chancellor’s Leadership Chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for Science and Education @ University of California, San Francisco Dr. Bernard Amadei Distinguished Professor and Professor of Civil Engineering @ University of Colorado at Boulder The Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr. Founder & CEO Emeritus @ The Charles F. Bolden Group Dr. Rita Colwell Distinguished University Professor Emerita in the Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics @ University of Maryland; Former Director of the National Science Foundation Dr.

Gebisa Ejeta Distinguished Professor of Agronomy @ Purdue University Dr. Alice P. Gast Former Member, Board of Directors @ Chevron Dr. Drew Harvell Professor Emeritus @ Cornell University Dr. Mark Hersam Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Director of the Materials Research Center @ Northwestern University Dr. Susan Hockfield President Emerita, Professor of Neuroscience @ Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dr.

LaShonda Korley Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering @ University of Delaware Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson Professor of Epidemiology and Ecosystem Health and Director of the EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics @ University of California, Davis Dr. Robert S. Langer David H. Koch Institute Professor @ Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dr. Margaret Leinen Former Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Dean of the School of Marine Sciences @ University of California, San Diego The Honorable Dr.

Jane Lubchenco Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology @ Oregon State University Dr. Arun Majumdar Dean, Doerr School of Sustainability, Jay Precourt Professor, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, of Energy Science and Engineering, and of Photon Science @ Stanford University Dr. Michael Osterholm Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Regents Professor @ University of Minnesota Dr.

Sian Proctor Geoscience Professor @ Maricopa Community Colleges; Chief Inspiration Astronaut of Space2inspire Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum Co-Director of Rice 360° Institute for Global Health, Malcolm Gillis University Professor @ Rice University Dr. Geraldine "Geri" Richmond Former Under Secretary of Energy for Science @ U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Barbara Schaal Professor of Biology @ Washington University in St. Louis Dr.

James Schauer Peterson-Rader-Hawnn Professor and William C. Boyle Professor of Environmental Engineering @ University of Wisconsin-Madison @ University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Frances Seymour Distinguished Senior Fellow @ World Resources Institute; Former Senior Dr. Kyle Whyte George Willis Pack Professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability @ University of Michigan Dr. Dawn Wright Chief Scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri); Courtesy Professor @ Oregon State University Dr.

Elias Zerhouni Former Director @ National Institutes of Health Dr. Ahmed Zewail Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Physics, and the director of the Physical Biology Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology @ California Institute of Technology .