CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Richard Herman, the chancellor of the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois, was named Monday to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
The current council was established by President George Bush in 2001 to enable the president to receive advice from the private sector and academic community on technology, scientific research priorities, and math and science education.
“It’s a pleasure to be able to serve the nation in this role,” Herman said. “This is a time when science and technology are critical to positioning the nation to compete and succeed in the global market.”
The council follows a tradition of presidential advisory panels on science and technology dating back to presidents Eisenhower and Truman.
Since its creation, the council, which sometimes is referred to by its acronym, PCAST, has been expanded and consists of 37 members plus the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy who serves as the council’s co-chair. The council members, appointed by the president, are drawn from industry, education, and research institutions, and other nongovernmental organizations.
