President Donald Trump has nominated extreme weather expert Kelvin K. Droegemeier of the University of Oklahoma as head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, according to a White House official.
Why this matters: The Trump administration faces a host of complex scientific challenges, from charting a path forward for federal research into quantum computing, AI and space exploration to negotiating a nuclear agreement with North Korea. Trump took longer to name a science adviser than any other president since Eisenhower.
Between the lines: If confirmed by the Senate, Droegemeier would be a prominent voice of mainstream science — including climate change — in the White House.
President Trump has long expressed doubt about the scientific evidence proving that human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, are causing the planet to warm, thereby worsening extreme events such as heat waves and heavy precipitation events. (See Also: The Least Extreme Summer On Record In The US)
Details: Droegemeier currently serves as the vice president for research and Regent’s Professor of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.
He has a particular expertise in next-generation radar technology to predict severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Droegemeier co-founded and directed the National Science Foundation’s Science and Technology Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, and served two six-year terms on the National Science Board, under Presidents George W. Bush and Obama.
Since 2017, he has served as secretary of science and technology, appointed by Oklahoma’s Republican Governor, Mary Fallin.
What they’re saying: Top scientists reacted to the news with enthusiastic support for his nomination.
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