It is no longer news that President Joe Biden of the United States of America, appointed John Dabiri, a Nigerian-American aeronautical engineer, as a member of his council of advisors on science and technology.
But not many know much about the engineer whose parents left Nigeria for the US in 1980 in search of greener pasture.
Let’s look at the profile of John O. Dabiri who is the youngest among the 30 members of the council on Wednesday:
John Dabiri’s profile
Dabiri who is currently a professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), was born to Nigerian immigrant parents in 1980.
His profile, according to the White House, states: “John O. Dabiri, PhD, is an aeronautical engineer who designs next-generation wind turbines with the potential to reduce cost, size, and environmental impacts while maximizing the amount of electricity generated.”
Discoveries on the ideal placement of wind turbines were shaped by his cross-disciplinary research into how jellyfish and schools of fish move throughout the ocean efficiently.
He was awarded the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and the Alan T. Waterman Award from the National Science Foundation.
He is a member of the NVIDIA Board of Directors and Trustee of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
He serves on the National Academies Committee on Science, Technology, and Law and is Chair of the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics.
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On Wednesday, President Biden announced 30 of America’s most distinguished leaders in science and technology as members of his President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
They stated, “A direct descendant of the scientific advisory committee established by President Eisenhower in 1957 in the weeks after the launch of Sputnik, PCAST is the sole body of external advisors charged with making science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the President and the White House.
“Drawing from the nation’s most talented and accomplished individuals, President Biden’s PCAST includes 20 elected members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, five MacArthur “Genius” Fellows, two former Cabinet secretaries, and two Nobel laureates.
“Its members include experts in astrophysics and agriculture, biochemistry and computer engineering, ecology and entrepreneurship, immunology and nanotechnology, neuroscience and national security, social science and cybersecurity, and more.”
Dabiri said he is honoured to have been selected, adding that he will work with other members of the council to ensure that the US benefits from the opportunities available in science and technology.
He said, “The members of PCAST bring a diverse set of perspectives on how we can maximize the benefits of science and technology for the nation. I’m honoured to have the opportunity to work with them and to be able to offer my assistance to the president.”
Source: nairametrics
