WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to serve in key roles:

  • Michael Guest, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State
  • Pamela Spratlen, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State
  • Caroline Tess, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State
  • Ricardo Zuniga, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State
  • Kimberly Stegmaier, to be a Member of the National Cancer Advisory Board
  • Joan Ferrini-Mundy, to be a Member of the National Science Board
  • Yolanda Gil, to be a Member of the National Science Board
  • Juan Gilbert, to be a Member of the National Science Board
  • Jeffrey A. Isaacson, to be a Member of the National Science Board
  • Willie E. May, to be a Member of the National Science Board
  • Alondra Nelson, to be a Member of the National Science Board
  • Sarah O’Donnell, to be a Member of the National Science Board
  • Ryan Panchadsaram, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State

The Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State, established by Congress, will advise the President and Congress on changes the Department of State can undertake to respond to modern challenges to diplomacy in the 21st century. The Commission’s recommendations will aim to improve the Department’s structural organization, revamp training requirements for personnel, and improve facilities and embassies around the world. These appointees will join 12 other individuals appointed to the Commission by Members of Congress.

Michael Guest, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State

Michael Guest retired from the Department of State in 2007 following 26 years as a career member of the U.S Foreign Service. In Washington, Guest held a number of leadership positions focused on State Department management issues, including Deputy Executive Secretary, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, and Dean of the Leadership and Management School. His overseas tours of duty included service as Ambassador to Romania and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Czech Republic. Across his career, Guest received nine Department of State professional achievement awards, including the Charles E. Cobb Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development and the Christian A. Herter Award for Constructive Senior-Level Policy Dissent. Post-retirement, Guest returned briefly to diplomatic service in 2010 to lead the U.S. Delegation to the Human Rights Review Conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, held in Warsaw, Poland. He also served two terms as a presidential appointee on the National Security Education Board and on the Department of State Agency Review Team for the presidential transitions of both President-elect Obama and President-elect Biden. Guest currently is a consultant to MidEuropa, a leading private equity investor with deep roots in Central Europe. He and his husband, Alexander Nevarez, reside in Miami, Florida.

Pamela Spratlen, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State

Pamela L. Spratlen is an advisor, public speaker, and former diplomat who served for nearly three decades (1990-2019) as a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service. Her tours spanned from Latin America to Western Europe to Russia and Central Asia, and she served as U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic and to the Republic of Uzbekistan. She was lauded for her many efforts to improve diplomatic relations, strengthen human rights, and reinforce regional security. In Washington, she served as Country Director for Western Europe and for Central Asia, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and in the Office of the Inspector General. Spratlen returned to the Department in 2021 to coordinate a special project on employee health incidents that had raised national security concerns. She now serves as a member and leader on non-profit organization boards that address foreign affairs issues, including the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Association of Black American Ambassadors. She chairs the Board of Trustees of the Eurasia Foundation, as well as the Una Chapman Cox (UCC) Foundation Policy Council that advises UCC Foundation trustees on grants to support innovation at the Department of State. Spratlen is also an advisor to and supporter of programs intended to expand diversity across foreign affairs agencies. Spratlen was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in California and Washington state. She now lives in Northern Virginia.

Caroline Tess, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State

Caroline Tess is the Executive Director of National Security Action, an organization dedicated to advancing American global leadership. She is also a real estate investor, adjunct professor, board member, and mom. In 2020, she served on the Biden-Harris Transition, where she led the team responsible for the confirmation of national security cabinet secretaries. A recognized leader on national security, Congress, and Latin America policy, Tess served as Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Legislative Affairs at the National Security Council. In addition to her time at the White House, Tess served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of State and as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. She previously worked on Capitol Hill for more than seven years, serving on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, as well as Senator Harry Reid’s leadership staff and in the office of Senator Bill Nelson. Tess received her M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and her B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

Ricardo Zuniga, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State

Ricardo Zuniga is a founding partner of Dinámica Americas, a strategic advisory firm. He previously served as a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service for 30 years across multiple roles, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle, and U.S. Consul General in São Paulo, Brazil. Zuniga was detailed from the Department of State to serve as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council from 2012 to 2015, advising President Obama, Vice President Biden, and other senior officials on developments in the Americas. Prior to that role, he served overseas tours in Mexico, Portugal, Cuba, Spain, and Brazil and worked in Washington, D.C. in the Bureau of African Affairs and in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Zuniga currently is a member of the Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Latin America Program Advisory Board and Brazil Institute Advisory Council, and the board of the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas. Zuniga received a B.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. He is married and has two daughters.

National Cancer Advisory Board

The National Cancer Advisory Board plays an important role in guiding the Director of the National Cancer Institute in setting the course for the national cancer research program. The National Cancer Advisory Board will complement the Cancer Moonshot, which President Biden reignited to end cancer as we know it – including by making sure his Administration is investing in research and development that will help advance breakthroughs to prevent, detect, and treat diseases like cancer.

Kimberly Stegmaier, to be a Member of the National Cancer Advisory Board

Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and the Ted Williams Investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has pioneered the development and application of innovative genomic approaches to identify new therapies for childhood cancer. Her lab has discovered novel technologies, concepts, and targets with translational impact. Stegmaier is the Vice Chair for Pediatric Oncology Research, Co-Director of the Pediatric Hematologic Malignancy Program, and provides clinical care in pediatric oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital. Stegmaier is an Institute Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT where she serves on the Cancer Program’s Scientific Advisory Committee, and she is a Board Member of the American Association for Cancer Research. Stegmaier is the recipient of numerous awards, such as the Joanne Levy, MD, Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement from the American Society of Hematology, a Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Innovative Research Grant, an E. Mead Johnson Award for Research in Pediatrics, and an NCI Outstanding Investigator R35 Award. She was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. Her deep commitment to training the next generation of researchers has been recognized with the A. Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award from Harvard Medical School and the Casty Family Achievement in Mentoring Award from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Stegmaier received her undergraduate degree from Duke University, medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

National Science Board

The National Science Board and the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) jointly pursue the goals and function of the NSF, including the duty to “recommend and encourage the pursuit of national policies for the promotion of research and education in science and engineering.” The Board establishes the policies of NSF within the framework of applicable national policies set forth by the President and the Congress. In this capacity, the Board identifies issues that are critical to NSF’s future, approves NSF’s strategic budget directions and the annual budget submission to the Office of Management and Budget, and approves new major programs and awards. The Board also serves as an independent body of advisors to both the President and the Congress on policy matters related to science and engineering and education in science and engineering. In addition to major reports, the Board also publishes occasional policy papers or statements on issues of importance to U.S. science and engineering. The Board is made up of 24 members appointed by the President and the NSF Director, who serves as an ex officio member. Members serve six-year terms.

Joan Ferrini-Mundy, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Joan Ferrini-Mundy is the 21st President of the University of Maine (UMaine) and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System. 

During her six years as President, Ferrini-Mundy has introduced changes and efforts to position UMaine as a leader in advancing Maine’s workforce and economy, with focus on inclusion, learner success, and the integration of learning and research. In early 2022, UMaine achieved R1 Carnegie classification under her leadership. Ferrini-Mundy is Co-Principal Investigator of a transformative and historic $320 million grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation to improve student experiences and educational opportunities of the people of Maine and beyond. She has overseen extensive capital improvement, including completion of the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center, new facilities for soccer and field hockey, and an on-campus hotel developed through a public-private partnership.

Ferrini-Mundy is an active leader nationally and in Maine. She was appointed to the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science by President Biden, serves on the National Academies Board on Higher Education and the Workforce, and is Chair-elect of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Council of Presidents. She continues her leadership in mathematics education as past Chair of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences and a member of the Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics board. In Maine, she chairs the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board and serves on the boards of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, Maine & Co., and Maine Public. 

Yolanda Gil, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Yolanda Gil received her bachelor’s degree from the Polytechnic University of Madrid in Spain in 1985, and her PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1992. She then joined the University of Southern California (USC) and is currently Fellow and Senior Director for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science Strategy at the Information Sciences Institute, Director of AI and Data Science Initiatives in the Viterbi School of Engineering, and Research Professor in Computer Science and in Spatial Sciences. She is Director of Data Science Programs with over 1,200 students and has created ten joint interdisciplinary degrees across USC schools.

Her research focuses on AI for science including semantic workflows and knowledge capture, provenance and trust, task-centered collaboration, reproducibility, and automated discovery. She has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles and has received best paper conference awards and journal recognitions for interdisciplinary research in AI for climate, neuroscience, and health. In 2019, Gil co-chaired the Computing Research Association/Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence 20-Year Artificial Intelligence Research Roadmap for the U.S. with key strategic recommendations based on extensive community engagement.

She is a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Cognitive Science Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence and served as its 24th President. In 2022, she became the first computer scientist to receive the M. Lee Allison Award for Outstanding Contributions to Geoinformatics and Data Science from the Geological Society of America.

Juan Gilbert, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Juan Gilbert is the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor, University of Florida Distinguished Professor, and Chair of the Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department at the University of Florida where he leads the Computing for Social Good Lab. His research projects are at the intersection of people, technology, and society. He has research projects in election security/usability/accessibility, advanced learning technologies, usability and accessibility, human-centered AI/machine learning, and ethnocomputing/culturally relevant computing. He is a Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Association of the Advancement of Science, and the National Academy of Inventors. He was also named a laureate of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Biden. He received his M.S. and PhD degrees in Computer Science from the University of Cincinnati and his B.S. in Systems Analysis from Miami University in Ohio.

Jeffrey A. Isaacson, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Jeffrey A. Isaacson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Universities Space Research Association (USRA), which operates in partnership with over 120 research universities worldwide in the areas of science, technology, workforce development, and facility management. Prior to joining USRA, he held executive positions at Sandia National Laboratories, RAND Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Isaacson served 25 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve, retiring as Captain. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and a former member of the Army Science Board. He earned degrees at Columbia University, Princeton University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his PhD in Physics.

Willie E. May, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Willie E. May currently serves as Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University, a public historically black research university. Previously, he served as the Senate-confirmed Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, charged with overseeing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Technical Information Service. May began his career as a research chemist at NIST. His research in trace organic analytical chemistry and the physico-chemical properties of organic compounds is documented in over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He has delivered more than 250 invited lectures globally.

In addition to his responsibilities at Morgan State University, May is President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; serves on advisory boards for Consumer Reports, the University of Maryland, College Park’s College of Computer, Math, and Natural Sciences, and Google’s Public Sector Research Technology Board. In the recent past, he served as Vice President of the International Committee on Weights and Measures (CIPM) and President of the CIPM’s Consultative Committee for Chemistry and Biology.

May earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Knoxville College and PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park. His accolades include honorary doctorates from Wake Forest University and the University of Alabama, Huntsville, multiple awards from the American Chemical Society, and recognition as the federal government’s “Top Chemist” by Chemical and Engineering News in 2015. He is an Honorary Fellow of the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Alondra Nelson, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Alondra Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study and leads the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab. Past-president of the Social Science Research Council, she was previously the inaugural Dean of Social Science and Professor of Sociology at Columbia University. Nelson began her academic career on the faculty of Yale University and received its Poorvu Award for interdisciplinary teaching excellence.

Nelson was Deputy Assistant to President Biden as well as serving as Principal Deputy Director for Science and Society and performing the duties of the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In recognition of her public service tenure, Nelson was named to Nature’s global list of “Ten People Who Shaped Science.” In 2023, she was named to the TIME100 list of the most influential people in the field of artificial intelligence and appointed to the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on AI.

A distinguished sociologist of science and technology, Nelson is the author of acclaimed books, essays, and articles. She has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Medicine, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Nelson received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, magna cum laude, from the University of California at San Diego, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received her PhD in American Studies from New York University.

Sarah O’Donnell, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Sarah O’Donnell works for the MITRE Corporation and serves as the Chief Engineer for Naval Programs at the National Security Engineering Center (NSEC) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). MITRE is a not-for-profit organization that operates FFRDCs for the U.S. government. She specializes in providing technical options to resolve complex, emergent mission problems to achieve strategic advantage against adversaries to mitigate risk for the U.S., its allies, and partner operations. Previously, she served as the Program Director for NSEC’s Special Operations Forces program and was responsible for leading technical problem solving, strategic planning, and innovative research. In this capacity, she developed and led initiatives that provided solutions for programs operating at the seams of the intelligence, military, and civilian communities and at the convergence of armed forces, foreign relations, war, and national defense authorities.

Prior to her work leading national security programs, O’Donnell led experimental and theoretical work in condensed matter physics related to nanostructured electronic materials including collaborative experimental work on novel optical switching and the improvement of quantum energy conversion for power and energy prototypes. She authored numerous open literature and specialized works, holds a U.S. patent in the nanotechnology field, and received awards for her contributions to engineering and applied science. Early in her career, she worked as a mechanical engineer at Orbital Sciences Corporation in the Advanced Programs Group, focusing on thermal protection systems and hypersonic sensing. O’Donnell holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of Virginia.

Ryan Panchadsaram, to be a Member of the National Science Board

Ryan Panchadsaram is an engineer and investor dedicated to building the industries of the future. He has held senior positions in both business and government and has served on the boards of companies and non-profits across the healthcare, climate, and technology sectors. At Kleiner Perkins, he is the technical advisor to the Chair, John Doerr, and together they invest in groundbreaking technologies such as fusion energy, synthetic biology, and AI. Panchadsaram and Doerr co-authored Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now and collaborated on the number one bestseller Measure What Matters.

During the Obama-Biden Administration, Panchadsaram served as a Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he championed entrepreneurship, innovation, and open data. He played a key role in leading the turnaround of HealthCare.gov, which provided healthcare coverage to over 21 million Americans. Following this, he helped launch the United States Digital Service, a White House unit that recruits top technologists to serve in government. Earlier in his career, Panchadsaram held roles at Microsoft and Salesforce.

He received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University of California, Berkeley.

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