State Department Names New Science Adviser

Nina V. Federoff, a geneticist and molecular biologist and professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University, has been named the State Department's third science and technology adviser. She will be the first woman to hold this position, which was created in 2000 to increase science literacy and inform science-infused foreign policy. Federoff's research has advanced the understanding of how genes function in plants, and she was one of the first scientists to clone plant genes. Given her background, she is likely to focus on agricultural problems stressing developing countries. But she will also be faced with addressing emerging infectious diseases, including pandemic flu, export controls, and nuclear security issues related to such countries as Iran and North Korea. Federoff is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a 2006 recipient of the National Medal of Science. She is also the author of "Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist's View of Genetically Modified Foods." She begins her post on Aug. 6.