Trump renews presidential science advisory board, with UC Berkeley chemist among members named so far

A presidential science advisory board that has been defunct since the beginning of the Donald J. Trump administration is getting a new lease on life. Trump announced Oct. 22 that he is reconstituting the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), which is designed to give the White House guidance about science and technology issues facing the country. University of California, Berkeley, chemistry professor K. Birgitta Whaley, an expert in quantum computing, is among the seven board members named so far. A. N. Sreeram, vice president and chief technology officer at Dow, was also named to the board, along with executives from several other companies, including SC Johnson, IBM, and Cyclo Therapeutics. Nine members of the 16-member board have yet to be announced. Whaley says she agreed to the appointment because she thinks it is important for scientists to give advice when asked. The government “should get input from scientists,” she says. “We would be remiss if we did not participate.” Whaley especially hopes to address questions facing quantum science and technology. “There are important issues with education and workforce training,” she says. “I hope to be able to represent the community there.”