Source: RoadToVR

One over arching disparity which I could not get over throughout the last 19 months is the fact that President Trump did not immediately hire/nominate a scientist to fill the position of Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House. I have been baffled by this vacancy. Why? Because of the implications of the leaving science out of policy decisions. At least let science weigh in on a decision. Even if the final decision does not reflect science at all. Give science a 'seat at the table' - which is what President Trump finally did with the announcement of a nominee for the position at the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Below are a two separate announcements from the science community worth reading in celebration of this action by the Administration.

What is the OSTP?

This week, news was announced that the position of Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy was being filled by a scientist. Yes, an actual scientist. First, to understand the position and its importance, shown below is a short excerpt from the 'Wikipedia' page:

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a department of the United States government, part of the Executive Office of the President (EOP), established by United States Congress on May 11, 1976, with a broad mandate to advise the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs.

The director of this office is colloquially known as the President's Science Advisor. The position has been vacant since President Donald Trump took office, along with a number of other leadership positions in the agency.[1] In August 2018, meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier was nominated for the position.[2]

As you can see, the new nominee -- Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier is already stated as the new potential candidate for the position. This is encouraging news to say the least for the science community. Over the last 19 months, I have been critical of the lack of science input by the President, simply because of his promises to science before being considered the sole nominee by the republican party-- which can be read here . Had he not made these promises to scientists early on in his candidacy, the expectations would remain low.

As a result, the enthusiasm among scientists was skeptical at first and rightfully so in the first few months of his presidency. What transpired was an attack on the funding for science along with the dissemination of science to the public. Previous blog posts highlighting some egregious examples follow the blog post (at the end/bottom of page). This left a sour taste in the mouths of worried scientists to say the least. Although, when change (in the positive direction toward science occurs), credit must be given to President Trump too.

At this point in time, I have to give credit to President Trump for nominating a candidate and showing interest in seeking some input. I always try to stay positive for each politician in office. The last two years have been difficult. Although, President Trump is not stupid and he usually surrounds himself by people who understand their respective fields to a great degree. This contributed to the dismay over the past 19 months.

Celebrate a small victory!

Why celebrate? Well, at least take a look at what remarks are coming out of the science field regarding the nomination. From the online journal 'The Scientist' here is the short piece titled "President Trump Picks Meteorologist to Lead OSTP" shown below:

President Donald Trump has nominated experienced meteorologist and University of Oklahoma researcher Kelvin Droegemeier to head the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), according to a White House statement published earlier this week (July 31). If confirmed, Droegemeier would fill a position that has been vacant since Trump took office 19 months ago.

“I’m pleasantly surprised,” Marshall Spencer, a meteorologist at the University of Georgia, tells The Atlantic. “Up to this point, many of the appointments on the science side have been odd, but Kelvin is solid on all grounds. He is very well respected in our field and has spent a career teaching the fundamentals of climate science.”

Droegemeier has served on the National Science Board under former US Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He has also led several of the board’s advisory committees. “He combines a lot of qualities in somebody you’d like to see in public service,” Roger Pielke Jr, a political scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, tells Nature. “He is, in the most positive way, a nerdy meteorologist who loved working on weather technology. And he also has a knack for administration and working his way around the system.”

Droegemeier could face a challenging time in office if confirmed, due to President Trump’s opposition to previous administrations’ climate and energy policies, according to The Washington Post. “As an atmospheric scientist, he will understand these weather-related problems are connected to the climate system as well, and weather and climate are intricately connected,” National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt tells the Post. “He will have to walk a very careful line given the president’s very strong views on this, but we hope he still can be a measured influence with the administration.”

Tasks for the head of the OSTP will include advising the president on technical issues and helping shape federal science policy. “Having such a strong leader . . . as head of OSTP is essential to ensuring science is a key factor considered in the policymaking process,” Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities in Washington, DC, tells Science. “All Americans are better off when science has a seat at the table.”

Another Journal -- 'Science' -- in a short article titled "Researchers welcome Trump's pick to head science office" described the new development in the White House as follows:

The long wait for a White House science adviser is over. This week, President Donald Trump announced he intends to nominate meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier, a university administrator and former vice-chair of the governing board of the National Science Foundation (NSF), to be director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The OSTP director traditionally, but not always, holds the title of the president's science adviser.

The move caps a search process of record-setting length—nearly 560 days, double the time taken by other modern presidents to name an OSTP director. Many researchers had lamented the delay. But the wait may have been worth it: Droegemeier, 59, is a respected veteran of the Washington, D.C., policymaking scene and is getting positive reviews from science and university groups.

“He's a very good pick. … He has experience speaking science to power,” says environmental policy expert John Holdren, who served as science adviser under former President Barack Obama and is now at Harvard University. “I expect he'll be energetic in defending the R&D budget and climate change research in particular.”

Maria Zuber, a planetary geophysicist and vice president for research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, agrees that Droegemeier will stand up for climate science. “He always has. I see no reason why he wouldn't now.” But she says his style is not confrontational. “He's a good old boy. He wears cowboy boots. … He's a personable guy.” She adds that “he's got solid conservative credentials,” noting that his web page is emblazoned with “God Bless America!!!”

Droegemeier, who has served on the faculty of The University of Oklahoma in Norman for 33 years and been the school's vice president for research since 2009, has long been rumored to be in the running for the OSTP job, which entails advising the president on technical issues and overseeing coordination of federal science policy. He is no stranger to Washington, D.C.; then-President George W. Bush named him to the National Science Board, which oversees NSF, in 2004, and Obama reappointed him in 2011. He has also served as a formal and informal adviser to federal and state politicians. Recently, he helped craft federal legislation aimed at bolstering weather forecasting that Congress passed last year with bipartisan support, and he advised former Oklahoma Representative Jim Bridenstine (R), now the administrator of NASA. Those connections likely helped bring Droegemeier's name to Trump's attention.

As a researcher, Droegemeier focused on numerical weather forecasting, including thunderstorm dynamics. He helped found and lead two NSF-funded centers focused on storm prediction and atmospheric monitoring. “His command of both science and policy issues is nearly unmatched in the community,” says Roger Wakimoto, vice chancellor for research at the University of California, Los Angeles, and president of the American Meteorological Society in Boston.

If confirmed by the Senate, Droegemeier will take the helm of an office that has been buffeted by change. Under Obama, OSTP's staff grew to some 135 people, and it was active in shaping budget and policy plans, particularly in the climate change arena. Under Trump, OSTP's staff plummeted to about 35 last year, but has since grown to about 60 under the leadership of its de facto head, OSTP Deputy Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios.

Holdren says Droegemeier has “a big challenge ahead of him. … I look forward to seeing what he's able to accomplish in a very challenging circumstance.” Trump has a reputation for ignoring expert advice. But “it could well be that [Droegemeier is] thinking: ‘Here's a chance to make a small difference and to at least be a small voice of reason,’” says Rick Anthes, president emeritus of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

One of Droegemeier's first tasks, Holdren says, will be to develop strong working relationships the other senior White House staff, including the head of the Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the annual budget request to Congress. Holdren believes Trump's budget requests, which have called for large cuts in some science agencies, “reflect that weakness of not having a senior scientist engaged as an equal in that process.” Another task, Holdren says, will be “rebuilding the science part” of OSTP, which has emphasized technology and workforce issues under Trump.

Mostly, researchers are relieved that science will finally have some voice in the White House. “I wish it had happened a lot earlier,” Holdren says. “But on the other hand, many of us weren't sure it would ever happen.”

Based on the two celebratory accounts of the new news that hit the science community just under a week ago, Dr. Droegemeier seems to be a good candidate for the position. There are two other points (among many) to highlight with respect to the choice of Dr. Droegemeier which are important in moving forward to the science community.

First, he has experience with politics and the inclusion of science into policy-making under two previous presidents. Which means that science funding will have a voice in the Oval Office. Also, due to his extensive career as a research scientist, he has a good knowledge of the past funding cycles of science in congress along with the varying attitudes toward science over the years.

Secondly, he brings over 30 years of research experience to the table in a contested field - atmospheric chemistry. His research revolves around climate change models - which are always the subject of debate among scientists. Models have limitations which are at the forefront of debates over the validity of various scientific conclusions. At the same time, the models are only based on input parameters and algorithms. Therefore, the possibility of optimizing the input parameters and algorithms is always a path which most scientists try to stay on.

Last but not least, in Dr. Droegemeier can debunk any dubious notions on which 'climate models' are questioned. This is extremely important. Explaining the uncertainty surrounding 'climate models' is not without controversy. What is important though is to understand the benefit of understanding the parameters on which the 'climate models' are based upon. And Dr. Droegemeier offers experience to be able to explain how models work, the limitations, and the benefits of such models. Furthermore, the knowledge he has to offer regarding models can be extended to other areas of 'theoretical research' which is based largely on computational models.

Dr. Droegemeier's appointment to the nomination for the position within the Office of Science and Technology Policy is a relief and welcome news to all scientists throughout America. Hopefully, the importance of science will be elevated within policy-making circles and have a greater positive impact on issues affecting society (and the world) as a whole moving forward.

Related Blog Posts:

Why is the Trump Administration Suppressing Science -- AGAIN???

EPA Estimates Of Methane - GHG - are off by 60%

Chemical Safety Board's Future Uncertain as Hurricane Season Approaches

How Dangerous Are Cigarettes?

Update: EPA Throws Journalists Out Of PFAS Conference - Why?

Update: Congress asks Federal Agencies about Dangerous Chemicals -- PFOA and PFOS

Congress Asks Defense Department and Environmental Protection Agency about Dangerous Chemicals

Conservatives are calling on President Trump to fire EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt over Renewable Fuel Standards