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”.
United States president, Joe Biden as announced the appointment of John Dabiri, an American born Nigerian Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Dabiri will join a group of 30 top scientists and engineers, including Frances Arnold, Caltech’s Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry, on the board, which advises the president on matters involving science, technology, education, and innovation policy.
The appointment was disclosed in a statement issued by the White House.
“Today, 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),” the White House statement read.
While the council’s various members are not limited to advising on specific topics, they each have different, sometimes overlapping interests and expertise. Dabiri hopes to provide perspective on issues related to sustainability and ocean science, topics he describes as “close to my heart.”
According to his profile that was published by the White House, he is an engineer who “designs next-generation wind turbines with the potential to reduce cost, size, and environmental impacts while maximizing the amount of electricity generated”.
Dabiri also happens to be the youngest amongst the council chosen.
Dabiri will also be working alongside 2018 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, Arnold, who is a co-chair of the council.
