| Bio-Short Bio-Long |
Feb 2008
John H. (Jack) Gibbons
Bio - Long
John H. Gibbons is internationally renowned for his contributions to physics, energy, environment, and technology/public policy. He served as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy from 1993 to 1998. As "Science Advisor" to the President, he was the most senior member of the White House staff on matters of science and technology policy. Prior to his White House service, Dr. Gibbons was Director of the U.S. Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) for over thirteen years (1979-1992). OTA was a bipartisan, bicameral agency designed to serve Congressional Committees as their principal source of independent, expert and comprehensive analysis on issues involving the impacts of science and technology on society.
After leaving the White House in 1998, Dr. Gibbons served as the Karl T. Compton Lecturer at MIT (1998-1999) and Senior Fellow at the National Academy Engineering (1999-2000) where he assisted NAE's president on a variety of topics including the new NAE program in Earth Systems Engineering. During 1999-2001 he was Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of State where he assisted the Secretary in revitalizing science and technology capabilities, including creating the position of Science Advisor to the Secretary. From 2000-2001 he was the elected President of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. From 2003-2006 he served as Chairman of the Board, Population Action International (and continues as a member of the Board).
Gibbons currently serves on a number of boards and committees in both private and public sectors. He is a member of the Idaho National Laboratory Science and Technology Committee, a member of the National Advisory Council of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and is a consultant to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He serves as Division Advisor to The National Academies Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences (DEPS), and chairs the Steering Committee of the NAE's Technology and Peacebuilding initiative. He serves on two visiting committees at MIT: (1) Corporation Visiting Committee for the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, and (2) MIT/Alliance for Global Sustainability. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the MIT Journal, Innovations: Technology/Governance/Globalization. In the private sector he serves on the boards of Dynamac Corporation (environmental services); ACTION, LLC (enzyme cleaners for surgery), Interstate Waste Technologies, LLC, and Transition Energy, LLC. He is senior advisor to the Global Environment & Technology Foundation. He is a member of the editorial board of Science Progress, a journal of Center for American Progress. He also serves on the 2007-2008 Center for the Study of the Presidency's "Agenda 2008 Study Group on Presidential Science and Technology Advisory Assets."
In 2008 he was appointed to Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine's Commission on Climate Change.
He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Physical Society. He is a member of the American Philosophical Society, Council on Foreign Relations, and National Academy of Engineering. In recognition of his contributions in science, technology, and public service, Dr. Gibbons has received six honorary doctorates as well as many distinguished prizes and awards. They include the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Philip Hauge Abelson Prize), Federation of American Scientists (Leo Szilard Award), National Academy of Engineering (Arthur Bueche Prize), Sigma Xi (John P. McGovern Science and Society Award and Medal), the Commonwealth of Virginia (Life Achievement in Science Award), German Government (Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit), French Government (Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques Diploma and Medal), NASA (Distinguished Public Service), National Science Foundation (Distinguished Service Medal), Washington Academy of Arts and Sciences 2005 Distinguished Career in Science and Engineering Award. In October 2005, the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation recognized him with its highest honor - the first George E. Brown Award for International Science and Technology Collaboration. In September 2007 the Alliance to Save Energy presented him a lifetime achievement in energy efficiency award. In February 2008 Dr. Gibbons received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Randolph-Macon College Society of Alumni.
Before he was called to OTA in 1979, Gibbons was Director of the Energy, Environment and Resources Center, and Professor of Physics, at the University of Tennessee where he directed programs emphasizing energy management and efficiency and use and the environmental impacts of energy production and use. In 1973 he was appointed to be the first Director of the Federal Office of Energy Conservation where he initiated and directed work on energy efficiency and public awareness programs about the value and need for energy conservation. He was a founder of ORTEC, now part of E.G.G. Corporation. Dr. Gibbons began his professional career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where in the Physics Division he became the group leader in nuclear geophysics/astrophysics. He did experiments for 15 years (mostly at Oak Ridge) in nuclear structure with emphasis on neutron capture reactions key to understanding nucleosynthesis of heavy elements inside stars. While at Oak Ridge he also worked on energy efficiency technologies, ballistic missile defense, and various environmental issues. From 1969-1973 he directed ORNL's environmental program.
Gibbons received his Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from Randolph-Macon College (1949) and his Ph.D. (physics) from Duke University (1954).
He has written extensively in the areas of national science and technology policy, energy supply and demand, conservation, resource management, nuclear physics, and origins of solar system elements. Energy: The Conservation Revolution (1981) is co- authored with William U. Chandler. This Gifted Age: Science and Technology at the Millennium (1997), comprises selections from his writings spanning over 30 years in public service.
Dr. Gibbons and his wife Mary Ann reside in The Plains, VA.
John H. Gibbons
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Book:
This Gifted Age |
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