Senate Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on the Nomination of Arati Prabhakar as OSTP Director
Senate Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on the Nomination of Arati Prabhakar as OSTP Director
 
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July 2022

On July 20, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Arati Prabhakar to serve as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

President Biden announced his intention to nominate Prabhakar as OSTP director on June 21. Prabhakar previously served as the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and as director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Prior to the hearing, AERA joined a letter from 27 organizations supporting Prabhakar’s nomination and urging her swift nomination, sent to committee members on July 19. 

In her opening testimony, Prabhakar highlighted her experience and the importance of U.S. leadership in science and engineering. “President Biden has named the greatest challenges we face: geopolitical and economic competition, pandemics and other health problems, unequal opportunity and inequity for many Americans, the climate crisis, and the erosion of privacy and trust,” Prabhakar said. “Meeting these challenges demands a new generation of bold exploration and creative experimentation.”

Prabhakar also answered questions on issues of broadening participation in STEM education, developing STEM talent, and the role of OSTP in developing the skilled technical workforce, among others, that she would take on if confirmed.