AAAS Board Member Named
President of Carnegie Institution

AAAS board member Richard A. Meserve, currently chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has been named president of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Among other accomplishments during his tenure at the NRC, Meserve led an effective response to the escalated threat of terrorism, and directed the regulation of nuclear power through careful oversight and license renewals. "This was a difficult decision for me," Meserve said in an announcement to the NRC staff. "I have very much enjoyed my service at the NRC, including in particular the opportunity to work with all of you. I believe that the NRC is the most capable and effective agency in Government...with a staff that stands out in its dedication and competence."

The convergence of law and science has always been of interest to Meserve. He received a law degree from Harvard in 1975 and a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford in 1976. His legal practice—the law firm of Covington & Burling, where he was a partner—focused on environmental and toxic tort litigation, counseling scientific societies and high tech companies, and nuclear licensing. He has also served as legal counsel to the President's science advisor, and was a law clerk in the offices of Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court and Judge Benjamin Kaplan of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Throughout his career, Meserve has served on numerous committees, including those he chaired for the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering: committees that looked at nuclear weapons material in the former Soviet Union, declassification of information by the Department of Energy, environmental issues and nuclear weapons, and possible fuel economy for automobiles. He is also a member of the American Philosophical Society, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Physical Society.

20 December 2002