Earlier this year, Rush Holt announced plans to retire this fall from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), where he has served as chief executive officer for four years. Holt has decided to retire by September 1 and will be taking accrued vacation leave until that time.
“Rush is a dedicated leader who advanced the important work of AAAS in many ways, including advocacy, policy analysis and program development,” said Margaret Hamburg, chair of the AAAS Board of Directors.
The search process for the next CEO was already underway and remains on track. In order to ensure a smooth transition, the AAAS Board has named Alan Leshner as Acting CEO of AAAS. Leshner previously served 13 years as AAAS CEO prior to Holt’s tenure in the leadership role. He has also served as director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, deputy director and acting director of the National Institute of Mental Health, and in a variety of senior roles at the National Science Foundation.