See The Nigerian-American Member Of The U.S President’s Council On Science And Technology

John Dabiri

The Joe Biden-led administration came out on top in one of the rockiest elections in the history of the United States. During his campaign, Joe Biden majored in school reopening, vaccination, and policies to combat coronavirus. He drew a crowd for promising to handle climate change, gun violence, and tax.

However, his greatest followership came with his decision to build a racial/ethnic and gender diverse administration. The formation of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is proof that the President is still keeping his word on cabinet diversity.

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

John Dabiri is one among 30 distinguished individuals appointed to PCAST, a White House release noted. These members are responsible for providing quality advice to the President and White House on science, technology, and innovation matters.

According to the release, PCAST is derived from the scientific advisory committee which was started in 1957 by President Eisenhower. This years’ appointment represents “the most diverse PCAST in U.S. history”. It stands out by having two women co-chairs where there has never been a female co-chair.

PCAST’s Youngest Member John Dabiri

Picture of PCAST youngest member John Dabiri
John Dabiri (Image Source: Science In The News)

John Oluseun Dabiri is the youngest member of PCAST. Born in 1980, his parents were U.S immigrants from Nigeria. Today, the Nigerian-American is a veteran engineer. He is also a scientist with rare observation and education skills.

According to Science In The News, John Dabiri is involved in many projects that draw inspiration from nature and biological processes as a guide to improving engineering. Most often, he focuses on propulsion, hydrodynamics, and energy production. One such project studies the movement of a jellyfish.

For example, when Dabiri saw the umbrella-shaped jellyfish, he went beyond admiring its brilliant colors to noticing its unusual motion. He then figured that the sea creature could be instrumental in aiding hydrodynamic designs in various aspects of engineering.

This led him to open a laboratory in order to study the motion and energy efficiency of the jellyfish. Dabiri was able to model the “optimal vortex ring” by using mathematical analysis. This discovery will help studies on evolutionary adaptation. Even more, it proves crucial in understanding fluid dynamics. This will aid the creation of efficient underwater vehicles and the study of blood flow in the heart.

A Lifetime of Good Records

Before his appointment to the Council, John Dabiri received a B.S.E from Princeton University in 2001. He went on to receive an M.Sc and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 2003 and 2005 respectively. As a result of his headway in science and engineering, the United States government honored him with the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2008.

He also received the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellowship in 2010. Ten years later, he won the Alan T. Waterman Award by the National Science Foundation. Among his distinctive record is the establishment of the Caltech Field Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy. John Dabiri started the laboratory in 2011 as a way of conserving real estate while also reducing turbulence in wind farm designs.

At the moment, the talented Nigerian-American is the Centennial Chair Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). This is in addition to his new role in PCAST.

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