Vaughan Turekian is executive director of the US National Academies’ Policy and Global Affairs Division (PGA). Before the Academies, he served as the fifth science and technology adviser to The US Secretary of State, advising on emerging science, technology, and health matters affecting US foreign policy. He’s currently co-chair of a 10-member group of advisers to the UN secretary general on science, technology, and innovation to advance achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals. He’s affiliated with Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and University College London.

Turekian was chief international officer for the American Association for the Advancement of Science and founding director of its Center for Science Diplomacy, working to build bridges between nations based on shared scientific goals, particularly where political relationships are strained or don’t exist. Also, Turekian worked at the State Department as special assistant to the undersecretary for global affairs (2002- 2006). Turekian holds a BS in geology, geophysics, and international studies from Yale University and an MS and PhD from The University of Virginia, where he focused on the transport and chemistry of atmospheric aerosols in marine environments.