Just-departed head of DOE science wing discusses successes and barriers

Last week, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe stepped down as the director of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) basic research wing, the Office of Science. An unexpected choice in many quarters, Berhe is a soil scientist and was the first person of color to lead the office, which has an annual budget of $8.2 billion and is the nation’s largest funder of the physical sciences. It is also the United States’s premier builder of large scientific facilities such as atom smashers and x-ray synchrotrons. Berhe championed efforts to make DOE’s basic research more relevant to climate and more diverse. During her 22-month tenure, the office established four urban integrated field laboratories to study the effects of climate change on city dwellers and began requiring grant applicants to include in their application a plan to foster diversity and inclusion in their work. Shortly before she left, Berhe, 49, discussed her accomplishments at the Office of Science; her plans to return to the University of California, Merced; and whether, ultimately, the director of the office is handicapped by the bureaucratic structure of DOE. The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Q: Your announcement surprised many people. Why did you decide to step down? A: A big chunk of this is personal. It’s been 3 years since this whole thing started with my nomination. All sorts of things have been on hold, and there’s a lot of back and forth between Califo...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research