Sherburne Abbott

Outgoing associate director for environment and energy, Office of Science and Technology Policy (since April 2009); Incoming Vice President for Sustainability Initiatives, Syracuse University

Why She Matters

As President Obama lays the groundwork for a greener economy, Abbott will be one of his key advisers. The sustainability expert heads the division of environment and energy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, reporting to Obama's lead science adviser, John Holdren.

Abbott is the environmental expert in the office that advises the president on all matters scientific, as the Obama administration works to slow or reverse damage to the environment. That means devising ways to grow the economy in environmentally-sustainable ways, as well as working with the team of White House experts who are seeking to reverse climate change.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Senior Lecturer, university of texas at Austin (2006 to 2009); Chief International Officer, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2003 to 2009); National Research Council, (1984 to 2001)
Alma Mater: Goucher College, B.A. (biology); Yale University, M.S. (wildlife ecology and natural resource policy), 1984
Spouse: James Steinberg

Office: Office of Science and Technology PolicyExecutive Office of the President725 17th Street Room 5228Washington, DC 20502
Web site

Path to Power

"Shere" Abbott graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore, Md., with a bachelor's degree in biology.

In 1984, she earned a master's degree in wildlife ecology and natural resource policy from Yale's School of Forestry, where she was a Dodge Fellow in human-animal ecology.

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National Research Council

After graduation, she kicked off a 17-year career at the National Research Council (NRC), part of the prestigious National Academies of Sciences. The NRC is a private, non-profit organization that brings together premier U.S. scientists to offer advice on public-policy issues.

Among her various positions, Abbott served as the assistant scientific program director of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission from 1986 to 1989.

She then spent three years directing the polar- research program at the National Academies.

In 1992, she became director of the international organization programs for the Office of International Affairs at the National Research Council, creating crucial coalitions to address global scientific issues.

In 1994, she married James Steinberg. The couple has two daughters, Jenna and Emma. Steinberg was named the Obama administration's State Department policy planning director.

Abbott became executive director of the NRC's Board on Sustainable Development, where she directed the Sustainability Transition Study and the Global Change Research Program. In that position, she shepherded the report Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability.

Abbott left the NRC in 2001 and became a consultant, advising some very influential organizations, including the World Bank and the Brookings Institution, on sustainability and environmental responsibility.

American Association for the Advancement of Science

In 2003, she joined the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the largest general science organization in the world. She served as chief international officer, which meant overseeing the association's international office. Abbott also established the AAAS's Center for Science, Innovation and Sustainable development, which she directed.

Abbott's time at AAAS overlapped with that of White House science adviser John Holdren. Holdren was AAAS's president-elect in 2005 and became the group's president in 2006. He remained on the board of directors until being nominated to head the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in March 2009. Abbott now reports directly to Holdren.

In 2006, Abbott left the AAAS to become a senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin's College, teaching in the department of natural sciences. At the same time, her husband, James Steinberg, took over as dean of the university's LBJ School of Public Policy. At UT, Abbott was a senior lecturer in the department of natural sciences and developed interdisciplinary programs on sustainability. Since 2006, he has directed its Center for Science and Practice of Sustainability.

In March 2009, Obama nominated her to be associate director of environment at the Office of Science and Technology Policy. She was confrimed by the Senate in April.

The Issues

An expert in sustainable growth, Abbott advises the White House on technology that relates to energy and the environment. President Obama has pledged to funnel money to programs that create green jobs and lay the groundwork for a more sustainable economy in the 21st century.

Reversing Climate Change

Abbott is helping to implement President Obama's pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that can lead to climate change. The White House has proposed a cap-and-trade system to regulate carbon emissions, increase reliance on renewable energy and create incentives for farmers and ranchers to plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide.

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The Network

Abbott has worked with her White House boss, John Holdren, before. Holdren was president-elect and then president of the AAAS around the time Abbott left the AAAS in 2006.

Obama's pick to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco, was president of the AAAS in 1997.

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Additional Resources