John Holdren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Holdren
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy | |
| In office March 19, 2009 – January 20, 2017 |
|
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Ted Wackler (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Ted Wackler (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1944 Sewickley, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, MS) Stanford University (PhD) |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics, Environmental science |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Collisionless stability of an inhomogeneous, confined, planar plasma (1970) |
| Doctoral advisor | Oscar Buneman |
| Doctoral students | Kirk R. Smith |
John Paul Holdren (born March 1, 1944) is an American scientist. He was a top advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology. He served as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He also co-chaired the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Before working for the President, Holdren was a professor at Harvard University. He also directed programs focused on science, technology, and public policy.
Contents
Early life and education
John Holdren was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. He grew up in San Mateo, California. He studied aeronautics (the science of flight) and astronautics (the science of space travel). He also studied plasma physics.
He earned his first degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965. Later, he received his Ph.D. (a high-level university degree) from Stanford University in 1970.
Career highlights
Holdren taught at Harvard University for 13 years. He also taught at the University of California, Berkeley for over two decades. His work often focused on big global issues. These included environmental change, energy, and how to reduce dangers from nuclear weapons.
He also looked at how the United States uses energy. He explored the role that nuclear energy could play in the future.
.jpg)
In 1980, Holdren was part of a famous discussion called the Simon–Ehrlich wager. He and two other scientists helped Paul R. Ehrlich make a bet with Julian Simon. They bet that the price of five important metals would be higher in 1990. This bet was about whether Earth's resources would become scarce due to pollution and a growing population. Holdren and Ehrlich lost the bet, as metal prices went down by 1990.
In 1981, Holdren received a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship. People sometimes call it the "genius award." He got it for his work in promoting world peace through smart energy use.
Holdren was a leader in several important science groups. He chaired the Executive Committee of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs from 1987 to 1997. He even gave the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech for the Pugwash Conferences in 1995.
From 1993 to 2003, he chaired a committee on international security and arms control. He also co-chaired a group on energy policy from 2002 to 2007. Holdren was elected President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) from 2006 to 2007. He has also written a lot about global warming.
In 2000, he became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his clear explanations of energy, environmental, and nuclear issues.
Working with presidents
Holdren served as a science advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 2001.
Eight years later, President Barack Obama chose Holdren to be his science advisor. He also became the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The Senate approved his nomination on March 19, 2009.
Writings and ideas
Early in his career, Holdren was interested in how a growing human population affects the environment. In 1969, he wrote that if we don't manage population growth, technology alone won't prevent future problems. In 1977, he co-authored a textbook called Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment. This book explored how people, resources, and the environment are connected.
He has written many articles and co-edited about 20 books. His writings cover topics like:
- Science in the White House
- Policies for energy technology
- The future of climate change policy
- How to convince people about climate change
- Strategies to solve America's energy challenges
Personal life
John Holdren lives in Falmouth, Massachusetts. His wife is biologist Cheryl E. Holdren. They have two children and five grandchildren.
Awards and memberships
John Holdren has received many honors for his work:
- MacArthur Fellow (1981)
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1983)
- Fellow of the American Physical Society (1988)
- Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1991)
- Volvo Environment Prize (1993, with Paul Ehrlich)
- Kaul Foundation Award in Science and Environmental Policy (1999)
- Member of the National Academy of Engineering (2000)
- Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2000)
- 7th Annual Heinz Award in Public Policy (2001)
- Member of the American Philosophical Society (2015)
- Lawrence S. Huntington Environmental Prize (2017)
- Public Welfare Medal from National Academy of Sciences (2022)
See also
In Spanish: John Paul Holdren para niños
