The bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees announced that Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is appointed by Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) to the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology that will shape Department of Defense activities regarding biotechnology.
“As a Mechanical Engineering graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I am excited to be selected to serve on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology,” Padilla said.
“California has long been a leader on biotech issues, and I look forward to examining the critical role of biotechnology in tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges, such as global disease surveillance and other biological threats.”
The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology will conduct a thorough review of how advances in emerging biotechnology and related technologies will shape current and future activities of the Department of Defense.
It will also provide an interim report to the President of the United States and the Armed Services Committees within one year, and submit a final unclassified report within two years to the President and the committees, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government.
Padilla is a strong advocate of STEM education and careers and led a push to enhance America’s data science and literacy education.