CCST Welcomes New Council Members

February 16, 2017 | ,   | Contact: M. Daniel Decillis

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CCST’s new Council members for 2017 include, from left to right: (top row) Lori Bettison-Varga, Regis Kelly, Linda Dairiki Shortliffe; (bottom row) Michael Norman, James Sweeney, Yulun Wang.

With the beginning of 2017, the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) has welcomed six new members, including experts from a wide range of California institutions.

“We are delighted to welcome our distinguished new Members to the Council,” said CCST Executive Director Susan Hackwood. “CCST’s work is only made possible by the dedication and expertise of those who serve on our Board and Council, and we’re thankful to them for joining us in helping advance our mission of keeping California stronger with science.”

The Council, which was established in 1988 by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 162, is an independent, nonpartisan organization comprised of up to 30 scientists, industry leaders, and scholars of the highest distinction. Council members serve as the principal operational body of CCST, working to respond to the Governor, the Legislature, and other entities on public policy issues related to science and technology.

The Council’s activities include the identification of issues requiring CCST’s unique expertise, support of rigorous report generation, representation at legislative hearings, and general visibility in Sacramento. Council members are appointed for 3 year terms, and may serve up to two terms.

The new Council members are:

  • Lori Bettison-Varga, President and Director, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
  • Linda Dairiki Shortliffe, MD, Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor of Urology Emerita, Stanford University
  • Reg Kelly, Director, QB3 Institute, UC San Francisco
  • Mike Norman, Interim Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center
  • James L. Sweeney, Director, Precourt Institute for Energy Efficiency, and Professor of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University
  • Yulun Wang, Chairman, CIO and Founder, InTouch Health

CCST also extends its thanks to George Blumenthal, Chancellor, University of California Santa Cruz; David Martin, MD, Chairman and CEO, AvidBiotics Corporation; Julie Meier Wright, former Secretary of Trade & Commerce and Retired President & CEO, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation; and Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO, California Science Center, who have completed their terms as Council members and are stepping down. In addition, Council member Judy Swain, MD, A*STAR Senior Fellow of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (Singapore), has been named Council Vice Chair, succeeding Peter Cowhey, Dean, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, UCSD, who is continuing to serve as a Council member.

“It is the expertise, experience, and dedication of our Council members which enable CCST to fulfill its mission,” said Hackwood. “We thank everyone for their service, and look forward to keeping California informed about critical science and technology issues as the new year unfolds.”


M. Daniel DeCillis, PhD is the Spotlight editor and a Senior Research Associate at the California Council on Science and Technology.

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization established via the California State Assembly – making California’s policies stronger with science since 1988. CCST provides California’s Executive and Legislative Branches with independent scientific advice, convening a diverse network of expertise spanning California’s public and private universities, community colleges, and Federal research laboratories.

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