Indian-American Bhavya Lal appointed Acting Chief of Staff of NASA
Indian-American Bhavya Lal was on Monday appointed as the Acting Chief of Staff of the US space agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Lal served as a member of the Biden Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for the agency and oversaw the agency's transition under the administration of President Joe Biden.
Lal brings extensive experience in engineering and space technology
In a statement, NASA said, "Lal brings extensive experience in engineering and space technology, serving as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020." Lal is an active member of the space technology and policy community, having chaired, co-chaired, or served on five high-impact National Academy of Science committees.
Worked on space technology for White House, NASA
The statement said, "At STPI, Lal led the analysis of space technology, strategy, and policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Space Council, as well as federal space-oriented organizations, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the intelligence community."
Lal has served on various federal committees and programs
Lal served two consecutive terms on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing and was an external council member of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program and the Technology, Innovation, and Engineering Advisory Committee of the NASA Advisory Council. Her work in the space sector earned her a place as a Corresponding Member in the International Academy of Astronautics.
Worked in two science consulting firms before joining STPI
Before joining STPI, Lal was president of C-STPS LLC, a science and technology policy research and consulting firm. Prior to that, she was the director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Studies at Abt Associates, a global policy research consultancy based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a member of both the nuclear engineering and public policy honor societies.
Lal studied nuclear engineering; holds doctorate in public policy
Lal earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in nuclear engineering, as well as a Master of Science degree in technology and policy, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also holds a doctorate in public policy and public administration.
