Professor Costa Samaras to Serve in Biden-Harris Administration in White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Carnegie Mellon University’s Professor Costa Samaras has been selected to serve in the Biden-Harris Administration in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). He will serve as Principal Assistant Director for Energy and OSTP Chief Advisor for Energy Policy in OSTP’s first-ever Energy Division. In this role, Samaras will work with the President’s Science Advisor and OSTP Director, the Deputy Director for Energy, and the OSTP team in coordinating Federal policy activities on energy research and policy to ensure a transition to a clean, equitable, affordable, and resilient energy system.

Samaras will provide senior-level policy advice to the Director, Deputy Director, and OSTP senior staff in topics including U.S. energy policy, clean energy technologies, the suitability of energy technologies for meeting U.S. climate goals of a net-zero emissions economy no later than 2050, and opportunities for energy research, development, deployment, and demonstration investments. As a senior-level expert, Samaras will utilize extensive scientific and science-policy experience in formulating policy initiatives, assembling policy teams, briefing administration leaders, and providing leadership on interagency science policy activities in energy-related sciences and policy. He will leverage his understanding of the energy research enterprise and U.S. energy sectors to maximize OSTP impact in science and technology policy and to provide high-quality scientific advice to decision makers. The Deputy Director for Energy and Samaras will lead a team of OSTP colleagues to advance and contribute to Federal government-wide initiatives to further diversity, equity and inclusion of the U.S. scientific and energy sector workforce. 

As an Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering with courtesy faculty appointments in Engineering and Public Policy and the Heinz School of Public Policy, Samaras credits Carnegie Mellon’s interdisciplinary culture as foundational preparation for this role. “Science and technology policy, as well as solutions to climate change, require systems thinking, which is at the heart of Carnegie Mellon’s approach to research and education. I’m honored to work with the Biden-Harris OSTP team to help further energy innovation and a transition to a clean and equitable energy system,” said Samaras.