Vaughan
TUREKIAN

Vaughan Turekian is the executive director of the Office of International Networks, Cooperation, and Security. He was formerly Executive Director of the National Academies' Policy and Global Affairs Division (PGA). Prior to joining the Academies, he served as the fifth science and technology adviser to the U.S. secretary of state. In this capacity, he advised the secretary of state and other senior State Department officials on emerging science, technology, and health matters affecting the foreign policy of the United States. He is currently the co-chair of the 10 member group of advisers to the U.N. secretary general on the role of science, technology, and innovation to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. He has affiliations with Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and the University College London.

Previously, Turekian was chief international officer for the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the founding director of its Center for Science Diplomacy. In this capacity, he worked to build bridges between nations based on shared scientific goals, placing special emphasis on regions where traditional political relationships are strained or do not exist. In addition, Turekian worked at the State Department as a special assistant and adviser to the undersecretary for global affairs (2002 - 2006). Turekian holds a B.S. in geology and geophysics and international studies from Yale University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, where he focused on the transport and chemistry of atmospheric aerosols in marine environments.