Fact Sheet: the Obama Administration Announces Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking at Home and Abroad

“It ought to concern every person, because it’s a debasement of our common humanity.  It ought to concern every community, because it tears at the social fabric.  It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets.  It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime.  I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name—modern slavery.”

“Our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time, and the United States will continue to lead it…”

--President Barack Obama, September 25, 2012

In March 2012, President Obama directed his Cabinet to redouble the Administration’s efforts to eliminate human trafficking, which afflicts more than 20 million people around the world, including in communities here at home.  Today, building on the strong record of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and its member agencies, the President is announcing several initiatives:

• Executive Order Strengthening Protections in Federal Contracts: To strengthen the U.S. Government’s existing zero-tolerance policy on human trafficking in government contracting, the President has issued an Executive Order that outlines prohibitions on trafficking-related activities that will apply to all federal contractors and subcontractors, requires compliance measures for large overseas contracts and subcontracts, and provides federal agencies with additional tools to foster compliance.

• Tools and Training to Identify and Assist Trafficking Victims: The Administration is providing human trafficking training and guidance to federal prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and immigration judges; to commercial transportation officials; to state and local law enforcement partners; and to state workforce agencies and educators.  Through this training, these professionals will be better equipped to detect trafficking wherever it exists, and to help ensure that victims are always treated as victims and not criminals.

• Increased Resources for Victims of Human Trafficking: The Administration is announcing initiatives to expand services and legal assistance to victims of trafficking, and will partner with Humanity United, with support from the Goldman Sachs Foundation, to launch $6 million in Partnership for Freedom Innovation Awards to challenge local communities to develop collaborative and comprehensive solutions to help trafficking victims. The Administration also will work to streamline current procedures for the existing T-visa process, which allows victims to remain in the United States and aid the prosecution of their traffickers.  In addition, the President is announcing his intent to establish a new Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which will be awarded annually to incentivize and recognize exceptional contributions in the field.

• Comprehensive Plan for Future Action: The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking in Persons will develop the first-ever federal strategic action plan to strengthen services for trafficking victims. In a related effort, the interagency Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center (HSTC) will develop its first-ever domestic human trafficking assessment to track trends within the United States, enabling both law enforcement and service providers to deploy resources more effectively.  These efforts will be assisted by the intelligence community, which is increasing its focus on human trafficking internationally, and working more closely with the HSTC here at home.
The Administration’s efforts augment the work of business, non-profits, educational institutions and foundations to combat trafficking. Key announcements that will help to advance this shared work include:
• The creation of the Global Business Coalition Against Trafficking, a business-to-business network that will mobilize its members to fight trafficking, including through the identification and development of best practices;

• The U.S. Travel Association’s compilation of an anti-trafficking “toolkit” to drive awareness within the travel and tourism industry;

• The Administration’s launch of the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Campus Challenge to raise awareness and inspire activism among college students and to develop innovative technology approaches to combatting human trafficking;

• The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health’s cross-disciplinary research partnership with the Goldman Sachs Foundation and the Advisory Council on Child Trafficking, which will focus on the prevention of child sex trafficking and treatment for survivors; and

• The launch of the Made in a Free World initiative to help buyers and suppliers identify and eliminate supply chain vulnerabilities, and demonstrate their commitment to combatting human trafficking.
In addition, the faith-based community has been a leader in combatting human trafficking at home and around the world, raising awareness and providing services.  The President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will focus its efforts on the issue of trafficking and identify opportunities to expand partnerships with faith and community-based groups.

Finally, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Council on Women and Girls are convening advocates, law enforcement leaders, technology companies and researchers to brainstorm ways to share information more effectively with law enforcement; harness the power of the Internet to reach victims; and explore other innovative approaches to provide victims of child sex trafficking with the help they need.

Fact Sheet: the Equal Futures Partnership to Expand Women’s Political and Economic Participation

“This week, the United States signed a new Declaration on Women’s Participation. Next year, we should each announce the steps we are taking to break down economic and political barriers that stand in the way of women and girls. That is what our commitment to human progress demands.”

President Obama’s Address to the United Nations General Assembly, September 21, 2011

The Challenge
While the world has seen important progress in expanding opportunity for women and girls, significant gaps remain in the areas of political participation and economic opportunity. A growing body of evidence shows that women’s political and economic empowerment are critical to fostering international peace and security, growing vibrant market economies, and supporting open and accountable governance. Recognizing that no country can realize its potential if half its population cannot reach theirs, President Obama issued a challenge before the United Nations General Assembly in September 2011 to break down barriers to women’s political and economic empowerment.

Answering the Call
In response to this challenge, on September 24, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the Equal Futures Partnership on behalf of the United States along with 12 other founding members (Australia, Benin, Bangladesh, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal, and Tunisia; as well as the European Union). Multilateral stakeholders including UN Women and the World Bank, and leading businesses and non-profit institutions also pledged support for the partnership.

The goal of the Equal Futures Partnership is for women to participate fully in public life and to lead and benefit from inclusive economic growth. Today, founding members are committing to new actions including legal, regulatory and policy reforms to advance this goal. Partners are also reaffirming at the highest levels of government their obligations and commitments to promote and protect women’s human rights and fundamental freedoms. Following the launch of this initiative, founding partners will continue consultations with their national stakeholders, including civil society, to translate commitments into action. In April 2013, we will reconvene at the World Bank Spring Meetings to share progress reports and welcome new member countries.

Commitments to Action
As a founding member of the Equal Futures Partnership, the United States is making new commitments, building on existing efforts, including: 

Opening doors to quality education and high-paying career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields: The Administration will embark on a new collaboration with private and non-profit stakeholders to reverse women’s historic underrepresentation in STEM education and careers.

Promoting civic education and public leadership for girls: In an effort to inspire girls to serve as leaders in our democracy, the Administration, along with leaders from the private and non-profit sectors, is announcing new efforts to highlight women in public leadership as role models, encourage research on girls and leadership, and spark the development of online tools to interest girls in becoming public leaders.

Ensuring economic security for survivors of violence: Federal agencies are launching new efforts to empower domestic violence survivors by helping them achieve financial independence through credit counseling, microfinance support, and education on financial literacy and employment rights.  

Strengthening support for women entrepreneurs: The Small Business Administration, along with other federal agency partners, will expand entrepreneurship training programs for women veterans, youth, and older women, as well as focus new efforts around encouraging women innovators.

In response to the President’s call to action, several leading U.S. businesses, academic institutions and non-profit organizations have also made commitments to advance women and girls’ economic and political empowerment at home and abroad.  They are dedicating themselves to launching new and innovative programs to support women and girls in STEM fields, connecting women entrepreneurs to markets and supply chains, and supporting research to advance girls’ leadership. These private sector supporters include: CauseCast, CGI America, Creative Commons, Discovery Communications, Dove, Goldman Sachs, Harvey Mudd College, Intel Corporation, Mary Kay Inc., OpenCourseWare Consortium, Piazza, and Rutgers University.

Read the full fact sheet on United States commitments

Highlights from the commitments made by founding partners include:

Australia: Australia will work to improve women’s representation and leadership in male-dominated industries such as mining, utilities, and construction. Australia is also committing to achieve gender balance on Australian Government Boards by 2015 and establish a National Center of Excellence (NCE) to reduce sexual assault and family and domestic violence.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh will develop a National Action Plan to implement its 2011 Women Development Policy to ensure acceleration of women’s political, social and economic empowerment.  Bangladesh will expand its investments in women’s economic prosperity to the district and village level with the goal of achieving a workforce that is 50 percent women by 2021.  Bangladesh will also develop a National Action Plan on Violence Against Women to strengthen enforcement of its 2010 Domestic Violence Act.

Benin: Benin will seek to address laws, policies and regulations that restrict women’s participation in the economy and in public life, including reviewing and amending discriminatory nationality laws, as well as strengthening outreach around its current gender-based violence law. Benin will introduce a new electoral law to strengthen women’s candidacies and increase women’s political participation at all levels.

Denmark: Denmark will assess possibilities for improving the gender balance in Danish companies. Denmark will also implement new measures to reduce gender-based violence, focusing on increasing the awareness on violence in the family and capacity-building among municipal authorities and front line staff. In addition, Denmark will work to enhance political and civic participation of ethnic minority women in Denmark through mentorship programs and support for ethnic minority women’s entrepreneurship and businesses.  

European Union: The European Union will implement programs to advance women’s political participation and economic empowerment through targeted campaigns in countries in transition. As violence is one of the factors preventing women from political participation, the EU will commit to support initiatives against gender-based violence and femicide. The EU will also finance information campaigns on female genital mutilation in its Member States and support initiatives against this practice elsewhere in the world.

Finland: Finland commits to mainstream gender equality in its democracy and citizen participation policies, with a focus on ensuring women in immigrant communities can access economic opportunity.  Finland will also review the impact of tax policies and income transfers on economic equality, as well as prevent gender segregation and promote gender sensitivity in education and training.

Indonesia: In line with its strategic vision of sustainable growth with equity, Indonesia will begin new efforts to expand financial access and develop capacity for women in micro, small, and medium businesses, and will reform specific laws and policies to expand women’s equal economic opportunity. Indonesia will also implement new approaches to promote women in decision making positions in executive bodies and increase participation in legislative bodies.

Jordan: Jordan will set specific goals and undertake new efforts to advance participation in political life, particularly in decision-making positions, including in the judiciary, government and elected bodies. To address relatively low rates of women in the workforce, Jordan will work to increase the percentage of women workers, particularly university graduates, from 14.7% to 25% of the workforce, in the next three years.  

The Netherlands: The Netherlands will encourage employers to commit to increase their present ratio from 9% of women on boards of directors and supervisory boards to 30%. The Netherlands will set up programs to encourage more girls to choose technical education programs and more boys to go into the primary education sector. Internationally, the Netherlands is establishing a fund to strengthen the financial and organizational management of women’s organizations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Peru:  Peru will enhance women's participation in the political system by modifying election and political party laws to more effectively implement its quota system for female candidates and by working to give women more opportunities for political leadership.  Peru will also promote the financial inclusion of women through rural and urban financial education schemes, as well as through enhanced access to additional financial services and instruments for women using existing social programs.

Senegal:  Senegal will implement a comprehensive program to operationalize its gender parity law on women’s political participation in advance of local elections in 2014. This will include an initiative to build the capacity of women leaders, such as new members of Parliament, and facilitate citizen participation at the community level.

Tunisia: Tunisia reaffirms, in this crucial stage of building its republic, the principles of equality between the sexes and the fundamental rights of women and the rejection of all forms of discrimination. Tunisia will promote women's participation in public and political life and decision-making. Tunisia will also focus on the reactivation of the national strategy to combat violence in the family and against women.

Support from UN Women and the World Bank:

UN Women will work with the Equal Futures Partnership in the areas of economic and political empowerment and ending violence against women, through technical advice, knowledge and capacity development, facilitating and sharing of best practices, and supporting implementation of commitments at the country level. UN Women will also use its knowledge networks to disseminate experience coming from the Equal Futures Partnership, to benefit those working for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The World Bank will work with Equal Futures partners to identify opportunities for collaboration to promote women’s rights in each country and support implementation of country commitments. To support the scaling up of Equal Futures activities, the World Bank will help synthesize lessons from the partnership, and disseminate them in a flagship report on Voice, Agency and Participation. Together with UN Women, the World Bank will also create and disseminate knowledge around the Equal Futures themes. The World Bank will host the next high-level Equal Futures meeting, planned for the Bank’s Washington, D.C. headquarters in April 2013.

Joining the Partnership

We welcome additional countries joining the Equal Futures Partnership. Government representatives and other interested stakeholders may email EqualFutures@state.gov for more information.

Message from the President to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, boldly declaring that on New Year’s Day, 1863, all people held as slaves in areas “in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” One hundred and fifty years after that historic event, we recognize an important milestone in the American story and reflect on the progress we have made toward realizing our Nation’s founding promise of liberty and justice for all.

Though it would take decades of struggle before African Americans were granted equal treatment and protection under the law, the Emancipation Proclamation marked a courageous step forward in fulfilling that essential task. It affirmed that the Civil War was a war fought not only for the preservation of our union, but for freedom itself. And by opening the Union Army and Navy to African American men, the Proclamation gave new strength to liberty’s cause.

The Emancipation Proclamation stands among the documents of human freedom. As we commemorate this 150^th anniversary, let us rededicate ourselves to the timeless principles it championed and celebrate the millions of Americans who have fought for liberty and equality in the generations since.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE
September 19, 2011

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Alan F. Estevez – Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Department of Defense
• Vincent G. Logan – Special Trustee for American Indians, Department of the Interior
• Olga Viso – Member, National Council on the Arts
• Marilyn A. Brown – Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• V. Lynn Evans – Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Michael McWherter  – Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Joe H. Ritch – Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Jean Bahr – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Steven M. Becker – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Susan L. Brantley – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Efi Foufoula-Georgiou – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Gerald S. Frankel – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Kenneth Lee Peddicord – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Paul J. Turinsky – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Mary Lou Zoback – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

President Obama said, “I am confident that these outstanding men and women will greatly serve the American people in their new roles and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Alan F. Estevez, Nominee for Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Department of Defense
Alan F. Estevez is currently Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness.  Prior to his appointment in 2011, he was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness.  From 2002 to 2006, he was Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Supply Chain Integration.  From 1991 to 2002, Mr. Estevez worked within the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the United States Army Strategic Logistics Agency.  From 1981 to 1990, he worked with Military Traffic Management Command. He is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, and the 2005 Service to America Medal. Mr. Estevez received a B.A. from Rutgers University and an M.A. from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Vincent G. Logan, Nominee for Special Trustee for American Indians, Department of the Interior

Vincent G. Logan is the owner of The Nations Group, LLC, which works with Native American tribes on asset management, investment strategies, and financial education.  He worked in the Private Banking and Investment Group at Merrill Lynch from 2006 to 2009, and was a corporate finance attorney for Schulte, Roth, & Zabel from 2001 to 2006.  Prior to that, Mr. Logan worked in the Antitrust Division at the United States Department of Justice from 1996 to 1998.  He was appointed to the Oklahoma State University Foundation Board of Governors in 2010.  Mr. Logan is a member of the Osage Nation. He received a B.S. from Oklahoma State University and a J.D. from the University Of Oklahoma College of Law.

Olga Viso, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Arts

Olga Viso is Executive Director of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a position she has held since 2008.  Previously, from 1995 to 2007, she held positions at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden – Smithsonian Institution, starting as Assistant Curator and becoming Director in 2005.  Ms. Viso was a Curator at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida from 1993 to 1995, and held several curatorial and administrative positions at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia from 1989 to 1993.  She serves on the Board of Directors of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors.  From 2003 to 2006, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions.  Ms. Viso received a B.A. from Rollins College and an M.A. from Emory University.

Dr. Marilyn A. Brown, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Dr. Marilyn A. Brown is a professor at the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she has served since 2006. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority since September 2010.  From 1984 to 2006, Dr. Brown worked at the United States Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where she held a number of roles, including Director of the Engineering Science and Technology Division from 2005 to 2006. Currently, she serves as a Distinguished Visiting Scientist at ORNL.  In 2006, she co-founded the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance and chaired its Board of Directors from 2006 to 2009.  Dr. Brown is a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  She received a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University, an M.R.P. in Resource Planning from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in Geography from The Ohio State University.

V. Lynn Evans, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

V. Lynn Evans is the owner of V. Lynn Evans, CPA, a certified public accounting and consulting firm established in 1983.  Ms. Evans has also served on the Board of Commissioners of Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Division since 2004, and served as Chair of the Board from 2008 to 2009. She has served on the Board of Directors of First Alliance Bank in Memphis, Tennessee, since its inception in 1998. Ms. Evans is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Black Business Association, and the National Association of Women Business Owners. She has served on the boards of a number of community organizations, including ArtsMemphis from 1998 to 2008 and the RISE Foundation from 1997 to 2007, where she was Vice Chair in 2007.  Ms. Evans received a B.S. in Accounting from Jackson State University.

Michael McWherter, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Michael McWherter is owner and President of Central Distributors Co. and Volunteer Distributing Co., Tennessee-based beverage distribution companies, since 1989 and 1985 respectively. Mr. McWherter worked in private law practice from 1982 to 1985 in Nashville, with a focus on banking and administrative law, and clerked for the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1981 to 1982.  He serves as Director and former Chairman of First State Bank of Union City, Tennessee, and is on the Board of Directors of the Jackson Energy Authority in Jackson, Tennessee.  Mr. McWherter was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Tennessee Gubernatorial race.  He has served as Director of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Arts Council. From 1988 to 1995, he served as a Member of the Board of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.  Mr. McWherter received both a B.A and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University.

Joe H. Ritch, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Joe H. Ritch is an attorney at the Sirote & Permutt law firm in Huntsville, Alabama, where he has worked since 1982.  He has served as Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Base Realignment and Closures Committee since 1994 and as Co-Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Growth Coordination Group since 2008.  He also served as a Member of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2011.  Mr. Ritch serves on the Board of Directors at several other companies and non-profits, including Axiometrics and the Von Braun Center for Innovative Science.  He received a B.S. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a J.D. from Samford University, and an L.L.M. in Taxation from New York University.

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Dr. Jean Bahr, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Jean Bahr is a professor in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin since 1987, serving as Chair of the Department from 2005 to 2008.  From 1984 to 1986, Dr. Bahr served as a hydrologist for the United States Geological Survey.  Prior to that, Dr. Bahr served from 1980 to 1985 as a research assistant at Stanford University and from 1976 to 1980, she was a geologist for Wahler Associates in Palo Alto, CA.  She was President of the Geological Society of America from 2009 to 2010, was a member of the National Research Council’s Board on Radioactive Waste Management from 1992 to 1997, and Faculty Co-Director for the Women in Science and Engineering Residential Learning Community at the University of Wisconsin - Madison from 2003 to 2005.  Dr. Bahr received a B.A. in Geology and Geophysics from Yale University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Earth Sciences (Hydrogeology) from Stanford University.

Dr. Steven M. Becker, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Steven M. Becker is a professor of Community and Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences, at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.  Prior to joining the faculty at Old Dominion University, Dr. Becker was a Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Public Health, a position he held from 1997 to 2012, and has been an invited faculty member at Harvard’s’ School of Public Health course on Radiological Emergency Planning. In 2011, Dr. Becker was a member of a three-person Assistance Team that was invited to Japan in response to the earthquake-tsunami and accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.  He has also served as a Member of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements since 2005. Dr. Becker was a Kreitman Scholar and post-doctoral fellow at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel from 1996 to 1997.  Dr. Becker received a B.A. in Political Science and Psychology from George Washington University, an M.A. in Political Science from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Research in Bryn Mawr College’s Occupational and Environmental Health Program.

Dr. Susan L. Brantley, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Susan L. Brantley is currently a distinguished professor of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, a faculty position she has held since 1986.  In this capacity she also serves as Director of the Earth & Environmental Systems Institute.  From 2006 to 2008, Dr. Brantley served as the President of the Geochemical Society.  From 1980 to 1981, she served as a Fulbright Scholar in Peru.  Dr. Brantley received an A.B. in Chemistry and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Geological and Geophysical Sciences from Princeton University.

Dr. Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Efi Foufoula-Georgiou is a professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota, having joined the University in 1989.  She has served as the Director of the National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics at the University since 2008. Dr. Foufoula-Georgiou was an assistant professor at Iowa State University from 1986 to 1989 and a research associate at University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory from 1985 to 1986.  She has served on the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Science Advisory Board since 2005, and is a member of the American Geophysical Union, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Society of Women Engineers.  Dr. Foufoula-Georgiou received a degree in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University in Athens, Greece, as well as an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida.

Dr. Gerald S. Frankel, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Gerald S. Frankel is a professor of Materials Science and Engineering and the Director of the Fontana Corrosion Center at The Ohio State University, where he has served since 1995.  In 2007, he was named the Det Norske Veritas Chair in Corrosion. From 1986 to 1995, Dr. Frankel was a Research Staff Member at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, and he did post-doctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology from 1985-1986.  He was Chairman of the Corrosion Division of the Electrochemical Society from 2000 to 2002, and Chairman of the Research Committee of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers from 2004 to 2006.  Dr. Frankel earned The Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award in 2010 and the H.H. Uhlig Award from the Corrosion Division of The Electrochemical Society in 2010.  He received a Sc.B. in Materials Science and Engineering from Brown University and an Sc.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Kenneth Lee Peddicord, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Kenneth Lee Peddicord has served as the Director of the Nuclear Power Institute at Texas A&M University since 2007, where he has been a professor of Nuclear Engineering since 1983.  From 2007 to 2009, he served as the Senior Associate Dean for Research at Texas A&M’s Dwight Look College of Engineering, and from 2003 to 2007, he was Texas A&M’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal Relations.  Dr. Peddicord served as the Associate Director for Educational Outreach at NASA’s Commercial Space Center for Engineering from 1999 to 2000 and as the Director of the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center in Texas from 1998 to 2000.  Dr. Peddicord is a member of the American Nuclear Society, the American Society for Engineering Education, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois.

Dr. Paul J. Turinsky, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Paul J. Turinsky is a professor of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU), where he has worked since 1980.  Since 2010, he has served as the Chief Scientist for the Department of Energy’s Innovation Hub for Modeling and Simulation of Nuclear Reactors. Dr. Turinsky served as head of the NCSU’s Department of Nuclear Engineering from 1980 to 1988 and again from 1999 to 2006.  He served in engineering and management positions for Westinghouse Electric from 1973 to 1980 and as an assistant professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1970 to 1973.  Dr. Turinsky is a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and an E.O Lawrence Awardee in Nuclear Technology.  Dr. Turinsky received a B.S in Chemical Engineering from University of Rhode Island, an M.S.E. and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Mary Lou Zoback, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Dr. Mary Lou Zoback is a consulting professor in the Environmental Earth System Science Department at Stanford University, a position she has held since 2011.  Previously, she was Vice President for Earthquake Risk Applications for Risk Management Solutions in Newark, CA from 2006 to 2011. Dr. Zoback served at the United States Geological Survey from 1978 to 2006, most recently as a Senior Research Scientist and Program Coordinator for the Northern California Earthquake Hazards Program. In 2000, Dr. Zoback was appointed to the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science, and in 1996, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. In addition, she is a member of the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America, and served on the National Research Council’s Board on Radioactive Waste Management from 1997 to 2000.  Dr. Zoback received a B.S., an M.S., and a Ph.D. in Geophysics from Stanford University.