Texas Tech University

Tech Alumna, Dr. Prabhakar Talks About Life In The White House.

Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering

May 2, 2023

Arati Prabhakar, Ph.D., is Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.

Dr. Arati Prabhaker is a distinguished name in the field of science and technology. She is an accomplished engineer and a renowned scientist who has made significant contributions to the advancement of technology.

Born in India, her family immigrated to the Unites States when she was just three years old, moving to Chicago and then to Lubbock, Texas where she went on to earn an electrical engineering degree from Texas Tech University. She also earned her Master of Science in electrical engineering and her Ph.D. in applied physics from California Institute of Technology. She started her career in the legislative branch as a Congressional Fellow at the Office of Technology Assessment.

She has served as the director of DARPA,  the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, from 2012 to 2017. In 1993, she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), becoming the first woman to lead the agency.

She is currenty the President's Chief Advisor for Science and Technology, a member of the President's Cabinet, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). She has been appointed by three presidents: Clinton, Obama & Biden and confirmed by the Senate each time.

Dr. Arati Prabhaker is a trailblazer in the field of science and technology. Her exceptional work has helped to advance various technologies and has contributed to the development of cutting-edge solutions for the defense and intelligence communities. Her contributions to the field have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, and she continues to inspire young scientists and engineers to pursue innovative solutions to complex problems.

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