Science Committee Announces Subcommittee Structure and Staff Directors

Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) today announced the subcommittee structure
and subcommittee staff directors for the House Science Committee.

The Committee will continue to have four subcommittees, but their
jurisdictions have been realigned.

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Research (formerly the Subcommittee
on Basic Research) is virtually unchanged. The Subcommittee will continue
to oversee the National Science Foundation and general issues related to
federal science funding and academic research.

The Subcommittee staff will be led by Dr. Sharon Hays. Hays, who began her
career on Capitol Hill as a American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) fellow in the office of Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.), joined
the Science Committee staff in 1999 and has worked on the Basic Research and
Space subcommittees. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Stanford
University.

The Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics will continue to oversee all
issues related to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
and will also oversee the research issues of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), formerly under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on
Technology.

The Subcommittee staff will continue to be led by Eric Sterner, who joined
the Committee staff in 1995 after working as a national security analyst.
He holds two M.A. degrees from George Washington University.

The new Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards will oversee
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST), combining the jurisdictions of the former
Subcommittee on Technology and the environmental portfolio of the former
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.

The Subcommittee staff will be led by Dr. John Mimikakis. Mimikakis, who
began his career on Capitol Hill as a AAAS fellow in the office of Rep.
Boehlert, has handled environmental issues for Boehlert since 1997. He
holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin.

The Subcommittee on Energy will have jurisdiction over the Department of
Energy (DOE).

The Subcommittee staff will continue to be led by Dr. Harlan Watson, who has
held that position since 1995 and has handled energy issues for the
Committee for many years. He holds a Ph.D. in solid state physics from Iowa
State University.

Boehlert said, “This Subcommittee structure will enable us to focus on the
Committee priorities of education, energy and environment. We have an
extraordinarily strong and able staff and I look forward to getting
underway.”

Subcommittee chairs and ranking members will be announced when the Committee
formally organizes later this week.