Dr. Gast will identify areas for cooperation on energy, education, public-private partnerships, and information technology in meetings with senior government officials, ministers, and representatives from the scientific, education, nonprofit, students and business communities.

Dr. Gast is a prominent chemical engineer and President of Lehigh University. Since taking office in 2006, Dr. Gast has led the University to become a premier research university. Dr. Gast previously served as the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also held the Robert T. Haslam Chair in Chemical Engineering. She has conducted studies on surface and interfacial phenomena, particularly the behavior of complex fluids.

The US Science Envoy Program is a core element of the US Government’s commitment to global engagement in science and technology. President Obama announced the program in Cairo in June 2009. The first Science Envoys, Dr. Ahmed Zewail, Dr. Bruce Alberts, and Dr. Elias Zerhouni traveled to 11 different countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia.

The Science Envoys travel in their capacity as private citizens, and advise the White House, the Department of State, and the US scientific community about the knowledge and insights they gain from their travels and interactions.