Bulletin board member appointed to National Academies of Sciences committee

Dr. Asha M. George, member of the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board, has been appointed as a member of the Committee on Planetary Protection (CoPP) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

CoPP monitors the implementation of planetary protection guidelines “to protect the biological and environmental integrity of extraterrestrial bodies and to preserve the integrity of Earth’s biosphere” among other directives.

“As fantastical as it may sound, astrobiodefense is neither hypothetical nor fictional,” George stated in a media release from the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, for which she is executive director. “It is a real challenge that requires urgent attention and action.” George previously served in the US House of Representatives as a senior professional staffer and subcommittee staff director at the House Committee on Homeland Security. She has worked for a variety of organizations, including government contractors, foundations, and non-profits. As a contractor, she worked with all federal Departments, especially the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services. She is also a US Army combat veteran.

“All of us at the Bulletin congratulate Asha on this exciting new role,” said Bulletin president and CEO Rachel Bronson. “Her voice has been an invaluable asset to the Science and Security Board, and her deep well of expertise in biosecurity and public health will serve the Committee on Planetary Protection well.”