Indian American is NASA acting chief of staff

Another laurel to PIOs in the US as Indian-American scientist Ms Bhavya Lal, who oversaw NASA`s transition under President Joe Biden`s administration, has been appointed as the Acting Chief of Staff of the U.S. space agency. NASA announced that Lal brings “extensive experience” in engineering and space technology, serving as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defence Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020. The U.S. space agency said on February 1 said that Lal led the analysis of space technology, strategy, and policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Space Council, as well as federal space-oriented organizations, including NASA, the Department of Defence, and the intelligence community.

Ms. Lal served as a member of the Biden Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for the agency and oversaw the agency`s transition under the administration of President Biden. She is an active member of the space technology and policy community, having chaired, co-chaired, or served on five high-impact National Academy of Science committees. Ms. Lal served two consecutive terms on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing.