In interviews with The Scientist, several science and technology policy-watchers have, for example, praised Clinton's early `appointment of John H. Gibbons to be White House science and technology adviser, as well as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Gibbons, who since 1979 has been director of the congressional Office of Technology Assessment, is known around Washington as a soft-spoken but effective and politically savvy "facilitator," well accustomed to navigating Washington's turbulent policy cross-currents (see accompanying story).
"We're very enthusiastic about [Gibbons], because he knows Congress, he knows Washington, he knows the issues," says John Holmfeld, executive director of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP), an umbrella group of the top officials from 58 scientific societies with a combined membership of 1.5 million. "Also, he can work well with [Vice President Al] Gore. All of those things add up to a big plus."
At the same ...
