President Gonokami appointed to U.S. Department of Energy panel

On February 3, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the appointment of President Gonokami to the Office of Science Advisory Committee (SCAC). This newly created committee provides integrated advice for the whole Office of Science, and replaces six programmatic committees previously established for each research area within the Office.

The members of the SCAC are leading experts covering all aspects of Office of Science research, appointed by DOE Under Secretary for Science Dario Gil. The committee chair is Persis Drell, professor of materials science and engineering and physics at Stanford University, provost emerita of Stanford, and director emerita of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

President Gonokami, the sole member affiliated with an institution outside the United States, will advise on a wide range of DOE research and development activities. These include the U.S. national strategy “Genesis Mission,” identified for collaborative cooperation in the Statement of Intent (SOI) signed by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the DOE in January 2026, fusion energy, quantum science, and other areas. Through his activities as an SCAC member, President Gonokami will contribute to deepening Japan-U.S. collaboration in science and technology from the perspectives of scientific integrity and strengthening international partnerships.