A UF professor will serve under incoming President Donald Trump on the National Medal of Science committee.
Pedro Sanchez, 76, was appointed by outgoing President Barack Obama to the committee, which recommends who will receive the National Medal of Science, an award that honors achievement in different scientific fields. Sanchez, a professor in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said he’s hesitant about how Trump will view the committee’s recommendations.
“Talking about science with President Trump is going to be challenging, but we’ll do our best,” he said. “He doesn’t seem to be interested in and respectful of science.”
Though Sanchez said he personally doesn’t like Trump, he plans to be open-minded and to try to work with the president. He cannot be removed from the position by the new administration.
Sanchez said he began his three-year term on the 12-member committee Jan. 1. Sanchez was notified of the appointment in December after three months of rigorous background checks.
Mark Jamison, a UF business professor and director of UF’s Public Utility Research Center, will also play a role in the Trump administration. On Nov. 21, he was appointed as one of two members for Trump’s tech-policy transition team, according to Alligator archives.
Obama also appointed UF President Kent Fuchs to a role that will carry over under the new president. Obama announced his intentions to appoint Fuchs as a member of the National Science Board and National Science Foundation in September, according to Alligator archives.
Sanchez has worked to help developing countries alleviate poverty by teaching community members how to practice sustainable farming, said his assistant, Maria Ortiz.
“Dr. Sanchez did a tremendous contribution to the world demonstrating that ‘poor tropical countries’ can be self-sufficient and prosper if the solutions are designed according to their particular environmental and agricultural needs,” Ortiz wrote in an email.
While on the committee, Sanchez wants to recommend the medal for scientists making strides in international issues like climate change or cancer research.
“I feel thrilled to have been chosen,” Sanchez said.
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Pedro Sanchez
