WSAS News

WSAS showcases another extraordinary year of serving as Washington’s independent scientific and technical advisory body. The Academy thanks outgoing executive director Donna Gerardi Riordan and outgoing president John Roll for their service and welcomes Melanie Roberts as its new executive director.

The WSAS Board of Directors announced the selection of Melanie Roberts as WSAS’s next Executive Director. Roberts brings over 20 years of experience as a science, technology, and innovation policy practitioner focused on increasing the benefits of science for society. Roberts assumed her new role on November 1, 2024.

Donna Gerardi Riordan reflects on her time leading WSAS over the last 7 years.

Washington State Academy of Sciences member David Baker has been awarded one half of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for computational protein design.”

WSAS announced the 2025 Washington State delegates to the American Junior Academy of Science. These 11 students were selected based on original STEM research they conducted while in high school and will attend the 2025 AAAS annual meeting in Boston.

The earth’s climate is changing so quickly that even the most powerful computer models can hardly keep up. How to fix that was one of many discussions involving artificial intelligence at the Washington State Academy of Sciences 2024 symposium in Seattle.

WSAS convened folks from universities, government agencies and industry at our 17th Annual Symposium - AI for Washington State: Using Artificial Intelligence to explore, discover and understand - to discuss how they are using AI to address daunting challenges in climate and wildfires, agriculture and health as well as the implications for AI policy and regulations.

New members were elected in recognition of their scientific achievement and willingness to work on behalf of the Academy for the benefit of Washington State.

WSAS members elected Jonathan Yoder to serve as Treasurer; Nathan Baker, Brian French, and Kristi Morgansen to join the board and re-elected Susmita Bose to the board.

On March 27, 2024, WSAS hosted a lecture in honor of the late Dr. Ka'imi Sinclair as part of its broader effort to work in collaboration with, and support the science and technology needs of, Native American tribes in Washington State.

After seven years of leading the Washington State Academy of Sciences through unprecedented growth, Gerardi Riordan is stepping down as Executive Director in November.

2024 AJAS Delegate Kosha Upadhyay is one of 5 students from Washington State selected as a presidential scholar, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.