Melanie Roberts named next Executive Director of WSAS

SEATTLE – The Board of Directors of the Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS) is pleased to announce the selection of Melanie Roberts as WSAS’s next Executive Director. Roberts joins WSAS from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where she was a senior advisor and director of state and regional affairs. Roberts assumed her new role on November 1, 2024.

“The WSAS Board is delighted to have Melanie lead the organization into its next chapter,” said WSAS President Allison Campbell. “She is a thoughtful and strategic leader who brings with her a wealth of highly relevant experience and networks in science policy both nationally and in the state. We have great confidence that under Melanie’s leadership WSAS will continue to grow and help decision makers consider how to integrate science and technology for the benefit of Washington State citizens, governments and businesses.”

Roberts brings over 20 years of experience as a science, technology, and innovation policy practitioner focused on increasing the benefits of science for society. In her role as director of state and regional affairs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, she collaborated with regional leaders and associations to advance mutual interests and amplify PNNL’s regional impact. Roberts began her career as a neuroscientist and transitioned to policy through an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) science and technology policy fellowship, where she worked to advance innovation policy and interdisciplinary research in the U.S. Senate and the National Science Foundation. Over the last fifteen years, she has served in leadership roles that build capacity and opportunity for scientists and engineers to collaborate across boundaries on complex societal challenges. She founded and directed a community-engaged leadership program at AAAS, served as assistant director for collaborative research at the BioFrontiers Institute at the University of Colorado, and served as an independent consultant specializing in strategic partnerships and multidisciplinary program design.

Roberts has served on numerous national and regional boards and committees, including the Committee on Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century at the National Academy of Sciences and the William D. Ruckelshaus Center advisory board. She is an honorary fellow of AAAS and a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow. Roberts earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Washington and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in science and technology policy at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“It is an honor to join WSAS as the next ED, both to build on the incredible work already underway and because its mission of ‘Science in the Service of Washington State’ is also my mission.” said Roberts. “I am struck both by the commitment of WSAS members to give back to the region and the commitment of state policy makers to learn about complex issues facing Washington. We have the opportunity to set a standard for evidence-informed decision making in Washington state that isn’t currently possible in the other Washington.”

“Melanie is an enormously talented and well-respected leader in the science policy community,” said WSAS’s outgoing Executive Director Donna Gerardi Riordan. “She will bring unparalleled energy and creativity to this role and is well positioned to grow WSAS’s impact in the state.”

Roberts joins WSAS on the eve of its 20^th anniversary. She will oversee WSAS’s operations, fundraising, strategic planning, partnerships, and programs. She will also be the key spokesperson for WSAS, advocating for the mission and raising the Academy’s visibility and impact across the state and nation.

“A sweet spot for WSAS is to inform discussions on issues that still need to be understood and where positions have not yet been taken,” says Roberts. “That is when credible, locally relevant information is most helpful in informing decisions and expanding the solution space.”

Melanie can be contacted at melanie.roberts@washacad.org.