Dr. Melba Crawford (Mechanical Engineering and Space Research, University of Texas at Austin). Dr. Crawford has a joint assignment to two bureaus: International Organization Affairs (IO); and Intelligence and Research (INR). For IO, Dr. Crawford serves as the Science Committee Coordinator for the U.S. National Commission to UNESCO. In this capacity, Dr. Crawford advises the National Commission on U.S. priorities and objectives in re-establishing close linkages to the UNESCO science section. She serves as an advisor to U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO Louise Oliver. These duties require Dr. Crawford’s frequent presence in Paris to advise the U.S. Mission to UNESCO and to coordinate with the UNESCO Science Section. She serves as a key planner and advisor for the joint NASA/UNESCO project on preservation of bioreserves and World Heritage sites. Dr. Crawford is leading U.S. initiatives at UNESCO intended to enhance availability of potable water and to build greater science, technology and engineering capacity in the developing world. Dr. Crawford’s principal focus with INR is Disaster Mitigation. In this role she was a delegate to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan, focusing particularly on tsunami early warning systems. She has taken a leading role in U.S. efforts to establish a more effective tsunami early warning system for the Pacific Rim. Capitalizing on her expertise in remote sensing, Dr. Crawford has spearheaded INR’s initiative to utilize remotely sensed data in humanitarian relief programs, including rapid identification of populations placed at risk by conflict or natural disaster. Dr. Crawford’s work at State is contributing to U.S. national security, regional security and stability, U.S. re-integration into UNESCO and achievement of our S&T development goals, S&T capacity building in the developing world, and improved humanitarian response to disasters.