Steven E. Koonin | |||||||||
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Director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress, New York University | |||||||||
In office April 2012 – ? | |||||||||
2nd Under Secretary for Science | |||||||||
In office May 2009 – November 2011 | |||||||||
President | Barack Obama | ||||||||
Preceded by | Raymond L. Orbach | ||||||||
7th Provost of Caltech | |||||||||
In office February 1995 – March 2004 | |||||||||
Preceded by | Paul C. Jennings | ||||||||
Succeeded by | Edward Stolper (acting) | ||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||
Born | Brooklyn, New York | December 12, 1951||||||||
Spouse | Laurie Koonin | ||||||||
Children | 3 | ||||||||
Alma mater | B.S., California Institute of Technology Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology | ||||||||
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Steven Elliot Koonin (born December 12, 1951)[1] is an American theoretical physicist and former director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University. He is also a professor in the Department of Civil and Urban Engineering at NYU's Tandon School of Engineering.[2] From 2004 to 2009, Koonin was employed by BP as the oil and gas company’s Chief Scientist.[3] From 2009 to 2011, he was Under Secretary for Science, Department of Energy, in the Obama administration.