Steven E. Koonin is a University Professor, Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering in the Tandon School of Engineering and the Founding Director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University; a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and former Second Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy where he oversaw technical activities across the Department’s science, energy, and security activities and led the Department’s first Quadrennial Technology Review for energy. Before joining the government, Dr. Koonin spent five years as Chief Scientist for BP plc, where he played a central role in establishing the Energy Biosciences Institute.