Organization/Institution
About Me (Bio)
At the Society for Science & the Public, Kumar Garg offers his expertise as a leading policymaker and strategist to the Society’s mission of cultivating scientific understanding among children and adults. Garg helped shape science and technology policy for the Obama Administration for nearly eight years, serving in a variety of roles in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). He led the Obama Administration’s efforts to bolster STEM education, including the Educate to Innovate campaign with over $1 billion in in-kind and philanthropic investment, developed major State of the Union initiatives to train 100,000 excellent STEM teachers and bring computer science to all K–12 students, and created iconic events such as the White House Science Fair. Working with the OSTP deputy director, Garg supervised a team of 20 staff with portfolios from fields including biotechnology, entrepreneurship, space, advanced manufacturing, broadband, nanotechnology, behavioral sciences, the Maker Movement, digital media, prizes, and broader innovation policy. As a senior leader at OSTP, Garg was involved in policy development, implementation, and communication of a wide range of science and technology issues, including more than 25 Presidential events. Prior to his time in government, Garg worked on behalf of parents and children seeking educational reform as an education lawyer and advocate. Garg received a BA from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Yale Law School.