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Kei Koizumi (science policymaker)

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Kei Koizumi
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Acting
In office
January 20, 2021 – June 2, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byKelvin Droegemeier
Succeeded byEric Lander
Personal details
BornProvidence, Rhode Island, U.S.
EducationBoston University (BA)
George Washington University (MA)

Kei Koizumi is an American science and technology policy expert who served as Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director for Science, Society, and Policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) during the Biden administration.[1] Earlier in the Biden Administration, he served as Principal Deputy Director for Policy, Chief of Staff, and Acting Director.[2][3] Prior to that, he held various roles, including senior advisor on science policy for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), senior advisor to the National Science and Technology Council, and Assistant Director for Federal R&D at OSTP under President Obama.[4]

Early life and education

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Koizumi was born in Providence, Rhode Island and raised in Columbus, Ohio.[1] He attended Boston University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in comparative political economy.[5][6] He then earned a Master of Arts degree in international science and technology policy from George Washington University, where he studied at the Center (now Institute) for International Science, Technology, and Public Policy program.[7]

Career

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Koizumi began his career in science policy at the AAAS, where he specialized in analysis of the federal budget around scientific research and development.[8] In this capacity, he advocated that government agencies clearly communicate the value of their programs and how they relate to federal priorities.[9] During the Obama–Biden presidential transition, he worked on the Technology, Innovation & Government Reform Policy Working Group.[10] Following the transition, he served as the Assistant Director for Federal Research and Development (R&D) in the OSTP and a senior advisor to the National Science and Technology Council.[11] In this role, he also worked within the White House to advocate for the LGBT community and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in both the federal government and in science.[12] In recognition of this work, he was awarded the Walt Westman Award by Out to Innovate, which honors LGBTQ+ role models in STEM.[13]

Following the Obama administration, Koizumi returned to AAAS as a visiting scholar. He continued analyzing federal research and development budgets under the Trump administration, expressing concerns around flat or decreasing investments in science, particularly around addressing climate change and environmental protections.[14][15][16] In the winter of 2020, Koizumi worked on the Biden–Harris presidential transition, leading the National Science Foundation Agency Review team and as a member of the OSTP Agency Review Team. On January 15, 2021, Koizumi was announced as the chief of staff for the Office of Science and Technology Policy.[1] During the Biden Administration, he took on several roles, ending as Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director for Science, Society, and Policy leading the first OSTP Science, Society, and Policy team.[1]

Personal life

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Koizumi is also a competitive athlete, winning a gold medal in the 40 to 44 age group for the 110-meter hurdles at the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne.[17] He also swims competitively. He and his then-husband were among the first same-sex couples to be legally married in the District of Columbia in 2010. They divorced in 2022.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Kei Koizumi, OSTP Chief of Staff". President-Elect Joe Biden. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  2. ^ "Prelude to the Japan Forum". Arctic Circle. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  3. ^ "Kei Koizumi". OECD events. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  4. ^ "Scientific Integrity Policies: An Update". whitehouse.gov. 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  5. ^ "Kei Koizumi". National Science and Technology Medals Foundation. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  6. ^ "BU Alum Kei Koizumi on the Transformation and Challenges of the U.S. Science and Technology Policy". The Communicator. 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  7. ^ "#ElliottProud: Kei Koizumi". Elliott School Office of Graduate Admissions. 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  8. ^ Flatow, Ira (January 6, 2006). "Auditing the Federal Science Budget for 2006". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  9. ^ Schweighart, April (2009-08-18). "June 2005 VCAT Letter Report to NIST Director". NIST. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  10. ^ Gayman, Ryan (2020-11-18). "The Fascinating Tech People on the Biden + Harris Transition Team". Medium. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  11. ^ "BU Alum Kei Koizumi on the Transformation and Challenges of the U.S. Science and Technology Policy". The Communicator. 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  12. ^ Levine, David (April 20, 2016). "LGBT in STEM: Progress but still many obstacles". Elsevier Connect. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  13. ^ "Out to Innovate is awarding Kei Koizumi its Walt Westman Award in recognition of his service to Out to Innovate as a board member, event speaker, and organizational advisor; and in recognition of his… | Out to Innovate (formerly NOGLSTP)". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  14. ^ Laporte, Amaury (March 16, 2018). "Warning Signs: New Report Outlines the Impacts of Proposed Budget Cuts to Climate and Environmental Research | Briefing | EESI". www.eesi.org. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  15. ^ Gustin, Georgina (2017-04-06). "EPA Watchdog Could Spark Internal Clash Over Pruitt's Climate Denial". Inside Climate News. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  16. ^ "What Are The Long-Term Effects Of Short-Term Science Funding Cuts?". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  17. ^ O'Keefe, Ed (August 11, 2010). "Federal Eye - White House science guy clears hurdles... literally". Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
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Political offices
Preceded by Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Acting
2021 		Succeeded by
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