Chuck Atkins, Chief of Staff
Chuck serves as Chief of Staff for the Committee. As such he acts as staff director, administrator, and policy adviser to Committee Chairman Bart Gordon. He is responsible for managing a team of Committee scientists, engineers, attorneys, and other professional support staff as well as the Committee budget and all administrative operations. Previously, Chuck served as the Democratic staff director while Rep. Gordon was Ranking Member of the Committee and as chief of staff in his personal office. Prior to joining Rep. Gordon in 1998, Chuck was chief of staff to Rep. Scotty Baesler (D-KY). During his time on Capitol Hill, Chuck was elected president of the House Administrative Assistants' Association (HAAA), a professional association of senior staff, and was also selected as a Congressional Staff Fellow at the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service. In addition to a former career in community development consulting and real estate development, Chuck also taught college courses in political science and public policy. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1966-1968, including a Vietnam tour. He holds a B.S. with honors from Georgia State University and an M.A. in public administration from The Ohio State University.
Louis Finkel, Director of Policy and Outreach
Louis serves as the Committee’s Director of Policy & Outreach. In this role, he is tasked with managing the Committee’s agenda and organizing the chairman’s efforts to reach a broad spectrum of constituencies interested in the business of the Committee. Prior to joining the committee staff, Louis spent six years in the private sector representing the interests of educational institutions, non-profits, technology companies and energy interests. Previously, Louis served in several legislative capacities with two different Members of Congress. His most recent congressional service was as Legislative Director to the committee Chairman, Rep. Gordon. In that capacity he served as a senior policy advisor and managed Rep. Gordon’s legislative operations. In addition, he worked on a diverse policy portfolio that included energy, transportation, education, agriculture, the environment, and consumer protection.
Leigh Ann Brown, Administrative Assistant
Leigh Ann joined the staff in the fall of 2004. As Administrative Assistant, she handles all administrative duties for the Chairman. She is a Tennessee native and previously spent eight years in Chairman Gordon's personal office as his executive assistant and office manager. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Leigh Ann has a degree in economics and political science.
John Piazza joined the professional staff of the Committee in March, 2006. His responsibilities include legislative, legal, and parliamentary process issues. In addition, he works on oversight for the Committee. John graduated with a B.A. from Columbia University in 1999, where he studied environmental science. He received a J.D. from Washington and Lee University in 2002. John is a member of the Arizona and District of Columbia Bars. Prior to joining the Committee, John was a prosecutor in Tucson, Arizona.
Hilary Cain , Counsel
Hilary serves as Counsel to the Full Committee. She handles parliamentary, procedural, and jurisdictional matters for the Committee. She also participates in the development and implementation of legislative strategy, and has responsibility for special projects across subcommittee jurisdictional lines. Previously, Hilary worked as Legislative Director to Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), overseeing his legislative agenda, and as Ways and Means Counsel to Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX). She holds a J.D. and a M.A. in Public Affairs from the University of Texas, and a B.A. in Political Science with honors from the University of Washington.
Alex Dery Snider , Communications Director
Alex handles all Committee media outreach for Chairman Gordon and serves as a communications resource for Committee Members. Prior to joining the Committee on Science and Technology, she served as Communications Director to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the National Research Center for Women & Families. She also worked in the Health and Social Marketing group of the communications firm Porter Novelli. Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Writing and Speech & Theatre from St. Lawrence University.
Alison serves as Deputy Communications Director for the Committee. She handles Web site content and development, Member outreach and press shop needs. Previously, Alison worked for Congressman Jim Costa. There, she spent a couple of years assisting with press, writing legislative correspondence, and handling a variety of legislative issues. In addition, Alison is the Vice President of Digital Communications and New Media for the California State Society (CSS) and Technology Outreach Ambassador for the Women’s Information Network (WIN). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications, with an emphasis in Digital Communications, from Georgetown University.
Deborah Emerson Samantar, Legislative Clerk
Deborah is the legislative clerk. She is responsible for clerking committee markups and maintaining documents and the official records of the Committee’s activities. Deborah has an extensive knowledge of Committee administrative operations. Prior to joining the Committee in January 2007, Deborah spent 20 years working in a number of different staff positions with the Committee on Education and Labor, serving most recently as a hearing clerk and intern coordinator. She began her Capitol Hill career in 1983 as a staff assistant for Joe Kolter (D-PA). Deborah attended Slippery Rock State in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and majored in elementary-secondary education. In her spare time, she serves as a Girl Scout Troop Leader.
Robert Etter , Professional Staff
Robert joined the Committee’s professional staff in February 2009. He works on legislative and procedural matters for the Committee. Robert received a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2005 and a B.A. in political science from Vanderbilt in 2000. Prior to joining the Committee, Robert practiced law in the Atlanta and Washington D.C. offices of a large law firm, where he focused on commercial litigation involving energy, environmental and antitrust issues. Robert is a member of the Georgia and District of Columbia Bars.
Julie Eubank , Professional Staff
Julie joined the Committee staff in January 2009. Her portfolio of duties includes special projects for Chairman Gordon, assisting with research related to Committee activities, and supporting outreach to Congressional offices and interested parties. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Julie worked for six years in Chairman Gordon’s personal office as his Executive Assistant and then as his Communications Director before joining Obama for America as the Deputy Communications Director in Montana.
Molly O'Rourke, Research Assistant
Molly joined the Committee staff in June 2009, starting as an intern before joining the staff as a Research Assistant for the Full Committee. She graduated from the University of Virginia’s (UVA) Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy with a Master of Public Policy in May 2009. Molly completed her undergraduate studies at UVA as well, majoring in Political Philosophy, Policy and Law and Foreign Affairs.
Karly joined the committee in July 2009 as the Full Committee Staff Assistant. In this capacity, she coordinates room scheduling, deals with official mail correspondence, serves as the intern coordinator. She also helps with various Subcommittee research projects where needed. She graduated magna cum laude in May 2009 from Furman University with a Bachelor’s in both Political Science and Communication Studies. Karly is originally from Memphis, Tennessee.
Dick Obermann, Staff Director
Dick joined the Committee in 1990. Initially, he served as Science Advisor for the Subcommittee on Space, including oversight and budget authorization responsibilities for science, exploration, and the space station program. He currently is serving as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, with primary authorization and oversight responsibility for civil space and aeronautics activities. Dick holds a B.S.E. and Ph.D. in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences from Princeton University, and an M.S.E. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University. He also completed the Senior Managers in Government Program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Dick started his career working on the technical staff at the MITRE Corporation and as a senior program officer on the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Research Council. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of the American Astronautical Society and a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics.
Pamela Whitney, Professional Staff
Pamela Whitney serves as Professional Staff on the Space & Aeronautics Subcommittee. In her former position as senior program officer at the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council, National Academies, she directed studies and workshops on international cooperation in space, Earth remote sensing, Mars planetary protection, space policy, astronomy science centers, among other space technology and research topics. Pamela also served as the executive secretary of the U.S. national committee to the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council for Science (ICSU). She held previous positions as an analyst at the aerospace consulting firm CSP Associates, Inc., and as a researcher and writer for Time-Life Books, Inc. Pamela holds a B.A. in economics from Smith College and an M.A. in international communication from American University. She is a member of Women in Aerospace and a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.
Allen Li, Professional Staff
Devin Bryant, Research Assistant
Devin Bryant joined the Committee originally as an intern for the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics in June 2004, and went on to serve as Staff Assistant for the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards, and the Full Committee. In 2007, he joined the Democratic staff as Research Assistant for the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. He currently handles commercial space and exploration issues. He graduated with a B.A. in Space Policy from the University of Redlands in 2004 and is originally from Los Angeles.
Mike Quear, Staff Director
A chemical engineer by education, Mike worked for Union Carbide Corp. in both its research and development lab and several production locations. He received a AAAS fellowship at the Department of State in 1989 in the Oceans, Environm l property rights and trade in militarily-sensitive technologies. He joined the Committee in 1991 to work on international scientific issues. Since 1995, he has focused on technology issues such as competitiveness, computer security, standards and trade and technology development programs (Advanced Technology Program, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and Small Business Innovative Research).
Meghan Housewright, Professional Staff
Meghan joined the Democratic Committee staff at the beginning of 2007. She serves as professional staff for the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee, where she handles oversight of research related programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Transportation. Before becoming professional staff for the Committee, Meghan was the Research Assistant for the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education and the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation. Meghan was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali. She holds an M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University and a B.A. in Geology from Mount Holyoke College.
Travis Hite, Professional Staff
Travis joined the Democratic staff of the Committee in October 2008. Before joining the staff, he served as a consultant to DARPA, the Department of Defense’s research and development arm. As a Science, Engineering, and Technical Assistant (SETA) at DARPA, he managed research efforts into high-powered lasers developed for military applications. Travis is currently professional staff on the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee, where he handles oversight of research programs at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation. He has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an M.B.A. in global business and economy, both from Virginia Tech.
Holly Logue Prutz , Professional Staff
Holly joined the Democratic Committee staff in April 2009, where she serves as professional staff for the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee. Prior to joining the staff, Holly was an attorney at the law firm of Arnold & Porter, LLP specializing in patent counseling and biotechnology and pharmaceutical transactions. She holds a B.S. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law, and is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Victoria Johnston, Research Assistant
Victoria joined the Committee staff in September 2008. She holds a B.A. in astrophysics from Columbia University. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she remained at Columbia for one year to continue to work on a NASA funded project, where she helped build a spectrometer for astrophysical observations. She then spent a year volunteering for three different environmental conservation programs in Greece, Australia, and New Zealand.
Dahlia Sokolov, Staff Director
Dahlia joined the Committee staff as an American Institute of Physics Congressional fellow in October 2004 and joined the professional staff in July 2005. For the two years prior to joining the Democratic staff of the Research Subcommittee, she served on the Energy Subcommittee working on nuclear energy R&D under then-Chairman Sherwood Boehlert’s (R-NY) leadership. Before coming to the Hill, Dahlia completed a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in the Radiation Oncology Sciences Program. Dahlia has a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of California at Berkeley.
Bess joined the staff of the Committee in January 2007, where she worked on the Full Committee staff. She moved to the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education in 2008 to serve as their research assistant. Bess has begun handling K-12 to graduate level science, mathematics, engineering and technology education issues for the Subcommittee. Bess holds a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Sewanee: The University of the South.
Dan Pearson, Staff Director
Dan has been with the Committee since 1991. He is in charge of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee staff. This is his second stint as Staff Director of that Subcommittee, last heading it from 1993 to 1995 during the 103rd Congress. In the interim, he has carried a variety of issues at different times including policy coordination, budget analysis, appropriations work, Member services work, press spokesman and oversight coordinator. Dan started on the Hill as a Legislative Assistant in the office of Rep. George E. Brown, Jr. (D-CA). Before coming to Washington, Dan earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle and served on the faculty of Whitman College.
James Paul, Professional Staff
James began his service on the Committee in May 1985. During his multi-decade tenure, he has dealt with a broad and eclectic set of issues. He served on the Committee's task force reviewing the findings of the Rogers Commission inquiry into the Challenger accident and then again as the Committee dealt with the loss of Columbia. On computer industry topics, James' current work involves oversight of agency management, Internet topics, and assuring proper handling of the data collected from scientific research funded by the Federal Government. James received a B.S. in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in June 1982, and started his Capitol Hill career in the office of Rep. Harold Volkmer (D-MO).
Douglas Pasternak, Professional Staff
Doug is an award-winning investigative reporter who spent nearly two decades uncovering waste, fraud and mismanagement at various federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. Bureau of Prisons and National Reconnaissance Office, before joining the Oversight and Investigations staff of the Committee in September 2006. He came to the Committee from NBC Nightly News where he was a producer on the Investigative Unit. While there, he broke several major stories, including FEMA's mishandling of ice shipments to victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Pentagon's domestic intelligence collection efforts. Prior to NBC News, he worked as an investigative reporter at U.S. News & World Report magazine for 14 years. His cover stories at U.S. News included the exposure of multi-billion dollar cost overruns, mismanagement and bungled technical assessments of the U.S. government's spy satellite programs and the Defense Department's classified development of exotic electromagnetic weapons that stun and disable without killing. Doug has a B.A. degree in Political Science from American University in Washington, D.C. and has studied in Israel and Poland.
Ken Jacobson, Professional Staff
A lifelong journalist before joining the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight in February 2007, Ken has reported on business and economic affairs from Europe and Latin America as well as New York and Washington. His principal focus since arriving in D.C. in 1992 has been advanced technology, and in particular the current state – and future – of U.S. manufacturing, research, and high-skilled employment. Previous jobs involved reporting on the metals and mining industries, nuclear energy, the automobile and steel industries, medicine, and civil engineering. An alumnus of both the University of California at Berkeley and the Associated Press, Ken began his reporting career as a sports writer and has published a book on the Holocaust.
Edith Holleman is currently counsel for the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Prior to that, she was an investigative staff counsel for the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Government Operations Committee of the House of Representatives.
Jean Fruci, Staff Director
Jean joined the Committee Democratic staff in July 1995. She is responsible for the oversight of research programs and operational activities of the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Transportation. Prior to joining the Committee staff, she worked as a Legislative Assistant to Rep. George E. Brown (D-CA) from January 1994 through June 1995 in the areas of agriculture, resource management, energy, and the environment. Jean received her Ph.D. in soil science from Cornell University in January 1995. Prior to returning to graduate school at Cornell, she worked as a research assistant in the area of ecosystem ecology.
Christopher King, Professional Staff
Chris joined the Committee staff in January 2002. He handles issues related to the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, which has oversight and legislative jurisdiction over a broad portfolio of civilian research, development, and demonstration programs at the Department of Energy. Prior to joining the Committee, Chris worked in the Texas State Legislature for the Legislative Study Group, where his responsibilities included energy, environment, worker's compensation, and consumer protection policy. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin.
Shimere Williams, Professional Staff
Shimere holds a B.S. in Civil/Environmental Engineering as well as a Ph.D. in Pharmacology. Her doctoral research focused on the role of the dopaminergic signaling pathway underlying the maintenance phase of long-term potentiation (long-term memory). Shimere serves the Committee on Science and Technology as a professional staff member of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee where she works on ocean, weather, environmental, energy, and technology issues. Prior to joining the staff, her path to a career in policy began with a dynamic experience at the National Academy of Sciences. There she completed a graduate science and technology policy fellowship with the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research in the Division on Earth and Life Studies, then succeeded with the Board on Children, Youth and Families in the Institute of Medicine and Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.
Elaine Pauloinis Phelen, Professional Staff
Ms. Paulionis joined the Committee on Science and Technology as a professional staff member and works on the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. Elaine holds an A.B. in Political Science from Washington University and a Masters in Environmental Management (MEM) from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Prior to joining the Science and Technology Committee, she served as Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s environment and energy legislative assistant. Her tenure on Capitol Hill also includes time spent working for Senator Ron Wyden and on the Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Michelle Dallafior, Professional Staff
Michelle joined the Committee staff to work on the Energy and Environment Subcommittee focusing on energy policy. The Subcommittee has oversight and legislative jurisdiction over a wide range of civilian research, development and demonstration programs at the Department of Energy. Before she joined the Science Committee, Michelle was Chief of Staff to Rep. Charles Wilson (D-OH). Prior to service with Rep. Wilson (D-OH), Michelle worked for Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH) for nearly ten years. During that time she served as his Legislative Director with primary responsibility for his energy and environment policy initiatives at the Energy and Commerce Committee. During Mr. Strickland’s last year in Congress, Michelle became his Chief of Staff. In her spare time she helped to craft Mr. Strickland’s energy platform during his successful campaign for Governor of Ohio. Michelle’s first tour on the Hill was spent working for Sen. John Glenn (D-OH) on Great Lakes legislative issues and in 1996 she traveled to Pennsylvania to be a field coordinator for the Clinton/Gore Coordinated Campaign. Michelle holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and M.A. in Public Policy from Georgetown University.
Adam Rosenberg, Professional Staff
Adam Rosenberg joined the Committee in May 2007, and serves as professional staff on the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. He holds a B.S. in applied and engineering physics from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in plasma physics from Princeton University, where he studied magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and interactions between radio frequency waves and energetic ions in a large magnetic fusion experiment at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. While an undergraduate, he also completed internships at Argonne National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. From mid-2003 through 2004, Dr. Rosenberg was an American Physical Society Congressional Fellow on the Democratic staff of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Before joining the Science and Technology Committee, he was most recently a Program Manager in the Department of Energy Office of Science’s Fusion Energy Sciences Program, where he directly oversaw a major research facility at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as several other research activities across the nation.
Jetta joined the Committee in March of 2009 to work on the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. She works on a wide range of energy policy issues related to civilian research, development and demonstration programs at the Department of Energy. Before she joined the Committee, Jetta briefly worked for the Clean Energy Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Prior to her work at UCS she served as the Senior Policy Associate on Sustainable Biomass for the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). Jetta’s career in energy started in Uzbekistan where she was a natural resources consultant on an anaerobic digestion development project. Jetta holds a B.S. in Natural Resources and the Environment from the University of Michigan. She will have a MPS in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University in May 2009. Her studies have also taken her to Costa Rica and Brazil.
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