Frances Colón is an American science diplomat and

environmental policy Environmental policy is the commitment of an organization or government to the laws, regulations, and other policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues. These issues generally include air and water pollution, waste management, ecosystem mana ...

expert most notably having served at the United States Department of State between September 2008 and January 2017. In her work, she promotes the integration of science and technology into foreign policy dialogues; global scientific engagement for capacity-building; the advancement of women in

STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

; and the use of innovation as a tool for economic growth around the world. Previously, Dr. Colón served the U.S. Department of State as the Science and Environment Adviser at the Western Hemisphere Affairs Bureau where she was responsible for advising on environmental and scientific issues that affected the

U.S. Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

foreign policy A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...

objectives in the Americas. During that time, Dr. Colón coordinated climate change policy for the

Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...

announced by President Barack Obama in 2009. As a

AAAS AAAS may refer to: * American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a learned society and center for policy research; the publisher of the journal ''Dædalus'' * American Association for the Advancement of Science, an organization that supports scientifi ...

Science and Technology Policy Fellow (2006–2008), Dr. Colón led the OES Bureau’s program for Muslim world outreach through

K-12 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquired ...

science and math education cooperation. In November 2020, Colón was named a volunteer member of the

Joe Biden presidential transition The presidential transition of Joe Biden began on November 7, 2020 and ended on January 20, 2021. Unlike previous presidential transitions, which normally take place during the roughly 10-week period between the election in the first week o ...

Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the United States Department of State. Since 2021, she has been a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

Early life and education

Dr. Colón grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and earned her B.S. in biology in 1997 from the University of Puerto Rico. She went on to earn her doctorate in developmental neurobiology at Brandeis University in 2004.

Career

Science diplomacy career

She served nearly five years as deputy science and technology adviser to the Secretary of State (2012–2017). In that role, she became the highest-ranking Hispanic scientist at the State Department. Prior to this role, she had been an adviser on science and the environment for the Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department and served as acting science and technology adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry. In 2015, she represented the United States government as vice chair of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology Development. Under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Colón led the Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas (ECPA), an initiative announced by President Obama at the

Summit of the Americas The Summit of the Americas (SOA) is an international summit meeting that brings together the leaders of countries in the Organization of American States (OAS). Cuba was expelled from the OAS under pressure from the United States after the Cuban Re ...

in April 2009 to accelerate

sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...

in the Americas.

Science advocacy efforts

Colón is also an outspoken advocate for women and girls to pursue careers in science. During her time as Deputy Adviser, she oversaw the creation of th
Networks of Diasporas in Engineering and Science
(NODES) initiative to empower diasporas with science expertise to develop and influence effective policies and solve challenges in their countries of origin. As part of President Obama's White House "Untold History of Women in STEM" project, she shared the story of Puerto Rican scientist

Ana Roqué de Duprey Ana Roqué de Duprey, also known as "Flor del Valle" (Flower of the Valley) for her work in botany, (April 18, 1853 – 1933), was an educator, suffragist and one of the founders of the University of Puerto Rico. Early years Roqué (birth name ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colon, Frances American diplomats American women scientists Brandeis University alumni Living people Scientists from San Juan, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican scientists United States Department of State officials University of Puerto Rico alumni Year of birth missing (living people)