Trump's pick for science adviser is making climate change scientists happy

President Donald Trump has nominated meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier, a highly respected extreme weather expert from Oklahoma, as his science adviser.

If confirmed by the Senate, the 59-year-old Droegemeier would lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, ending the post's longest vacancy since it was established in 1976, according to Science magazine.

Droegemeier currently serves as vice president of research at the University of Oklahoma and as the secretary of science and technology for Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R). He's also the former vice chair of the governing board of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

John Holdren was the last to hold the position of director of the Office of Science and Technology under the Obama administration.

What are people's reactions?

“He’s a very good pick. … He has experience speaking science to power,” Holdren told Science magazine. “I expect he’ll be energetic in defending the R&D budget and climate change research in particular.”

Maria Zuber, a planetary geophysicist and vice president for research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Science that the cowboy boots-wearing Droegemeier would stand up for climate science, adding that “he's got solid conservative credentials.”

“He is an excellent scientist, communicator, and public servant, and therefore a superb choice to be the next director of OSTP,” Kei Koizumi told The Atlantic. Koizumi was part of the OTSP under Obama and has worked with Droegemeier before.

Where there other picks?

Other previous potential candidates included emeritus Princeton University physicist William Happer, an atomic physicist who previously served as former President George H.W. Bush's science director, The Guardian reported.

Another possibility was Yale University computer scientist David Gelernter.

What else?

Former presidents George W. Bush and Obama previously nominated Droegemeier to serve on the National Science Board, which governs the National Science Foundation.

He has also testified as an expert witness in aircraft accidents and founded Weather Decision Technologies Inc., a weather analytics company based in Norman, Oklahoma.