Anish Goel Selected as Powell Fellow

John Adams once suggested that there is nothing finer than the service of mankind. And there is no better example of dedication to civil service than Anish Goel, who recently was selected as one of 14 new Powell Fellows for the class of 2006-2007. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice created the program in 2005 to honor her mentor, Colin Powell. The program honors distinguished mid-level Civil Service and Foreign Service employees who are representative of future leaders of the State Department.

Goel was selected out of 70 candidates and will meet this year with prominent persons in government, politics, universities, research centers and other sectors in order to discuss policy leadership, and other issues. "I'm really excited about the fellowship," he says. "It's going to be a great opportunity to meet very prominent people both inside and outside of the government. I'm also looking forward to discussing the major issues affecting the United States, such as security, terrorism, and democracy. I just want to learn as much as possible."

Goel received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and his PhD in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2002. Soon after, he was named a 2002 -2003 AAAS Congressional Fellow, serving in the office of Senator John "Jay" Rockefeller (D-WV). This gave him the opportunity to conduct research on science and technology policy issues and gain true hands-on experience in public service.

A year later Goel became a AAAS Fellow with the U.S. Department of State, serving in the Bureau of South Asian and Central Affairs for two years, during which he was honored for his efforts in promoting U.S. scientific policies internationally. Upon completing his fellowship, he remained in the Bureau as a Regional Science and Economics Officer.

"It's a whole new world," Goel says about transitioning from engineering to working at the State Department, "International diplomacy is not something they teach you about in grad school. Although I'm not using my technical skills, my graduate training has paid off- many of the other skills I learned are applicable to government, such as problem solving, analysis and critical thinking."

In his current role, he is able to directly contribute to the formulation and negotiation of foreign policy in areas of science, technology, health, economic development, and trade in India, Pakistan and other South Asian countries. Specifically, he has taken a leadership position in working with Congress, embassies and other federal agencies.

One of Goel's most important projects includes the India Civil Nuclear Initiative, of which he is the lead desk officer. As a result President Bush's landmark agreement last March to provide nuclear energy to India, the State Department has been working to negotiate agreements, change U.S. law and build consensus in international community, among other tasks. He also is working on a project to build science and technology capacity in India following the signing of last October's U.S.-India Science and Technology Agreement.

As for the future, Goel plans to remain at the State Department, contributing to the advancement of science and technology in Asia and around the globe. "As long as it's fun, I'll be here," he says.