Steven Koonin serves as chief scientist of BP, the world’s second largest integrated energy company with operations in more than 100 countries. As chief scientist, Koonin is responsible for BP’s long-range technology strategy, particularly those “beyond petroleum.” He also has purview over BP’s major university research programs around the world and provides technical advice to the company’s senior executives. Before joining BP in 2004, Koonin spent 30 years at the California Institute of Technology where he became a full professor in 1981 and served as Provost from 1995 to 2004. Koonin received his undergraduate degree in physics from Caltech and his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from M.I.T. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has served on numerous advisory bodies for the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy. His research interests have included theoretical nuclear and computational physics, nuclear astrophysics, and global environmental science.

BP was the first major oil company to state publicly, in 1997, that the risks of climate change are serious and that precautionary action is justified. The company has cut is operational greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent below 1990 levels, and now aims to hold its emissions steady through 2012. In 2005, BP established an alternative energy business unit that plans to invest $8 billion in solar, wind, hydrogen and combined-cycle power generation technologies over the next decade. BP is a member of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change Business Environmental Leadership Council.
 . . . short bio

Steven Koonin serves as chief scientist of BP, the world’s second largest integrated energy company with operations in more than 100 countries. As chief scientist, Koonin is responsible for BP’s long-range technology strategy, particularly those “beyond petroleum.” He also has purview over BP’s major university research programs around the world and provides technical advice to the company’s senior executives . . . full bio