Dr. Richard S. Nicholson was Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Publisher of Science—the world’s leading scientific journal (1989-2001). During his tenure as CEO, Dr. Nicholson was principally responsible for the planning, financing, and execution of the magnificent AAAS Headquarters in Washington, DC. Dr. Nicholson also held senior positions at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and served as Executive Secretary for the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science and as Vice-Chairman of the Commission on Physical Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences. He has received a number of awards, including NSF’s Distinguished Service Award and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.