Biden Energy Official Resigns Amid Push for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a top official with the United States Department of Energy, who injected the department’s science office with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives during her tenure, will step down from her position at the end of the month, Fox News Digital reported.

Berhe, a professor of soil biogeochemistry, was nominated in April 2021 by President Biden to serve as the director of the Office of Science within the DOE. She was confirmed by the Senate in a 54-45 vote.

According to the DOE’s website, Berhe’s areas of expertise include “soil science, global change science, and political ecology with an emphasis on how the soil system regulates the earth’s climate and the dynamic two-way relationship between the natural environment and human communities.”

During her time as the head of science, Berhe has pushed her office to adopt “equity and inclusion” initiatives. In October 2022, Berhe implemented a policy requiring grant applicants “to submit a Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plan as an appendix to their proposal narrative,” according to the Office of Science’s website. The plan mandated applicants to describe how they would “incorporate to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their research projects.”

“The Office of Science (SC) is deeply committed to supporting diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible work, research, and funding environments that value mutual respect and personal integrity, and SC is committed to promoting people of all backgrounds, including individuals from groups and communities historically underrepresented in STEM fields and SC activities in recognition of our responsibility to serve the public,” the website read. (Read more from “Biden Energy Official Resigns Amid Push for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives” HERE)

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