Adam P. Fagen has spent his career working at the interface of science and society with a focus on science policy, science education, communications, workforce and training, and nonprofit society management. He most recently served as director of External Affairs for the Association of Science and Technology Centers, where he made the case for science and technology centers and museums and the importance of public engagement with science.
He spent five years as executive director of the Genetics Society of America, a scientific professional society with more than 5,700 members around the world, providing strategic leadership for all society activities and working with the elected Board of Directors to set organizational priorities and lead activities in policy and advocacy, communications and outreach, scholarly publishing, scientific meetings, career development, and member engagement.
He was previously director of Public Affairs for the American Society of Plant Biologists—where he led the society’s activities in congressional and government relations, education, communications, and outreach—and senior program officer with the Board on Life Sciences of the National Research Council at the U.S. National Academies—where he directed studies on science education and training, biosecurity, interdisciplinary research, stem cell research, and more.
Fagen earned his PhD in molecular biology and education from Harvard University with research focused on mechanisms for enhancing student learning and conceptual understanding in introductory biology and physics. He also received an A.M. in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard and a B.A. from Swarthmore College with a double-major in biology and mathematics.