Directorate for Education & Human Resources Programs
American Association for the Advancement of Science

As head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Shirley Malcom oversees AAAS programs in education, activities for underrepresented groups, and public understanding of science and technology. Nationally recognized for her leadership on issues facing underrepresented minorities and women in the sciences and engineering, she has published numerous research articles and monographs on diversity challenges in scientific and engineering fields, including a joint AAAS and NSF report.

Malcom received a bachelor's degree with distinction in zoology from the University of Washington, a master's degree in zoology from UCLA, and a doctorate in ecology from Pennsylvania State University. She served on the National Science Board of NSF from 1994 to 1998, and was a member of the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology from 1994 to 2001. She is currently cochair of the Gender Advisory Board of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development, and has also chaired numerous national and international committees addressing education reform and access to scientific and technical education, careers, and literacy.

Malcom is an honorary trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, a regent of Morgan State University and a trustee of Caltech. She sits on the board of the Heinz Endowments. She holds 16 honorary degrees, and is a fellow of AAAS and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2003 she received the National Academy of Sciences' prestigious Public Welfare Medal.