Biology, 1997
Political turmoil in Iran in the 1980s compelled Ali Nouri’s family to immigrate to Oregon when he was 11. He never considered a career in politics and went on to major in biology at Reed and earn a doctorate in molecular biology at Princeton. He later found himself drawn to public policy, serving as an adviser to the United Nations, working as a staffer in the US senate, and leading the Federation of American Scientists. In 2021 he joined the Biden-Harris administration as an Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy. Dr. Nouri heads the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, which plays a key role in responding to the climate crisis and building a clean energy future.