DOE science chief steps down

By Carlos Anchondo | 03/21/2024 07:10 AM EDT

In an email to staff, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe said the office had “advanced a culture of inclusion.”

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe speaking during a confirmation hearing in 2021. Francis Chung/POLITICO

The head of the Department of Energy’s science office is leaving the agency at month’s end, nearly two years after her Senate confirmation.

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe informed staff last week that she would be stepping down March 28, adding she is leaving her role as director of DOE’s Office of Science with a “heavy heart filled with profound sadness and gratitude.”

“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve in this unique position in the science community, leading one of the largest scientific workforces in the country,” Berhe said in a March 14 email, shared by DOE with E&E News.

She said Harriet Kung, the deputy director for science programs in the Office of Science, will become acting director following Berhe’s departure.