Dr. Richard A. Meserve is the President Emeritus of the Carnegie Institution for Science, having served from 2003 to 2014. He served as Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1999 to 2003. Before joining the NRC, Meserve was a partner in the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP, and he now serves as Senior Of Counsel on a part-time basis. With a Harvard law degree and a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford, he devoted his legal practice to technical issues arising at the intersection of science, law, and public policy. Early in his career, he served as legal counsel to the Presidents science adviser and was a law clerk to Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court.

Meserve has served on numerous legal and scientific committees over the years, including many established by the National Academies. He currently serves as Chairman of the International Nuclear Safety Group, which is chartered by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and is a member of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board. He formerly was President of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University.

Among other affiliations, he is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and serves on its Council. He is on the Board of Directors of PG&E Corporation, Duke Energy Corporation, and the Universities Research Association, Inc.