Thomas Rosswall has been instrumental in the development of microbial ecology, both nationally and internationally. His leadership in three major ecosystem projects has been important not only for ecosystem sciences in Sweden, but also for the development of international networks, which have fostered intensive collaboration between scientists in many countries. His work on carbon and nitrogen cycling has ranged from microcosm studies to the globe and has linked deep process understanding to modelling efforts of entire systems at all scales.

Formerly he has been Director of the International Foundation for Science (IFS), Rector (President) of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Director of the International START Secretariat, Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) and Professor of Water in Nature and Society at the Universities of Stockholm and Linköping, Sweden. He has also served on numerous international and national committees and boards. He is an elected member of six learned societies including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Academia Europaea and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World.

Complete Bio

Carthage Smith (born 1963, UK citizen) took up a new post of Deputy Executive Director of ICSU in 2001. His main responsibility is to support the Executive Director in overall policy and strategy development and implementation. Prior to moving to ICSU, he was head of the International Section at the Medical Research Council in the UK. Originally trained as a biochemist, his PhD and research background are in Neuroscience.

Tish Bahmani Fard holds the dubious distinction of being the longest serving member of the Secretariat, where she has occupied several posts and is now responsible for membership and general administrative issues.
In the dimly remembered time PI (pre-ICSU), she read philosophy, politics and English and had a varied career which took her from milk floats to wine cellars before arriving in Paris to embark on more serious matters.

Leah Goldfarb serves as a Science Officer for the Environment and Sustainable Development at ICSU. Her responsibilities include ensuring coordination among ICSU environmental bodies, e.g. the Global Environmental Change Programmes. She has represented the Scientific and Technological Community at various fora such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). During her doctoral studies she held a NASA Global Change Fellowship and before joining ICSU in 2002, performed ozone and climate research in the US and Europe.

Gisbert Glaser (born 1939, German citizen) is trained as a geographer (doctorate in geography from the University of Heidelberg, 1965). In January 2002, he became a Senior Advisor on science for sustainable development and UN system cooperation to the ICSU Executive Director. He was a member of ICSU’s Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE) from 1992 to 1996.

After having started a university career (1965 to 1971 at Heidelberg University, including altogether one year of postdoctoral field research in Brazil), Dr. Glaser joined UNESCO in Paris in 1972. He has worked in different assignments at UNESCO up to 2001 when he retired with the rank of Assistant Director-General, responsible for UNESCO’s programmes in the natural and engineering sciences. The scope of his assignments at UNESCO ranged from directing specific components within the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme in the 1970s and 1980s to strategic assignments later-on (e.g. coordinating UNESCO’s follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development -Rio, 1992).

Rohini Rao is on staff at the International Council for Science (ICSU) since 1985 and holds the post of an Administrative Officer. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Economics and Political Science and a degree in MBA, from India and a diploma in ‘Creation d’Entreprise’ at the initiative of the Conseil Général des Haut de Seine, France.

Her primary task with the Council is to work with the Committee on Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR), on the Priority Area Assessments, on the ICSU Grants Programme, and liaise with respective offices of the UNESCO and the NSF with regard to financial contracts. In addition, she also coordinates activities related to Science and Technology for Sustainable Development.

Howard Moore was trained in Zoology in his native United Kingdom and holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology. He worked in science publishing for almost 12 years before joining UNESCO in 1982. Mr Moore developed and published UNESCO’s first World Science Report in 1993, and was responsible for the publication of subsequent editions. He took a major interest in the application of electronic publishing in science, and co-organized two international conferences on the subject with ICSU.

He was Secretary to the World Conference on Science (Budapest, 1999, in collaboration with ICSU), and in 2001 became Director of the Executive Office in the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO, with overall responsibility for administrative and management matters throughout the Sector. In January 2003 he was appointed Director of the UNESCO Office in Venice – Regional Bureau for Science in Europe, and took responsibility for developing the Organization’s programmes aimed at supporting scientific communities in South East Europe. He has been Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of ICSU since 1 May 2006.

Paul Cutler trained as a geologist and geographer in the UK, Canada, and the US, and has conducted research in many cold places including Antarctica, the Arctic, and elevated parts of Asia, North America, and Europe. He joined ICSU from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences where he directed projects on polar, atmospheric, geographical, and mapping sciences. This work included international, interdisciplinary studies that informed planning for the World Summit on Sustainable Development and International Polar Year, as well as studies at the interface of natural and social science such as communicating uncertainty in weather forecasts. Paul’s earlier postdoctoral work in geology/geophysics (University of Wisconsin) involved numerical modelling of quaternary ice sheets and permafrost, and his doctorate in geology (University of Minnesota) focused on glacial hydrometeorology and ice physics.

Patricia joined ICSU as a Science Officer with primary responsibility for links to the ICSU Regional Offices. She was trained in Colombia (her native country) as a marine biologist and holds an MSc in Tropical Coastal Management and a PhD in Human Geography from her adopted country (UK). Prior joining the Secretariat she worked at Newcastle University (UK) as post-doctoral research fellow at the Developing Areas Research Network (DARN), where she focused on promoting interdisciplinary approaches to studying and understanding the social/nature interface and the international aspects of natural resource management in tropical countries.

Jacinta Legg is the Science Communications Officer with responsibility for managing ICSU’s publications and communication activities. Jacinta trained as a neurobiochemist in Australia, researching neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. She worked for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) as an education officer for five years, before spending three years working as a communications officer for the Australian Academy of Science.

Mustapha Mokrane is the Information Technology officer and webmaster. He is in charge of creating and maintaining the IT infrastructure of the ICSU secretariat. He is also improving the operation and architecture of the ICSU website. His scientific background is in molecular biology, genetics and bioinformatics, and he has a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Université de la Méditerranée (Aix-Marseille II).

Natacha de Marchi (born 1968, French citizen) is the accountant in charge of all financial matters. She joined ICSU in 1997, after holding several positions in an oil company (BP), in a leading marketing information company (AC NIELSEN) and in Chartered accountant (INFODIT).

Frederica Kostadinoff joined the ICSU Secretariat in 2006 to backstop Professor Rosswall and help other Administrative Officers on different projects in preparation.
She now also helps deal with membership matters and assists the accountant.

After 20 years of journalism spent in crowded newsrooms she finds it very interesting to work for scientists especially in the field of Sustainable Development.

Eric Leparmentier is in charge of general day-to-day maintenance and security at ICSU, as well as of supplies and equipment.