Northeastern law scholar Rashida Richardson has been appointed to a new White House role in which she will help to advise President Joe Biden and others on issues related to data, automated systems, digital privacy and security, and civil rights.
Richardson, a 2011 law school graduate who joined the Northeastern faculty as assistant professor of law and political science on July 1, was also tapped to join the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as its senior policy advisor for data and democracy this summer.
For the first time, the office director is also a member of Biden’s Cabinet. The Office of Science and Technology Policy administers the Cabinet-level National Science and Technology Council and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
“It’s an honor,” Richardson said. “I think I’m someone—based on my experience and scholarship as a civil rights practitioner—who traditionally might not have been in this office. The hires in this office signal that this administration is taking technology, data, and science issues seriously and with a critical eye toward equity.”
