UPJ Advisory Board Member Nominated By Obama to Serve In State Department

Richard K. Verma

University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Advisory Board Member Richard K. Verma has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as assistant secretary for legislative affairs in the U.S. State Department. In his new role, Verma will work closely with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

“This is a most impressive accomplishment for Rich, who has been a true friend to Pitt-Johnstown and an exemplary member of our Advisory Board,” said Pitt-Johnstown President Jem Spectar.

A partner at the international law firm of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Verma served for several years as senior national security advisor to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed. In 2008, he was appointed to serve on the U.S. Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Verma is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former country director for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. He also served as a member of the Obama/Biden Defense Department Transition Team.

Verma holds degrees from the Georgetown University Law Center, American University’s Washington College of Law, and Lehigh University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was formerly one of the council’s International Affairs Fellows. Verma also has served on the National Academy of Sciences’ Panel on Critical Infrastructure Protection and the Law.