Kent H. Hughes is the director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Program on Science, Technology, America and the Global Economy.

Previously, he served as U.S. Associate Deputy Secretary of Commerce from 1993 to 1999. He was also President of the Council on Competitiveness, Senior Economist of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee and Chief Economist to Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd.

Kent H. Hughes is the author of "Building the Next American Century: The Past and Future of Economic Competitiveness." He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Washington University in St. Louis, LL.B. from Harvard Law School — and B.A. from Yale University.