A former Kansas governor, John Carlin, has been appointed to a state agency designed to bring more bioscience companies and cutting-edge technology breakthroughs to Kansas.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announced today that she has appointed Carlin to the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which was created in 2004 to create jobs and advance the frontiers of medicine, agriculture and other industries in the state.

Carlin’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate.

“John has a breadth of experience here in Kansas and at the national level in both business and government,” Sebelius said in a prepared statement.

“He’ll be a great addition to an organization which is working to move our state forward by bringing in new, high-tech jobs,” Sebelius said. “Kansas has a real potential to recruit businesses that will find new cures and new products, and I’m going to continue working with the Biosciences Authority to realize that potential.”

The authority is tasked with making the state a leader in plant, animal and human bioscience research, with hope of spinning off that research into the creation of jobs and economic growth.

Carlin served as governor from 1979 to 1987. He was later appointed to serve as archivist of the United States. He held that post from 1995 to 2005.

He also served four years in the Kansas House of Representatives, including one term as House speaker.

Carlin was vice chairman of the board and CEO of Midwest Superconductivity Inc., Lawrence, a technology physics and research development company.

He also was a partner in Economic Development Associates, Topeka, from 1987 to 1992.

He currently is chairman of the National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.

Carlin also serves as a visiting professor/executive-in-residence at Kansas State University.

The former governor also has served as a visiting lecturer at Kansas University, a visiting professor of public administration and international trade at Wichita State University; an adjunct professor of political science at Washburn University and a gubernatorial fellow and visiting lecturer at Duke University.