President Donald Trump announced Dec. 19 his plan to nominate Sethuraman Panchanathan to lead the National Science Foundation after the six-year term of its current director, France Córdova, expires.

Panchanathan currently serves as the executive vice president and the chief research and innovation officer at Arizona State University and has held numerous leadership positions in science and innovation. He was also appointed to NSF’s governing body, the National Science Board, in 2014 and serves as the chair of its Committee on Strategy.

"I’m delighted by the president’s nomination for NSF director. It’s been a privilege to have worked with Dr. Panchanathan for the past five years, and I know he is drawn to public service for the right reasons — a passion for our country and how our discoveries and innovations can make the world a better place,” said NSB Chair Diane Souvaine in a news release.

“His leadership at Arizona State University has been key to their growth and emergence as an innovator in higher education, especially in terms of partnerships and entrepreneurship. He is the best kind of disruptor, one who understands that the best way to predict the future is to invent it. In working together with the National Science Board, I have been impressed with his care for and understanding of the National Science Foundation’s unique mission. I saw the same qualities in our current director, Dr. France Córdova, and they have underpinned her exceptional leadership.”

Córdova was nominated to lead the NSF by President Barack Obama in 2014, and her term in the position is set to expire in March 2020.

About Jessie Bur

Jessie Bur covers federal IT and management.

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