Eight new members to be appointed to the National Science Board

October 17, 2024

President Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint eight new members to the National Science Board:

• Joan Ferrini-Mundy
• Yolanda Gil
• Juan Gilbert
• Jeffrey Isaacson
• Willie May
• Alondra Nelson
• Sarah O’Donnell
• Ryan Panchadsaram

"We are thrilled to welcome these very accomplished individuals to the National Science Board,” said NSB Chair Dario Gil. “Their knowledge, expertise, and experience will be a vital addition to the Board’s work to strengthen the nation’s science and engineering enterprise at this critical time."

“The National Science Board plays a critical role in ensuring that the U.S. National Science Foundation leads the world in science and engineering research and innovation,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “I look forward to working with these new members as we build on nearly 75 years of NSF driving critical research across all fields of science and engineering and the future of discovery and innovation.”

About the new cohort:

Joan Ferrini-Mundy is the 21st President of the University of Maine (UMaine) and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System. During her six years as President, Ferrini-Mundy has focused on positioning UMaine as a leader in advancing Maine’s workforce and economy. She is Chair-elect of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Council of Presidents, past Chair of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences, and a member of the Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics.

Yolanda Gil is Fellow and Senior Director for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science Strategy at the Information Sciences Institute, Director of AI and Data Science Initiatives in the Viterbi School of Engineering, and Research Professor in Computer Science and in Spatial Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC). She is Director of Data Science Programs with over 1,200 students and has created ten joint interdisciplinary degrees across USC schools. Her research focuses on AI for science. In 2019, Gil co-chaired the Computing Research Association/Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence 20-Year Artificial Intelligence Research Roadmap for the U.S. with key strategic recommendations based on extensive community engagement.

Juan Gilbert is the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor, University of Florida Distinguished Professor, and Chair of the Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department at the University of Florida where he leads the Computing for Social Good Lab. His research projects are at the intersection of people, technology, and society. His research projects include election security/usability/accessibility, advanced learning technologies, human-centered AI/machine learning, and ethnocomputing/culturally relevant computing.

Jeffrey Isaacson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Universities Space Research Association, which operates in partnership with over 120 research universities worldwide in the areas of science, technology, workforce development, and facility management. He previously held executive positions at Sandia National Laboratories, RAND Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Isaacson served 25 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve, retiring as Captain. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and a former member of the Army Science Board.

Willie May is Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University. Previously, he served as the Senate-confirmed Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, charged with overseeing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Technical Information Service. His research focuses on trace organic analytical chemistry and chemical properties of organic compounds. May is also President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Alondra Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study and leads the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab. Past-president of the Social Science Research Council, she was previously the inaugural Dean of Social Science and Professor of Sociology at Columbia University. Nelson was Deputy Assistant to President Biden, served as Principal Deputy Director for Science and Society, and performed the duties of the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She is a distinguished sociologist of science and technology.

Sarah O’Donnell works for the MITRE Corporation and serves as the Chief Engineer for Naval Programs at the National Security Engineering Center Federally Funded Research and Development Center. She specializes in providing technical options to resolve complex, emergent mission problems to achieve strategic advantage against adversaries to mitigate risk for the U.S., its allies, and partner operations. O’Donnell previously led experimental and theoretical work in condensed matter physics related to nanostructured electronic materials including collaborative experimental work on novel optical switching and the improvement of quantum energy conversion for power and energy prototypes.

Ryan Panchadsaram is an engineer and investor dedicated to building the industries of the future. He has held senior positions in both business and government and has served on the boards of companies and non-profits across the healthcare, climate, and technology sectors. At Kleiner Perkins, he is the technical advisor to the Chair, John Doerr, and together they invest in groundbreaking technologies such as fusion energy, synthetic biology, and AI. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Panchadsaram served as the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States, where he championed entrepreneurship, innovation, and open data.

About the National Science Board

The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 charged the NSB with two roles: governing board of the NSF and advisor to Congress and the President on policy matters related to STEM research and STEM education. Members are leaders in academia, government, and the private sector and serve on the Board for six years.

Media Contact Clint Lohse, National Science Board, (703) 292-7136, clohse@nsf.gov

Useful NSB Web Sites:

Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb
Media Contact: http://www.nsf.gov/staff/staff_bio.jsp?lan=nlymn&org=NSF
News: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news
Meetings: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/meetings
Publications: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalScienceBoard
Twitter: Twitter: https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=NSF_NSB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkrHRzuGSrPp2haQs0T_Pww