ASTC connections to be appointed to the National Science Board

President Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint several individuals with an ASTC connection to the National Science Board (NSB), which has the dual mission of setting the policies of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and serving as an independent advisory body to the President and Congress on policy matters related to science, engineering, and STEM education. The Board is comprised of 25 Presidentially-appointed individuals, including the NSF Director, who represent the breadth of the nation’s scientific enterprise and who serve six-year terms.

Joan Ferrini-Mundy serves as the 21st President of the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, and the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System. She was the Inaugural Director of the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings at the National Science Foundation and subsequently served as Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources and as NSF’s Chief Operating Officer.

Alondra Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, where she leads the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab. She served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director for Science and Society at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she also served as Acting Director. She led the development of the landmark Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and served on the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on AI. Dr. Nelson was a featured participant in the Alan J. Friedman Science Center Dialogues at the ASTC 2023 Annual Conference and was named to the Blooloop Power 10 Museum Influencer List in 2023.

Ryan Panchadsaram is an engineer and investor who currently serves as a technical advisor to the Chair at Kleiner Pekins. He was previously Deputy Chief Technology Office of the United States in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, helped launched the United States Digital Service, and engaged volunteer technologists in the U.S. Digital Response to the COVID crisis. He was a lead panelist and discussion catalyst on “Health Innovation and Security Toward a More Equitable Tomorrow” during the New Frontiers Keynote at the ASTC Virtual 2020 Annual Conference.

Others to be appointed by the President to the NSB include Yolanda Gil (University of Southern California), Juan Gilbert (University of Florida), Jeffrey A. Isaacson (Universities Space Research Association), Willie E. May (Morgan State University), and Sarah O’Donnell (MITRE Corporation).

Additional Information:

• The White House. “President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions,” October 15, 2024.
• National Science Board