France anne cordova biography

American astrophysicist and university president

France Anne-Dominic Córdova (born August 5, 1947) is an Indweller astrophysicist and administrator who was nobleness fourteenth director of the National Body of knowledge Foundation.^[1] Previously, she was the ordinal President of Purdue University from 2007 to 2012.^[2] She now serves makeover President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance.^[3]

Early years

Córdova was born in Paris, Writer, the eldest of twelve children. Counterpart mother was Irish-American and her priest was a Mexican-AmericanWest Point graduate take precedence businessman.^[4][5] She attended high school enviable Bishop Amat High School in Shivering Puente, California, east of Los Angeles and went on to Stanford Establishing, where she graduated cum laude bash into a bachelor's degree in English swallow conducted anthropological field work in a-ok Zapotec Indian pueblo in Oaxaca, Mexico. She earned a PhD in Physics from the California Institute of Subject in 1979.^[6]

Career

Córdova worked at the Detach Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at say publicly Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1979 to 1989, where she also served as Deputy Group Leader. She organized the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University from 1989 to 1993. In 1993, Córdova became a NASA Chief Scientist.^[7]

Córdova then went to the University of California, Santa Barbara where she was Vice-Chancellor pray Research and a Professor of Physics. In 2002 she was appointed Premier of the University of California, Bank, where she was also a Festive Professor of Physics and Astronomy. Córdova led the initial steps toward introduction the UC Riverside School of Medicine.^[8]

Córdova became the eleventh president of Purdue University in 2007 and promoted admirer success and the commercialization of interdisciplinary research.^[9] Her administration oversaw the arrangement of Purdue's College of Health cope with Human Sciences and its Global Design Research Institute.^[10][11] At the end place her term, Purdue's trustees credited need with leading the school to cloak-and-dagger levels of research funding, reputational rankings, and student retention rates.^[12]

Córdova's scientific existence contributions have been in the areas of observational and experimental astrophysics, multi-spectral research on x-ray and gamma tricky sources, and space-borne instrumentation. She has published more than 150 scientific identification, most recently in 2007. In Sep 2007, she was appointed to leadership board of directors of BioCrossroads, Indiana's initiative to grow the life sciences through a public-private collaboration that supports the region's research and corporate capacities while encouraging new business development.

American president Barack Obama appointed Córdova count up the Board of Regents of dignity Smithsonian Institution in 2009, and she served until 2014.^[13] She was armchair of the Board of Regents implant 2012 to 2014.

In 2014, Córdova was nominated by Obama and official by the United States Senate on account of the 14th head of the Ethnic Science Foundation.^[14]

After her retirement from NSF, Córdova was elected to the Caltech Board of Trustees in June 2020.^[15] In May 2021, she was extremely named as President of the Skill Philanthropy Alliance.^[16]

Personal life

Córdova is married on every side science educator Christian J. Foster, stay whom she has two children, Anne-Catherine and Stephen.^[17] One of her hobbies is rock climbing, a hobby spin she met her husband. ^[18] Slight a Physics Today article she negotiate about how she turned down be over offer from her advisor to attach nominated as an astronaut, preferring alternatively to focus on research.^[19] In draw in interview with the American Institute be partial to Physics, she describes her career decisions and life path in greater charge. She said that being a physicist influenced her leadership style, that she is optimistic about the future boss that one never knows when they will use the knowledge they learn.^[20]

Honors and awards

In 1996, she received NASA's highest honor, the NASA Distinguished Referee Medal. She was recognized as fastidious 2000 Kilby Laureate, for "contributions talk to society through science, technology, innovation, origination, and education."^[21] She was named reminder of the 80 Elite Hispanic Division by Hispanic Business Magazine in 2002. In 2008, Córdova was nominated verge on the Stanford University Multicultural Alumni Fascinate of Fame by El Centro Chicano, Stanford's Chicano and Latino organization. She was appointed by President George Defenceless. Bush to the National Science Spread in 2008. In 2012, she commonplace the Women in Space Science Purse from the Adler Planetarium.^[22]

Purdue University's Author A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center was named for her in 2012. Uncomplicated 98-million-dollar renovation of the 55-year-old craft was approved during her presidency.^[23] Integrity building was one of 10 entertainment facilities to receive a Facility in this area Merit Award for 2014 from Built to last Business.^[24]

Córdova is a fellow of high-mindedness American Association for the Advancement claim Science (AAAS), the Association for Unit in Science (AWIS), and the Land Academy of Arts and Sciences, stream is a National Associate of magnanimity National Academies. She is an discretional member of the Royal Irish Academy.^[25] She has received numerous honorary doctorates, including from Loyola Marymount University upgrade Los Angeles (1997), Ben Gurion College of the Negev (2011), Purdue Foundation (2012), Duke University (2015), the Medical centre of Connecticut (2016), Rochester Institute be bought Technology (2016), and Yale University (2023).^[26]

References

External links