The Presidential Advisory Committee convened to discuss proposed changes for the Foundation. Members of the committee included:
Vicki Chandler, chief program officer, science, for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. She is also University of Arizona’s Carl E. and Patricia Weiler Endowed Chair for Excellence in Agriculture and Life Sciences, a regents’ professor in the departments of plant sciences and molecular and cellular biology, and the former director of the UA’s BIO5 Institute.
Robert Full directs the Poly-P.E.D.A.L. Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley, where he studies the Performance, Energetics and Dynamics of Animal Locomotion (P.E.D.A.L.). His internationally recognized research program in comparative physiology and biomechanics has shown how examining a diversity of animals leads to the discovery of general principles of locomotion.
Eric Mazur is the Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University where he leads a vigorous research program in optical physics and supervises one of the largest research groups in the physics department. Mazur has made important contributions to spectroscopy, light scattering, the interaction of ultra-short laser pulses with materials, and nanophotonics. In addition to his work in optical physics, Mazur is internationally recognized for his work in education, science policy, outreach, and the public perception of science.
Randy Murch is the associate director for research program development and associate director of the Center for Technology, Security and Policy, National Capital Region, at Virginia Tech University.
David W. Oxtoby is president of Pomona College and an internationally noted chemist. At Pomona, he is also a professor of chemistry and a research chemist.
Gregory Petsko is the Gyula and Katica Tauber Markey Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at Brandeis University. He is a member of the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center at Brandeis and has directed the center since 1994. He is a founding scientist of ArQule, Inc., one of the world’s leading companies in combinatorial chemistry.
Geraldine Richmond holds the Richard M. and Patricia H. Noyes Professorship in Chemistry at University of Oregon. Her research uses nonlinear optical spectroscopy and computational methods to understand the chemistry that occurs at complex surfaces and interfaces that have relevance to problems in energy production, environmental remediation, atmospheric chemistry and biomolecular surfaces. She is known for her teaching and mentoring activities; in 1998 she founded an organization that fosters the career success of women scientists in academia.
Joaquin Ruiz is dean of the College of Science at University of Arizona. As a scientist with interests in both chemistry and in geology, Ruiz addresses many first-order problems in the earth sciences, such as the development of new isotope systems for studying ore deposits and the tectonic processes involved in the growth and evolution of Mexico. His research team addresses problems ranging from the origins of life to present-day climate change.
Jeanne Narum is founding director, and currently a senior fellow, of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), based in Washington, D.C. PKAL is one of the leading advocates in the United States for “what works” in building and sustaining strong undergraduate programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.