President Barack Obama plans to nominate Dr. France Anne Cordova to be the first Latina director of the National Science Foundation, according to a report by NBC Latino.
As the United States strives to be at the forefront of scientific discovery, Cordova’s job will be “to identify and encourage the growth of new fields in science.”
Texas Democratic Congressman Rubén Hinojosa sees this nomination as a milestone for the United States. “The diversity of our nation is one of our greatest strengths, and the selection of [Dr. France Anne Cordova] contributes to a more diverse federal government that reflects the nation as a whole.”
Cordova, the first Hispanic — as well as the first Latina — to receive a nomination for the position, has served as a professor at both Purdue University and University of California at Santa Barbara, as well as NASA’s chief scientist from 1993 to 1996.
(Photo by UWM School of Continuing Education via Flickr)