Alondra Nelson among Biden’s selections for National Science Board 

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced his plans to appoint eight people to the National Science Board, including his former Office of Science and Technology Policy director, Alondra Nelson.

The list of individuals will replenish the 24-member panel that helps govern the National Science Foundation. According to the board’s website, seven members are currently serving in a consultant capacity after their six-year terms expired. Members of the board generally come from backgrounds in academia, research, industry and government.

Nelson is currently a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, but previously served as principal deputy director and director of OSTP during the first years of the Biden administration. She is described in the release from the White House as a “distinguished sociologist of science and technology” and has also served as president of the Social Science Research Council and as the inaugural dean of social science at Columbia University, in addition to being a professor.

In addition to Nelson, the new list of board members includes Ryan Panchadsaram, who was deputy chief technology officer at OSTP in the Obama administration. According to the White House release, Panchadsaram played an important role “leading the turnaround of HealthCare.gov” and in launching the U.S. Digital Service. Panchadsaram is currently a technical advisor to John Doerr, chairman at Kleiner Perkins. 

The other individuals are:

• Willie E. May, vice president for research and economic development at Morgan State University;
• Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of the University of Maine, University of Maine at Machias, and vice chancellor for research and innovation for the University of Maine System;
• Yolanda Gil, a fellow and senior director for artificial intelligence and data science strategy at the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute, director of AI and data science initiatives in the university’s Viterbi School of Engineering, and a research professor;
• Juan Gilbert, a professor at the University of Florida, chair of the university’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Department, and leader of the Computing for Social Good Lab;
• Jeffrey A. Isaacson, president and CEO of Universities Space Research Association; and
• Sarah O’Donnell, chief engineer of naval programs at the nonprofit MITRE Corporation in its National Security Engineering Center, which is a federally funded research and development center.