US President Donald Trump has announced he will nominate Arizona State University's Sethuraman Panchanathan to be the next director of the National Science Foundation, ScienceInsider reports.
Panchanathan currently serves as the executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Arizona State University and is a member of the National Science Board, which oversees NSF, a White House statement adds. Panchanathan is to succeed France Córdova, whose six-year term comes to an end in the spring, ScienceInsider notes.
In a statement, Córdova says she was "delighted" to hear Panchanathan, who is also known as Panch, is the nominee to take over NSF. "This position requires the ability to connect with all stakeholders in the US science and engineering community, walking the fine line between serving and leading," she adds. "Panch has the character and knowledge that make him an ideal fit for the job."
Kelvin Droegemeier, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy adds, according to ScienceInsider that the "impending formal nomination of Dr. Panchanathan is a win for science in the Trump Administration and a win for America."