US President Obama Nominates Astrophysicist France Córdova to Lead the $7-Billion NSF. (August 2, 2013)

If confirmed by the US Senate (considered to be a matter of when rather than if) the undergraduate Stanford University English major, who earned her Ph.D. in astrophysics at Caltech Caltech, would  replace Subra Suresh, who left in March less than three years into his six-year term to become president of Carnegie Mellon University.

Professor Córdova has served as the  president of two research universities, the University of California, Riverside, and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana as well as a term as chief scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where former NASA administrator Daniel Goldin described her as "a rock star. As chief scientist, she was minister without portfolio — she had no budget but she got things done with a deep intellect and collaboration, by building consensus and working with Congress and international partners."

And according to Arden Bement former National Science Foundation (NSF) director: "She increased the ranking of the university and raised a lot of money. She greatly increased the reputation of the university as an international university."

Furthermore, Nature reports that Professor Córdova "is already well-acquainted with the NSF’s inner workings. Since 2008, she has been a member of the National Science Board, which oversees the agency. She leads a committee that focuses on long-term strategy for the NSF".

Finally, the president of the University of Chicago, Robert Zimmer, notes: "She’s somebody who has a very deep belief in and commitment to basic science, which I think is absolutely critical for the director of NSF, and she’s very cognizant and experienced with thinking about science in connection to the public good."