Biography
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Dr. Neal F. Lane
Director
National Science Foundation
1993-1998
Credit: Carol Clayton Photography
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Dr. Neal F. Lane was Director of the National Science Foundation from October 1993 to August 1998. The text reflects his biography at the time he was director.
On October 15, 1993, Neal F. Lane was sworn in as Director of NSF, an independent agency of the Federal
Government that provides support for research and education in science,
mathematics, engineering, and technology.
Immediately prior to becoming NSF Director, Dr. Lane was Provost
and Professor of Physics at Rice University in Houston, Texas, a
position he had held since 1986. His tenure at Rice began in 1966,
when he joined the Department of Physics as an assistant professor.
In 1972, he became Professor of Physics and Space Physics and Astronomy.
He left Rice from mid-1984 to 1986 to serve as Chancellor of the
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. In addition, while on
leave from Rice from 1979 to 1980, he worked for the National Science
Foundation as the Director of the Division of Physics.
Widely recognized as a scientist and educator, Dr. Lane has authored
or co-authored over 90 scientific papers and publications, including
a textbook on quantum physics, and has made numerous presentations
on science and science policy. Early in his career he received an
NSF Post-doctoral Fellowship and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship.
He earned Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1960 and was inducted into Sigma
Xi National Research Society in 1964, recently serving as its president.
While a professor at Rice, he was a two-time recipient of the University's
George R. Brown Prize for Superior Teaching. Dr. Lane has also received
honorary degrees from several institutions of higher education.
Through his work with scientific and professional organizations
and through participation on advisory committees for various Federal
and state agencies, Dr. Lane has contributed to public service throughout
his career. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association
for Advancement of Science and a member of the American Association
of Physics Teachers.
Born in Oklahoma City in 1938, Dr. Lane earned his B.S., M.S., and
Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Oklahoma.
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