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NSF PA 03-03 - June 26, 2003
Noted Astrophysicist Michael S. Turner to Head NSF'S Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named celebrated astrophysicist Michael S. Turner of the University of Chicago as Assistant Director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). He will head a $1 billion directorate that supports research in mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials and astronomy, as well as multidisciplinary programs and education.
Turner is the Bruce V. and Diana M. Rauner Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago where he chairs the department of astronomy and astrophysics. He also has an appointment as a senior scientist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
The recipient of numerous awards and distinctions during three decades of research, Turner is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in physics from Stanford University and his B.S. degree in physics from the California Institute of Technology. He is the author of several monographs and books as well as more than 300 research papers.
Most recently, Turner chaired the National Research Council's Committee on the Physics of the Universe, which earlier this year produced a comprehensive report, "Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos: Eleven Science Questions for the New Century," that contributed to the Bush Administration's formulation of its science planning agenda. He also served on the NRC's Astronomy & Astrophysics Decadal Survey Committee, which mapped out the priorities for investments in astronomy research over the next decade.
Turner will assume his position as MPS assistant director on October 1, 2003, for a two-year term. He replaces Robert A. Eisenstein, who served in the same position from August 1997 until June 2002. John B. Hunt continues to serve as acting assistant director until Turner's arrival.
NSF is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.3 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 30,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 10,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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