White House science adviser Kelvin Droegemeier speaks during a Seattle town hall session at February’s annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. (AAAS via YouTube)

Update for 4:25 p.m. PT June 23: As expected, Sethuraman Panchanathan, executive vice president and chief research and innovation officer at Arizona State University, was confirmed by the Senate as the new director of the National Science Foundation. Panchanathan took over from Droegemeier on June 23 for a six-year term, and there’ll be a swearing-in ceremony on July 2.

Previously: President Donald Trump has named White House science adviser Kelvin Droegemeier to serve as acting director of the National Science Foundation.

  • Droegemeier, a meteorologist by training, fills the gap that was left this week when NSF Director France Cordova’s six-year term in the post ended. He’ll continue to serve as Trump’s adviser on scientific issues as well as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
  • Last December, Trump nominated Sethuraman Panchanathan to take over the NSF’s top spot — but the Senate hasn’t yet voted to confirm the nomination. “My role at NSF is a temporary one as we all excitedly await the swift Senate confirmation of Dr. Panchanathan,” Droegemeier said in a statement.
  • Droegemeier has been well-regarded by the scientific community. Cordova said that “NSF will continue to thrive under his leadership,” Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, said in a statement that “it’s great we have such a valuable science leader already notably serving the government who can step in for this temporary yet critical assignment.”
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