France A. Córdova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
France Córdova
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Córdova in 2017
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| 14th Director of the National Science Foundation | |
| In office March 31, 2014 – March 31, 2020 |
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| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Subra Suresh |
| Succeeded by | Kelvin Droegemeier (acting) Sethuraman Panchanathan |
| 11th President of the Purdue University System | |
| In office July 16, 2007 – June 30, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Martin C. Jischke |
| Succeeded by | Timothy Sands (acting) Mitch Daniels |
| 7th Chancellor of the University of California, Riverside | |
| In office July 1, 2002 – July 1, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Raymond L. Orbach |
| Succeeded by | Timothy P. White |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 5, 1947 Paris, France |
| Spouse | Christian Foster |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) California Institute of Technology (MS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | National Science Foundation Purdue University University of California, Riverside University of California, Santa Barbara Pennsylvania State University Los Alamos National Laboratory NASA |
| Thesis | X-ray observations of dwarf novae (1979) |
| Doctoral advisor | Gordon Garmire |
France Anne-Dominic Córdova (born August 5, 1947) is an amazing American astrophysicist and leader. An astrophysicist studies space and the universe. She was the fourteenth director of the National Science Foundation, which helps fund science research. Before that, she was the eleventh President of Purdue University from 2007 to 2012. Today, she leads the Science Philanthropy Alliance.
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Early Life and Education
France Córdova was born in Paris, France. She was the oldest of twelve children! Her mother was Irish-American, and her father was a Mexican-American businessman. He had also graduated from West Point.
She went to high school at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California. Later, she attended Stanford University. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in English. She even did field work in a Zapotec Indian village in Oaxaca, Mexico. In 1979, she earned her PhD in Physics from the California Institute of Technology.
A Career in Science and Leadership
France Córdova has had a very impressive career. She worked at the Space Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1979 to 1989. She also helped lead a team there.
From 1989 to 1993, she was in charge of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department at Pennsylvania State University. In 1993, Córdova became a NASA Chief Scientist. This meant she was the top scientist at NASA, the space agency!
Leading Universities
After her time at NASA, Córdova moved to the University of California, Santa Barbara. There, she was a Vice-Chancellor for Research and a Physics Professor. A Vice-Chancellor helps manage the university's research projects.
In 2002, she became the Chancellor of the University of California, Riverside. As Chancellor, she was the head of the university. She also taught Physics and Astronomy. She helped start the UC Riverside School of Medicine.
In 2007, Córdova became the eleventh president of Purdue University. She worked to help students succeed and to turn research ideas into useful products. During her time, Purdue started a new College of Health and Human Sciences. They also created a Global Policy Research Institute. When she left, Purdue had record high research funding and student success rates.
Contributions to Science
Córdova's scientific work focused on studying space. She looked at x-ray and gamma ray sources in space. She also helped develop tools for space missions. She has published over 150 scientific papers about her discoveries.
In 2009, President Barack Obama chose Córdova to join the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. This group helps guide the famous museums and research centers. She was the chair of the board from 2012 to 2014.
In 2014, President Obama nominated her to lead the National Science Foundation. The United States Senate approved her for this important role. She was the 14th head of the organization.
After leaving the National Science Foundation, Córdova joined the Caltech Board of Trustees in 2020. In 2021, she became the President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance.
Personal Life and Hobbies
France Córdova is married to Christian J. Foster, who is a science educator. They have two children, Anne-Catherine and Stephen. She met her husband through her hobby of rock climbing!
She once shared that she turned down an offer to be nominated as an astronaut. She wanted to focus on her research instead. She believes that being a physicist helped her become a good leader. She is also very optimistic about the future. She thinks you never know when you will use the knowledge you learn.
Awards and Recognition
France Córdova has received many awards for her work:
- In 1996, she received NASA's highest honor, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
- In 2000, she won the Kilby Laureate for her contributions to science and education.
- Hispanic Business Magazine named her one of the 80 Elite Hispanic Women in 2002.
- In 2008, she was nominated to the Stanford University Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame.
- President George W. Bush appointed her to the National Science Board in 2008.
- In 2012, she received the Women in Space Science Award from the Adler Planetarium.
Purdue University named its recreational sports center after her in 2012. It is called the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center. This building won an award in 2014 for being an excellent recreation facility.
Córdova is a member of many important science groups. These include the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy. She has received many honorary doctorates from universities around the world.
Inspiring Words from France Córdova
- “Well, I ask a lot of questions, and I’m not just satisfied with glib answers.”
- “As fond as I am of understanding the origin of the universe, I think we arguably understand more about that now than we do about our own planet. We’re going to have to understand the changes that are happening on our planet, the reasons for them, [and] do very good, thorough observations of them, in order to know how to be resilient.”
- “I’m very excited about getting more students literate in computer science. I think that’s key to our future.”
- “And that no matter what we do, even if it’s very narrowly focused, we also have to have one ear out and one eye open to our larger place in the world we live in, and think about what role that our particular skill sets can help to lighten that, to make it a better pathway for people.”
- “When my thesis adviser asked me if I’d like to be nominated to be an astronaut, I said no. That’s an example of how focused I was on my research.”
