France Anne Córdova (born 5 August 1947) is an American astrophysicist, researcher and university administrator. She is the eleventh President of Purdue University.^[1]

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Cordova was born in Paris, France, the oldest of twelve children born to a Mexican father and Irish American mother.^[2] She attended high school in La Puente, California, east of Los Angeles and went on to Stanford University, where she graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and, among other activities, conducted anthropological field work in a Zapotec Indian pueblo in Oaxaca, Mexico. She earned a PhD in Physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1979.

[edit] Career

Cordova worked at the Space Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1979 to 1989, where she also served as Deputy Group Leader, and headed the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University from 1989 to 1993. From 1993 to 1996, she became the youngest person and first woman to hold the position of NASA Chief Scientist, serving as the primary scientific advisor to the NASA administrator and the principal interface between NASA headquarters and the broader scientific community.

Cordova then went to the University of California, Santa Barbara where she was Vice-Chancellor for Research, and a professor of Physics, and in 2002 she was appointed Chancellor of the University of California, Riverside from, where she was also a Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy. Cordova became the eleventh president of Purdue University in 2008.

Córdova's scientific career contributions have been in the areas of observational and experimental astrophysics, multi-spectral research on x-ray and gamma ray sources, and space-borne instrumentation. She has published more than 150 scientific papers, and has a current experiment on the European Space Agency's X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission. In September 2007, she was appointed to the board of directors of BioCrossroads, Indiana's initiative to grow the life sciences through a public-private collaboration that supports the region's research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development.

[edit] Personal life

Córdova is married to science educator Christian J. Foster, with whom she has two children, Anne-Catherine and Stephen.

[edit] Honours and awards

In 1997, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. In October 2008, Córdova was nominated to the Stanford University Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame by El Centro Chicano, Stanford's Chicano and Latino organization. She was also named one of the 80 Elite Hispanic Women By Hispanic Business Magazine in April 2002. She is the winner of NASA's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal, and was recognized as a 2000 Kilby Laureate, for "contributions to society through science, technology, innovation, invention, and education." She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Association for Women in Science (AWIS). Córdova was appointed by George W. Bush to the National Science Board in 2008. She was also appointed by Barack Obama to the Smithsonian's board of regents in 2009.^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Kim Medaris (9 July 2007). "Córdova to hold ice cream social July 16 on first day as Purdue president". Purdue News Service. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007b/070709CordovaIcecream.html. Retrieved 2008-11-22. 
2. ^ "UC Riverside names system's first Latina chancellor". Black Issues in Higher Education. 10 April 2003. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_4_20/ai_100543573. Retrieved 2008-11-22. 
3. ^ Purdue University (2009-09-21). "Purdue's Córdova to serve as Smithsonian regent". Press release. http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/general/2009/sep/CordovaSmithsonian.html. Retrieved 2009-09-22. 

[edit] External links

• France A. Córdova biography
• Office of the President at Purdue University
• UC Riverside Chancellor France A. Córdova Named Purdue University President
• Purdue's new president 'out of this world'
• Gale - Free Resources - Hispanic Heritage - Biographies - France Anne Córdova
• France A. Córdova from Marketing and Media Relations at UCR
• Caltech news
• UCR Biography of Córdova
• UCR Faculty Directory