New Director of NSF and New Interim Dean of Engineering at MIT who is in Operations Research!

While in Washington DC this past Monday, I heard that it is now official that Dr. Subra Suresh, the former Dean of Engineering at MIT, has been sworn in as the new Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

MIT issued a nice press release, complete with a photo of the swearing in ceremony of Dr. Suresh with his wife present.

I had written about Dr. Suresh's nomination earlier in this blog and about the Acting/Interim NSF Director, Dr. Cora Marrett.

Also, while in Washington, I speculated with a few colleagues that Dr. Cynthia Barnhart would "take over" Dr. Suresh's position as the Dean of Engineering at MIT. She has been appointed, in fact, as the Interim Dean of Engineering.

Kudos to Dr. Barnhart, former President of INFORMS -- a wonderful scholar in transportation and in operations research, a terrific human being and role model, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering!

Coincidentally, I will be on a panel with Dr. Barnhart at the upcoming INFORMS National Meeting in Austin Texas, November 7-10, 2010.

The panel, quite appropriate, is entitled: Balancing Work and Life.

Professor Barnhart visited us at the Isenberg School at UMass Amherst when she spoke in our Speaker Series.

Congratulations to both Dr. Suresh and Dr. Barnhart on their new major leadership roles!

The President of MIT, Dr. Susan Hockfield, is a female and now the Interim Dean of Engineering is also a female! Perhaps the permanent one will be, as well.