Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska appointed to National Science Board
President Joe Biden has appointed The Ohio State University Vice President for Knowledge Enterprise Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska to the National Science Board.
“It is a tremendous honor to be appointed to the National Science Board, an independent body of advisors to both the president and the Congress on policy matters related to R&D and education in science and engineering,” Grejner-Brzezinska said. “I look forward to working with my fellow board members to contribute to national policies and programs in science and engineering that drive the nation’s economic prosperity, ensure its national security, and grow STEM education and opportunities for all Americans.”
The National Science Board establishes policies for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The board identifies critical issues that will impact the agency’s future, approves strategic budget directions and annual budget submissions to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and approves new major programs and awards. Grejner-Brzezinska is among eight new members who will serve six-year terms.
“We are thrilled to welcome all eight members to the board,” said Daniel Reed, National Science Board chair. “They will be vital to ensuring the board is able to shape and carry out its mission to govern the National Science Foundation and advise Congress and the administration on science and engineering issues.”
Grejner-Brzezinska is also an Ohio State Distinguished University Professor and the Lowber B. Strange Endowed Chair and Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering. She is an expert on global positioning systems/global navigation satellite systems (GPS/GNSS), multi-sensor integrated systems for assured navigation and autonomous vehicle navigation.
Grejner-Brzezinska came to Ohio State more than 20 years ago as a Fulbright Scholar from Poland to study geodetic science, which, among other things, focuses on the size and shape of the Earth and the estimation of spatial coordinates — two keys to creating reliable global positioning systems. She went on to earn a PhD and become a faculty member at the College of Engineering.
She served as chair of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering for four years prior to becoming the associate dean for research in 2017. She is a co-director of the Satellite Positioning and Inertial Navigation (SPIN) Laboratory at Ohio State. Grejner-Brzezinska also served as president of the Institute of Navigation (ION).
In 2019, Grejner-Brzezinska became the first woman from Ohio State to be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, and the first person from Ohio State to serve on The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
She has served as president of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) Commission 4, Positioning and Applications, and is an IAG Fellow. She is the principal investigator for the NSF Engineering Research Visioning Alliance, and is a member of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board. Grejner-Brzezinska is a Fellow of the Institute of Navigation, Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The White House also announced President Biden’s appointment of Deborah Loewenberg Ball, Vicki L. Chandler, Marvi Ann Matos Rodriguez, Keivan G. Stassun, Merlin Theodore, Wanda Elaine Ward and Bevlee A. Watford to the National Science Board. The new cohort brings the board to full capacity with 24 members who are appointed by the president, plus the National Science Foundation director who serves as an ex-officio member.
“It is a delight to be able to work with this outstanding group of board members to expand the frontiers of science, technology and innovation as we continue to advance NSF’s mission of promoting discovery and innovation for economic and societal benefit,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.
-by Chris Bournea, Ohio State News
