President George W. Bush announced June 15 that he will nominate Camilla P. Benbow to the National Science Board, an independent body that oversees the National Science Foundation. Benbow is Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.
“Competition in science and technology is now global, and America’s leadership in these areas is no longer a given. Camilla Benbow will bring to science policy decisions expertise that draws a connection between what our scientists do in laboratories and what we are preparing students to do in classrooms,” Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee said.
The National Science Board provides advice to the president and Congress on matters related to science and engineering, in addition to its oversight role for the National Science Foundation. The board has 24 members appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Members serve six-year terms.
The National Science Foundation has an annual budget of about $5.5 billion. The foundation funds approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities.
An educational psychologist, Benbow is a national expert on giftedness and talent development. She co-directs the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, a 50-year study of 6,000 individuals begun at Johns Hopkins University in 1971.
“I am honored by the president’s nomination, and I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to help foster the advancement of scientific knowledge,” Benbow said.
Benbow’s nomination follows her appointment in May as vice chairwoman of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. The math panel is charged by the president and the U.S. Department of Education with examining scientific research in mathematics education and recommending more effective instructional methods to the nation’s schools.
“I hope that by serving in these two capacities I will be able to provide input that will yield benefits for students,” Benbow said. “If we are to remain competitive in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, we must do a better job of engaging and educating K-12 students. We cannot afford to wait until they get to college.”
Peabody College is Vanderbilt’s college of education and human development and is among the top-ranked schools of education in the country. Benbow has served as dean of Peabody since 1998.
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Media contact:: Melanie Moran, (615) 322-NEWS
melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu