France Córdova: From Poet to Rocket Scientist to Chancellor

Dr. France Córdova assumed her duties as the seventh chancellor of the University of California, Riverside, in 2002. Prior to that, the nationally recognized astrophysicist was professor of physics and vice chancellor for research at UC Santa Barbara. Chief scientist at NASA from 1993 to 1996, she served as the primary scientific advisor to the NASA administrator and the principal interface between NASA headquarters and the broader scientific community. Before coming to NASA, Córdova headed the department of astronomy and astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University and was deputy group leader of the Space Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Córdova's scientific contributions have been in the areas of observational and experimental astrophysics, multispectral research on X-ray and gamma-ray sources, and space-borne instrumentation. She has published nearly 140 scientific papers, is the winner of NASA's highest honor—the Distinguished Service Medal—and was recognized as a 2000 Kilby Laureate. Named for internationally acclaimed inventor of the integrated circuit Nobel Laureate Jack St. Clair Kilby, the honor recognizes an individual's contributions to society through science, technology, innovation, invention, and education.

The Caltech Presidential Lecture Series on Achieving Diversity in Science, Math, and Engineering was established to bring to campus speakers who have had highly successful experiences in promoting women and underrepresented minorities in science and technology.