WASHINGTON (TIP): PresidentBarack Obama’s top Indian-Americanscience official, Subra Suresh, hasresigned as director of the NationalScience Foundation (NSF) to becomethe president of Carnegie MellonUniversity (CMU).Obama had appointed Suresh in 2010as head of NSF, a $7 billionindependent federal science agencycharged with advancing all fields offundamental science and engineeringresearch and related education.”Subra has shown himself to be aconsummate scientist and engineer -beholden to evidence and committed toupholding the highest scientificstandards,” Obama said acceptingSuresh’s resignation.

“He has also done his part to makesure the American people benefit fromadvances in technology, and opened upmore opportunities for women,minorities, and otherunderrepresented groups,”.”We have been very fortunate tohave Subra Suresh guiding theNational Science Foundation for thelast two years,” Obama stated. “I amgrateful for his service.”Previously, Suresh served as dean ofthe School of Engineering at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) from 2007 to 2010 and has beenon leave as the Vannevar BushProfessor of Engineering at MIT whileserving as NSF Director.

In a note to his staff, Suresh saidNSF “is blessed with a marvelouscohort of highly talented and devotedstaff, as well as hundreds of thousandsof innovative grantees andinvestigators from every field ofscience and engineering.”Carnegie Mellon Universityannounced Tuesday that Suresh willbe its ninth president. He succeedsJared Cohon, who is stepping downafter 16 years as president.”The extraordinary ability of theCMU faculty and students in bringingtogether cutting-edge research andeducation across multiple disciplinespositions CMU uniquely to addressnational and global challenges,” saidSuresh.”I am very happy for ProfessorSuresh and for Carnegie Mellon,” saidMIT President L. Rafael Reif.

“Professor Suresh will bring CarnegieMellon exceptional experience and aproven ability to get important thingsdone.”Thanking Suresh for his outstandingservice, John Holdren, Assistant to thePresident for Science and Technology,said: “Subra has made criticalcontributions to a broad range ofscience and technology priorities.”These included “expanding federalinvestments in fundamental research,accelerating the commercialization ofuniversity research, andstrengthening our scientificcollaborations with partners aroundthe world.