Sep 29, 2004 - Claremont, Calif. -

President George W. Bush has nominated Jon Strauss to the National Science Board (NSB), the governing body of the National Science Foundation. Strauss became the fourth president of Harvey Mudd College in March of 1997 after serving as vice president and chief financial officer at Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

The NSB oversees and guides the activities of and establishes the policies for the National Science Foundation, and provides advice to the president and Congress on policy issues relative to science and engineering. Strauss’ appointment and that of seven other nominees must now be approved by the Senate. If approved, the nominees will serve six-year terms on the 24-member board.

Said Strauss, “While the Senate confirmation could take some time in this busy political season, I am encouraged at the prospect of being able to influence national science policy, represent the interests of the liberal arts colleges to the National Science Foundation, and give Claremont faculty timely alerts of new NSF opportunities."

Strauss is a past president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and served as senior vice president of administration at the University of Southern California where he also was a tenured professor of electrical engineering. He was vice president for budget and finance at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and also served as a professor of computer science at that institution and at Washington University in St. Louis, the Technical University of Norway, and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Strauss received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Carnegie Institute of Technology, an M.S. in physics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin. His professional interests include organizational development and planning, modeling and performance enhancement, and reform in higher education. He currently serves on the boards of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Bright Prospects Foundation. He is also an Accreditation Visitor for the New England Association of Schools & Colleges Inc., and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and serves on MIT’s Dean for Undergraduate Education Visiting Committee.