MADISON – Cora Marrett, an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 26 to serve as deputy director of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Marrett, who has a long history as a top administrator with the science agency, had been serving as acting director of NSF since June 1, 2010. NSF is a primary funder of basic scientific research in the United States and in fiscal year 2009 had a budget of nearly $6.5 billion.
“Dr. Marrett is a familiar leader at the agency, and her continued commitment to NSF’s mission makes her well-suited for this role,” NSF director Subra Suresh said in a statement. “The agency will truly benefit from her years of experience at both the federal and university levels.”
Marrett earned masters and doctorate degrees from UW-Madison in sociology, and was a member of the UW-Madison sociology and Afro-American Studies faculty from 1974-96. From 1996-2000, she served as senior vice chancellor and provost at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. In 2001, she was appointed as the UW System’s chief academic officer.
