National Science Foundation director Sethuraman Panchanathan, the highest-ranking Indian-American science official in the Biden administration, is scheduled to give three commencement addresses this summer, including one at the prestigious Northeastern University in Boston.
Panchanathan would deliver the commencement addresses to the graduating classes and receive honorary doctorates at each of the three universities. These are the Northeastern University, Graduate Commencement on May 5 in Boston. University of Maryland Baltimore County, Undergraduate Commencement (College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, College of Engineering and Information Technology, Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs) on May 23 in Baltimore and University of Ottawa, School of Engineering Convocation on June 8 .
“Many of the greatest challenges of our time pose questions that only science can answer,” said Joseph E Aoun, president of Northeastern.
“The relentless quest to solve global problems is fueled by the brilliant minds of scientists and the unwavering support of federal agencies like NSF. Director Panchanathan's leadership has been a force in recognizing the pioneering challenges and opportunities of cutting-edge science, particularly artificial intelligence. We welcome him back to Northeastern,” he said.
Panchanathan, a computer scientist and engineer, was named NSF in June 2020. NSF, with a budget of approximately US$9.5 billion, is an independent federal agency charged with advancing scientific discovery, technological innovation, and STEM education in the United States States.
The Indian-American scientist earlier spoke at the inauguration of Northeastern's 357,000-square-foot EXP research complex on the Boston campus in the fall.
“I had a fantastic opportunity to visit Northeastern University for the grand opening of the EXP Research Complex last October,” said Panchanathan.
''I am truly delighted to be returning to Northeastern University in May to celebrate this year's graduates. Their North Eastern education has given them everything they need to succeed in a future rich in opportunity,” he said in a statement.
In an article in the scientific journal PNAS Nexus last month, Panchanathan called for the responsible and fair development of artificial intelligence. He said the NSF annually spends about $800 million on artificial intelligence research in the public interest. In January, NSF, other federal agencies and private sector partners launched the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource pilot program, a first step toward a shared national research infrastructure.
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