ANN ARBOR—President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate University of Michigan School of Education Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball as one of seven new members of the National Science Board.

In a release issued Nov. 16, President Obama said, “I am honored that these talented individuals have decided to join this administration and serve our country. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

The 25-member board sets policy for the National Science Foundation, within a framework established by the administration and Congress, according to the NSB website. It also serves the president and Congress as an independent policy advisory board on science and engineering research.

“I am honored to have the privilege to serve on the board to set policy for NSF at this time when improving the nation’s expertise in mathematics, the sciences and other technical fields is so critical to our future,” Ball said.

In addition to her role as dean, Ball is director of TeachingWorks, a national organization at U-M dedicated to improving teacher education across the country. An elementary mathematics teacher for 15 years, Ball, who also is the William H. Payne Collegiate Professor of Education, an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and a research professor at the Institute for Social Research, continues to teach elementary students every summer through a unique TeachingWorks laboratory program that draws educators from across the United States and beyond.

She also has served on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, the National Board for Education Sciences, is a member of the board of trustees for the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, and chairs the Spencer Foundation Board of Directors. Ball is an elected member of the National Academy of Education.

In September, she appeared on NBC’s Education Nation Summit, the guest of NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. They discussed the changing landscape of teacher evaluation during the “Teacher Town Hall” portion of the summit.

Ball recently was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to chair the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness, a group charged with designing the state’s system of educator evaluation.

She has written or co-written more than 150 publications and has lectured and made major presentations across the world. Her research has been recognized with numerous awards and honors.

National Science Board members representing the fields of science and engineering are appointed from universities and industry. Their terms are for six years. Others nominated by the president include: Inez Fung, professor of atmospheric science at the University of California, Berkeley; Marc Guthrie, director of development and advocacy for the American Council of the Blind of Ohio; G. Peter Lepage, the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University; Norma Jean Mattei, interim dean of engineering at the University of New Orleans; Geraldine Richmond, the Richard M. and Patricia H. Noyes Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science at the University of Oregon; and Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, president of the Connect U.S. Fund nonprofit organization that promotes U.S. global engagement.

Related Links:

National Science Board: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb

Deborah Lowenberg Ball: http://www.soe.umich.edu/people/profile/deborah_loewenberg_ball