Córdova takes the helm as Purdue’s 11th president

Purdue student Rachel Cumberbatch presents a varsity jacket to France Córdova, who was chosen by the Board of Trustees in May to be the University’s 11th president. (Purdue News Service photo by David Umberger)

Former NASA scientist and University of California (UC) chancellor France A. Córdova began her duties as Purdue’s 11th president in August, becoming the first woman and the first Latina to hold the position.

The University’s Board of Trustees chose Córdova in May to succeed Martin C. Jischke, whose seven-year tenure as president was highlighted by the recent completion of a $1.5 billion capital campaign.

Córdova comes to Purdue from UC Riverside, where she served as chancellor and distinguished professor of physics and astronomy for five years. Prior to that, she was vice chancellor for research and a professor of physics at UC Santa Barbara.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Stanford University and a doctorate in physics from the California Institute of Technology, Córdova spent a decade at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a member of the Space Astronomy and Astrophysics Group. She then joined Penn State University to head the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Córdova was named one of “America’s 100 Brightest Scientists Under 40” in 1984. She also was named one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business Magazine, which recognized her with the Hispanic Achievement Award in Science and Technology.

In 1993, Córdova became the youngest person to hold the position of NASA chief scientist, working on projects that included the Hubble Space Telescope. During this time, she also served on the National Science and Technology Council’s Fundamental Science Committee.

Córdova is the winner of NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal and was recognized as a 2000 Kilby Laureate for “contributions to society through science, technology, innovation, invention, and education.” She has published more than 150 scientific papers and reports and has a current experiment flying on the European Space Agency’s X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission.