What were you doing before you came to the NSF?

I was an associate professor in the Laboratory of Genome Integrity and Tumorigenesis at the Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan for 16 years, having joined the Institute at its founding in 2000. After moving to Boston for my wife’s Palliative Care Fellowship at Harvard Medical School, I closed down my lab and joined Phil Sharp’s lab at MIT as a visiting scientist.

What attracted you to work for the NSF?

I was funded by the NSF some years ago and saw the immense impact that it had on my ability to complete meaningful research. In my work as panelist, I came to know more about NSF and to appreciate its vital role for supporting basic science and education in the US. All my interactions with the staff and scientists here were very positive, so that led me to have an even higher opinion and appreciation for the mission of the NSF.

What was your first impression of the NSF? Has this impression changed since you began serving as a rotator?

While serving as a panelist, I saw NSF as an efficient and effective organization, and my first impressions after joining as a rotator confirmed these views. Although the steep learning curve of joining MCB in the middle of the grant review cycle was a bit overwhelming, my overall thoughts on NSF have not changed.

What personal goals would you like to accomplish while at the NSF?

I would like to support NSF’s mission, “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…”¸ by making funding decisions that have a positive impact on science in the MCB community, and hopefully positive effects throughout the country. I also want to learn more about the history of the NSF and the breadth of its activities to promote science and the public good.

What has surprised you most about working at the NSF?

What surprised me is that I could walk down to the 3^rd floor with my laptop and someone would help me fix the problem immediately! The IT staff is great.

What are some of the challenges of serving as a rotator?

While BIO/MCB may seem relatively small, NSF is a mid-level federal agency with over a 1,000 employees, which means there are a wide range of projects in many different areas of science. One challenge has been learning about and keeping track of all the directorates, divisions, and wide range of opportunities at NSF.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about serving as a Program Director at the NSF?

Please consider it seriously. Serving as a Program Director allows researchers to gain more insight into the breadth of scientific research (even within your own field) and also how to write a better grant proposal.

When friends or colleagues find out that you work at the NSF, what do they say or ask?

They think my new role poses both unique challenges and opportunities and that it will be a great experience.