By Leonard Rodriguez
This column highlights inspiring stories of Latino leaders. For more than 500 years, Latino men and women have positively influenced the face of United States society. Let us celebrate these outstanding hispanics.
Dr. France Anne Cordova
Prior to being named Chief Scientist of NASA, Dr. France Anne Cordova was the head of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department at Penn State. She earned her B.A from Stanford and a Ph.D in physics from Cal-Tech. Over the years, Cordova has been involved with numerous scientific communities. She worked with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera Team, was Deputy Group leader of the Space Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory and served as vice president of the American Astronomical Society. Also a member of the President’s National Medal of Sciences Committee, Cordova is the first woman and first Hispanic to hold the position as the Administrator’s Senior Scientific Advisor for NASA.
