Jones to lead Directorate for mathematical and physical sciences

Sean Jones has been named the new head of the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). 

Jones, who was named to the post on Sept. 14, has worked for the NSF for more than a decade. He started as a program director for NSF in 2009 and recently acted as assistant director at the MPS directorate.

"Sean Jones’s expertise and experience as a leader both in academia and industrial research are rich perspectives that we need as we advance this agency into the future," NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in a release. "Sean has an excellent track record of fostering scientific discovery and the mission of NSF, and he brings the kind of enterprise focus that we need to get things done at speed and scale. Dr. Jones is the ideal person to lead this critical area of NSF."

NSF’s MPS directorate is comprised of Chemistry, Materials Research, Physics, Mathematical and Astronomical Sciences divisions and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities. It seeks to bolster mathematical and physical sciences community efforts in addressing the most crucial scientific questions, promoting new discoveries and educating the next advanced workforce.

"This is an exciting time for mathematical and physical sciences, and I am honored to continue working with such an extraordinary community," Jones said in a statement. "MPS advances some of the most compelling scientific questions that grow the U.S. economy, develops the industries of the future, enhances the nation’s global leadership in innovation, and ensures our national security."

Jones is the former assistant director at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s physical science and engineering division, department chair and professor of optical engineering at Norfolk State University and senior scientist at the University of Florida. He was also part of the research and development teams of Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs and two start-up companies.