Dr. Wanda E. Ward

Wanda E. Ward, Ph.D. Deputy Assistant Director Directorate for Education and Human Resources 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 805 Arlington, VA 22230 703-292-8600 weward@nsf.gov
Dr. Wanda E. Ward is the Deputy Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources. Throughout her tenure at NSF, Ward has served in a number of science and engineering policy, planning, and program capacities. These include: Acting Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources (Summer 2006 – January 31, 2007); Acting Assistant Director for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (2004-2005); Deputy Assistant Director for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (1999-2007); Assistant to the Deputy Director for Human Resource Development, Office of the Director (1997-1999); Senior Staff Associate for Policy and Planning, Office of the Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR; 1994-1997); and Program Officer in EHR (1992-1994). From 2001-2002 she was on assignment at the Council on Competitiveness as Chief Advisor to the new initiative, BEST (Building Engineering and Science Talent) where she provided leadership in the launch and development of this public-private partnership, established to carry out the implementation of a national diversity initiative called for by the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development. In SBE, Ward provided critical leadership for development of several NSF-wide activities, including the Human and Social Dynamics priority area, the Science of Learning Centers program, Cyberinfrastructure and the Social Sciences, and the ADVANCE program. She also directed the launch and development of a major activity in SBE to broaden participation through strategic, regional alliances among the top 25 institutional producers of underrepresented minorities at the B.S. and Ph.D. levels. These endeavors led her to forge international research and workforce development collaborations in both developed and developing nations, including China, Europe and South Africa. Since joining the Foundation, Dr. Ward has also led or served on several NSF and interagency task forces, working groups, commissions and committees. These include: Co-Chair, Subcommittee on Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBES), the President's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Science (COS , 2004-2005); NSF representative to the Interagency Working Group on the U.S. Science and Technology Workforce of the Future, NSTC COS (1997-1999); Executive Liaison to the Co Vice-Chair of the NSTC former Committee on Education and Training (CET) and Executive Secretary of the NSTC CET Subcommittee on Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education (1994-1996). In this latter capacity, she played a key role in the initial interagency planning, development, and implementation of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring Program (PAESMEM, established by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and administered by the National Science Foundation). In 2005, the NSTC COS SBES published the report, Combating Terrorism: Research Priorities in the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences. Prior to joining NSF, Dr. Ward served as tenured Associate Professor of Psychology and Founding Director of the Center for Research on Multi-Ethnic Education at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. She has also held academic positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools. She took the B.A. in Psychology and the Afro-American Studies Certificate from Princeton University and the Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University. She was awarded the Ford Foundation Fellowship; and is a member of the American Psychological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Psychological Association (APA), where she was awarded the 2005 APA Presidential Citation, the most distinguished award given by the APA president, in recognition of her steadfast support of the advancement of behavioral science and her to devotion to enhancing the diversity of the science and engineering workforce. Ward received the prestigious 2006 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive, awarded annually by the U.S. President to one percent of career members of the Senior Executive Service, Senior Level, or Scientific and Professional corps for their outstanding leadership, accomplishments and service over an extended period of time in some of the nation's most critical positions in the federal government. Finally, Ward was selected to receive the 2006 Richard T. Louttit Award, the only award given by the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, in recognition of behavioral and brain scientists whose careers have strengthened and brought honor to the science, and have advanced the capability of behavioral research to serve the public good.

Wanda E. Ward, Ph.D.
Deputy Assistant Director
Directorate for Education
and Human Resources
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 805
Arlington, VA 22230
703-292-8600
weward@nsf.gov

Dr. Wanda E. Ward is the Deputy Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources. Throughout her tenure at NSF, Ward has served in a number of science and engineering policy, planning, and program capacities. These include: Acting Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources (Summer 2006 – January 31, 2007); Acting Assistant Director for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (2004-2005); Deputy Assistant Director for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (1999-2007); Assistant to the Deputy Director for Human Resource Development, Office of the Director (1997-1999); Senior Staff Associate for Policy and Planning, Office of the Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR; 1994-1997); and Program Officer in EHR (1992-1994). From 2001-2002 she was on assignment at the Council on Competitiveness as Chief Advisor to the new initiative, BEST (Building Engineering and Science Talent) where she provided leadership in the launch and development of this public-private partnership, established to carry out the implementation of a national diversity initiative called for by the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development. In SBE, Ward provided critical leadership for development of several NSF-wide activities, including the Human and Social Dynamics priority area, the Science of Learning Centers program, Cyberinfrastructure and the Social Sciences, and the ADVANCE program. She also directed the launch and development of a major activity in SBE to broaden participation through strategic, regional alliances among the top 25 institutional producers of underrepresented minorities at the B.S. and Ph.D. levels. These endeavors led her to forge international research and workforce development collaborations in both developed and developing nations, including China, Europe and South Africa.

Since joining the Foundation, Dr. Ward has also led or served on several NSF and interagency task forces, working groups, commissions and committees. These include: Co-Chair, Subcommittee on Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBES), the President's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Science (COS , 2004-2005); NSF representative to the Interagency Working Group on the U.S. Science and Technology Workforce of the Future, NSTC COS (1997-1999); Executive Liaison to the Co Vice-Chair of the NSTC former Committee on Education and Training (CET) and Executive Secretary of the NSTC CET Subcommittee on Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education (1994-1996). In this latter capacity, she played a key role in the initial interagency planning, development, and implementation of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring Program (PAESMEM, established by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and administered by the National Science Foundation). In 2005, the NSTC COS SBES published the report, Combating Terrorism: Research Priorities in the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.

Prior to joining NSF, Dr. Ward served as tenured Associate Professor of Psychology and Founding Director of the Center for Research on Multi-Ethnic Education at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. She has also held academic positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Organization of Schools. She took the B.A. in Psychology and the Afro-American Studies Certificate from Princeton University and the Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford University. She was awarded the Ford Foundation Fellowship; and is a member of the American Psychological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Psychological Association (APA), where she was awarded the 2005 APA Presidential Citation, the most distinguished award given by the APA president, in recognition of her steadfast support of the advancement of behavioral science and her to devotion to enhancing the diversity of the science and engineering workforce. Ward received the prestigious 2006 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive, awarded annually by the U.S. President to one percent of career members of the Senior Executive Service, Senior Level, or Scientific and Professional corps for their outstanding leadership, accomplishments and service over an extended period of time in some of the nation's most critical positions in the federal government. Finally, Ward was selected to receive the 2006 Richard T. Louttit Award, the only award given by the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, in recognition of behavioral and brain scientists whose careers have strengthened and brought honor to the science, and have advanced the capability of behavioral research to serve the public good.