Rayvon Fouché to lead NSF's Social and Economic Sciences Division

Rayvon Fouché has been selected to lead the U.S. National Science Foundation's Social and Economic Sciences Division, where he will oversee more than a dozen research programs focused on society and the economy. He will serve as division director through NSF's rotator program which recruits U.S. scientists, engineers and educators for limited-term leadership positions of up to four years.

As a professor at Purdue University and director of its American studies program, Fouché's research focuses on the nature of invention and technological innovation in the U.S. He has written several books including "Game Changer: The Technoscientific Revolution in Sports," which explores the impacts of technological and scientific advances on athletes and competitive sports. Fouché earned his doctoral and master's degrees in science and technology studies from Cornell University.

"As a leader in the scientific community, Dr. Fouché brings a wealth of experience in managing and conducting fundamental research," says acting NSF Assistant Director for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Kellina Craig-Henderson. "Through his scholarship and teaching, he has helped others understand how scientific theory and innovation profoundly impact the world in which we all live."

"I'm honored to join the impressive and dedicated community at the U.S. National Science Foundation," says Fouché. "The research supported by NSF's Social and Economic Sciences Division exemplifies the transformative value of fundamental science, and I look forward to participating collaboratively in its continued development."

Fouché begins his NSF appointment Feb. 28, 2022, and succeeds outgoing Division Director Daniel Goroff, who served from 2019 to 2021. The division supports both disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs along with large-scale scientific surveys such as the National Panel Study of Income Dynamics. More than 70% of the researchers who have won the Nobel Prize in economic sciences received support from the division.