February 2022

Rayvon Fouché has been selected to lead the Social and Economic Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation (NSF). He begins his appointment as of February 28 and succeeds Daniel Goroff, the outgoing director who led the division from 2019 to 2021. Fouché joins the division through NSF’s rotator program, which recruits U.S. scientists, engineers, and educators for limited-term leadership positions of up to four years. Goroff resumes his position as vice president and program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

“AERA extends our congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Fouché as he begins this new role at this crucial time,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “We welcome his comprehension of American challenges and his scientific expertise that bridges culture, racial identity, and technology. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Social and Economic Sciences Division to advance its mission, under Dr. Fouché’s leadership, as well as future collaborations with him on issues integral to education research and interdisciplinary science.”

Fouché, a professor of American studies, has served as the director of the American studies program at Purdue University since January 2014. He received a B.A. in humanities from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Ph.D. from Cornell University in the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies, and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis.