The National Scientific Council selects the first industry

Dr. Darío Gil, senior vice president and chief research officer of IBM and member of the board of trustees of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), has been elected chairman of the National Science Board (NSB).

The NSB is the governing board of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and advises Congress and the President on policy issues related to STEM research and STEM education.

“Darío Gil’s insight and innovative thinking will be essential to his leadership of NSB,” said Dr. Martin A. Schmidt, president of RPI. “His selection speaks volumes about his exceptional talents and commitment to advancing science, and highlights the key role industry plays in shaping the future of research and innovation. His leadership will undoubtedly usher in a new era of collaboration and progress, bridging the gap between academia and industry to address the most pressing challenges facing the world today.”

It has been more than 30 years since the NSB chairman worked in industry at the time of his election. Of the three previous industry leaders at NSB, two had strong ties to RPI: Dr. Mary Good (AlliedSignal) and Dr. Roland Schmitt (GE). Dr. Good also served on the RPI Board of Directors, and Dr. Schmitt was president of RPI from 1988-1993.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to build bridges between the federal, business, academic and philanthropic worlds to renew our commitment to STEM education, workforce development and tackle ambitious, grand challenges to stay ahead of our greatest strategic competitors,” he says Gil . “It’s time to join forces across sectors to position the United States for long-term success.”

Gil can also boast that at the time of his election he was one of only three NSB chairmen under 50 years of age.

Gil is a member of the NSB Class of 2020-2026. For the past two years, he chaired the Board’s External Engagement Committee, leading the Board’s engagement strategy and initiatives. Gil also served on the NSB Strategy Committee and chaired the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Subcommittee, which worked with NSF to create the agency’s first new directorate in 30 years.

As senior vice president and director of IBM Research, Gil is responsible for one of the largest and most influential corporate research laboratories in the world, employing more than 3,000 researchers. He leads IBM’s technical community, driving innovation strategies in hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing and exploratory sciences.

Gil, who earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, he was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to “the development and practical applications of artificial intelligence and quantum computing in industry and society.” A supporter of collaborative research models, Gil serves as co-chair of the Board of the International Science Reserve, a global network of open scientific communities that provides specialized resources to prepare for and help mitigate urgent, complex global challenges. Gil has served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and on the boards of the Semiconductor Industry Association, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the New York Academy of Sciences, the New York Hall of Science, and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute:

Founded in 1824 to apply science to common life goals, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the first technological research university in the United States. Today it is recognized as a leading university, renowned for its robust and holistic learning community that combines creativity with science and technology. RPI is committed to inventing the future, from shaping the scientists, engineers, technologists, architects and entrepreneurs who will define humanity’s future, to research that bridges disciplines to solve the world’s most challenging problems. For more information, visit rpi.edu.

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