NYU’s Dean for Science Michael Purugganan has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the New York-based organization announced this week.

Dean for Science Purugganan Elected Sloan Foundation Trustee
NYU’s Dean for Science Michael Purugganan

Purugganan, the Dorothy Schiff Professor of Genomics at NYU, joins Cynthia Barnhart, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and engineering systems and associate dean of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as newly elected trustees.

Purugganan is a leading researcher in the field of evolutionary and ecological genomics whose work focuses on the biomolecular mechanisms that underlie evolutionary adaptation in plants.

“As an organization devoted to supporting original high-quality research, the Foundation needs Trustees with deep knowledge of the natural sciences, education, engineering, and economics,” said Sandra O. Moose, chair of the Sloan Foundation Board of Trustees. “Dr. Barnhart and Dr. Purugganan are world-class scientists who are uniquely qualified to help advance the Foundation’s mission. I welcome them to the Board and look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

The author of more than 100 articles, Purugganan has received a number of high profile awards in recognition of his research accomplishments, including an Alfred P. Sloan Young Investigator Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Kavli Fellowship, and the Sigma Xi Research Prize. In 2005, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“As a young researcher, I received a Sloan Fellowship, so I know first-hand the difference Foundation funding can make in the life of an early-career scientist,” said Purugganan. “To be asked to serve on the Foundation’s Board and help fund the next generation of researchers is an honor and a privilege.”

Established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr., then-president and chief executive officer of the General Motors Corporation, the foundation makes grants in support of original research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economic performance. For more on the foundation, go to www.sloan.org

Press Contact

James Devitt
James Devitt
(212) 998-6808