Dr. James L. More III, a prominent researcher on African American males, has been tapped by the U.S. National Science Foundation to head the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, or EHR, which supports research that enhances learning and teaching, and broad efforts to achieve excellence in STEM education at all levels and in all settings.
Moore, who is currently the vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at The Ohio State University, previously served as NSF program director for the Broadening Participation in Engineering program and also helped launched NSF INCLUDES, a national broadening participation initiative.
Dr. James L. Moore III
"I am very familiar with the EHR Directorate and understand its significance in broadening participation in STEM, supporting STEM education research and cultivating key educational and workforce pathways throughout the STEM enterprise,” said Moore. “I look forward to working with colleagues across the agency and beyond to advance the broad portfolio of EHR.”
Moore is an expert on STEM education, gifted education, multicultural and urban education, and higher education. He has published over 160 publications, received nearly $40 million in funding, and given over 200 scholarly presentations and lectures throughout the United States and other parts of the world. He has received nearly $9 million in funding from NSF throughout his career.
"James L. Moore III brings great leadership skills and vision to our agency and is poised to develop new mechanisms and models for reaching the missing millions in our country," said NSF Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan. "His efforts will inspire the next-generation STEM workforce as they unleash their potential and advance discovery and innovation across the United States. I am thrilled to have him join the agency at this important time when access to quality STEM learning experiences for individuals, family and communities is recognized as a national imperative."
Becoming the new EHR assistant director "is an opportunity that I do not take lightly. It extends the opportunity to be a part of the director's brain trust in bringing the 'Missing Millions' and developing critical strategy — within NSF — to attract, inspire, and cultivate more U. S. citizens for careers in STEM," said Moore. "With the recent passing of the 'CHIPS and Science Act,' there are immense opportunities to improve STEM educational and workforce outcomes. I am very excited about the possibilities and ready to run the marathon at a sprinter's pace to put forth strong initiatives that build a robust, diverse, and inclusive STEM workforce throughout the country."
NSF's EHR Directorate invests in the development of people and knowledge, supporting the development of a diverse and well-prepared workforce of scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians and educators and a well-informed citizenry that have access to the ideas and tools of science and engineering. In his new role, Moore hopes to build on the successes of the previous assistant directors. "I am very interested in pinpointing ways to improve STEM preparation and pathways in rural and urban, underserved and under-resourced communities across the United States and advancing scientific knowledge on how best to improve STEM educational and workforce outcomes for talented individuals in some of the most distressed communities across the nation," Moore added.
