The Advisory Committee (AC) for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF) met on June 8 and 9 for their Spring meeting.
Dr. Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison, SBE AC Chair, provided opening remarks. The packed agenda included several items of interest to FABBS members, such as key staffing updates, a DEI update, and a conversation about artificial intelligence (AI) and SBE.
Dr. Slyvia Butterfield, Acting Assistant Director (AD) of SBE, presented comments in memory of Dr. Kellina Craig-Henderson and called attention to the fact that FABBS has elected to name our Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Award in memory of Kellina Craig-Henderson.
Additional updates from Dr. Butterfield included staffing changes. A number of top positions at SBE are currently filled by “acting” leaders including herself and Antoinette WinklerPrins, who is serving as Acting Deputy Assistant Director of SBE. Other top positions include:
- Alan Tomkins, Acting Deputy Division Director, Social and Economic Sciences (SES)
- Joseph M. Whitmeyer, Acting Deputy Division Director, SES
Dr. Charles Barber, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, NSF, who recently came into this newly created role under the CHIPS and Science Act, provided an update on DEI efforts at the foundation.
On the second day, panelists hosted a conversation on Artificial intelligence and SBE. Panelists included:
- Dr. Betty Tuller, Program Director, BCS, SBE
- Dr. Simon Fischer-Baum, Program Director, BCS, SBE
- Dr. Jason Borenstein, Program Director, Office of Multidisciplinary Activities, SBE
- Dr. Sara Kiesler, Program Director, SES, SBE
