Joni Sue Lane Lecture Series: A Conversation with Dr. France Cordova

Science in the U.S. is at a pivotal moment. With major federal agencies facing steep budget cuts, researchers across the country are grappling with shrinking resources, stalled projects, and growing uncertainty.

At the inaugural installment of the Joni Sue Lane Lecture Series on Women in Science and Technology, Dr. France Córdova, president of the Science Philanthropy Alliance and former director of the US National Science Foundation (NSF), will give a keynote lecture on science, science funding, and the importance of fundamental research as well as her journey as a physicist. This lecture will take a closer look at where things stand — from funding trends to policy shifts — and what it all means for the future of research and innovation.

The Joni Sue Lane Lecture Series aims to recognize and amplify the vital contributions of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It’s named in honor Joni Lane, a talented systems programmer, who worked at the Federal Aviation Agency and Rice University in the early days of computing. The Joni Sue Lane Lecture Series, funded by the Lane Family Endowment, is a part of the Baker Institute Civic Scientist Lecture Series, sponsored by Dr. Virginia Clark, with additional support from Benjamin and Winifer Cheng, Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Weiss School of Natural Sciences.

This event is free and open to the public.