| Abstract |
The collection includes publications, correspondence,
reports, notes, certificates, artifacts, and ephemera related
to the life and career of France A. Córdova.
|
| Abstract |
|
| AccrualMethod |
Transfer from Purdue University Development Office
via Hadley Thomas, August 5, 2008; Donation by David
Lasater, August 5, 2008; Donation by France Córdova,
August 8, 2008; Donation by France Córdova, July 8,
2010; Donation by France Córdova, March 1, 2012;
Donation by France Córdova, July 2, 2012; Transfer
from Westwood, July 13, 2012
|
| BibliographicCitation |
France A. Córdova, the eleventh president of Purdue University, was born in 1947 in
Paris, France. Córdova is the oldest of twelve siblings born to her parents, who
returned to the United States after her father’s service to the United States’ State
Department was complete. Córdova attended Bishop Amat High School in West
Covina, California and was active in her community and school activities. In spite of
her later interest in astrophysics, she was initially drawn to the liberal arts, graduating
cum laude from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in English. During her
tenure at Stanford, Córdova also explored her heritage while doing fieldwork with the
Zapotec Indians in Oaxaca, Mexico. The trip resulted in the publication of a short
novel and recipe book which ultimately led to an internship with Mademoiselle that
allowed her to travel further after graduation. These early experiences affected
Córdova greatly, and had an impact on her approach as an educator- namely her
support of international study, broad-based liberal arts education, and
interdisciplinary research.
After the Apollo 11 moon landing, Córdova renewed her early interest in science and
became fascinated by space. Her initial exploration of astrophysics began with her
appointment as a lab assistant. While working, she also took classes to gain
foundational knowledge in astrophysics before ultimately earning her PhD in Physics
from the California Institute of Technology in 1979. Her PhD thesis was titled X-Ray
Observations of Dwarf Novae, and led to several publications and conference
presentations. This research continued during Córdova’s ten year appointment at the
Los Alamos National Laboratory. Córdova first tried her hand at higher education
during her four year stint at Pennsylvania State University, where she began as a
professor and was promoted to the head of the newly developed Department of
Astronomy and Astrophysics. Subsequently, she was selected as the Chief Scientist
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration where she worked on the
Hubble Space Telescope and with several other committees.
In 1996, she returned to higher education when she was appointed as the vice
chancellor for research and professor of physics at University of California, Santa
Barbara. In 2002, she remained in the University of California system but transferred
to the Riverside campus as the newly appointed chancellor, where she helped to
establish a School of Medicine. She remained there until her 2007 appointment as
Purdue’s eleventh president. This appointment brought much attention, as Córdova
was recognized for being the first female as well as the first Hispanic president of
Purdue. Córdova’s time at Purdue was noted for the establishment of the College of
Health and Human Sciences, the Global Policy Research Institute, and for improving
upon various rankings of the university. At the conclusion of her five year term in
2012, Córdova served as the chair of the Board of Regents for the Smithsonian
Institution, before being appointed in 2014 as the new head of the National Science
Foundation. In addition to her impressive resume and career thus far, Córdova has
1/15/2015 6
been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, some of which are highlighted
throughout the collection.
Source(s):
UA 3, France A. Córdova papers, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue
University
France Córdova Oral History Interview, Karnes Archives and Special Collections,
Purdue University
Chris Foster Oral History Interview, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue
University
Bailey, Martha J., American Women in Science: 1950 to the Present, A Biographical
Dictionary, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO Inc., 1998, pp. 57-58.
http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/members/current_members/cordova.jsp |
| Creator |
France A. Córdova, 1947- |
| Date |
1965-2012, predominant 2007-2012 |
| Extent |
6.47 GB |
| Extent |
10.65 cubic feet |
| Identifier |
UA 003 |
| Rights |
Purdue University per deed of gift |
| Subject |
Women's Archives at Purdue University |
| Subject |
Women in higher education |
| Subject |
Women in science. |
| Subject |
Cordova, France A. |
| Subject |
College presidents--Indiana |
| Subject |
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| Subject |
Purdue University |
| Subject |
University of California, Riverside |
