Overview
Program Director, National Science Foundation
Sheryl Tucker leads the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a designated Presidential Priority. As one of the Foundation’s oldest initiatives, this Flagship Program aims to ensure the vitality and diversity of the U.S. science and engineering workforce. In this position, she works closely with the principal investigators and coordinating officials at the nearly 200 higher-education institutions that enroll Fellows.
She is overseeing the historic expansion of the Program, tripling the number of Fellowships from ~1,000 in 2008 to 3,000 in 2013. She is responsible for all aspects of the Program, which received over 12,000 applications in the 2010 competition and is currently serving more than 4,600 active Fellows. She has specific oversight of financial management of the Program, with a requested budget of over $158 Million in Fiscal Year 2011.
Associate Dean, University of Missouri
Prior to joining the National Science Foundation, Sheryl Tucker managed the Academic Affairs portfolio for the Graduate School, serving over 7,150 graduate and professional students. In this position, she worked closely with faculty and administrators in 12 colleges and schools to ensure the integrity and quality of the 100 plus graduate and professional programs on campus.
She was responsible for promoting and supporting innovative interdisciplinary initiatives, advancing policy issues that facilitate access to and participation in graduate education, managing graduate and doctoral faculty certifications, reviewing curriculum and program proposals, and spearheading Ph.D. Completion Project initiatives and Graduate Education Week activities. She also directed the MU Office of Postdoctoral Education and served as the liaison to the Graduate Faculty Senate.
Professor of Chemistry, University of Missouri
Prior to joining the
Graduate School, Sheryl Tucker served as the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the
Department of Chemistry. In this position, her responsibilities included academic, budgetary, personnel, management and organizational matters. She also served as the Director of Graduate Studies for the 100- student doctoral program.
She was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Department’s Graduate Program including, but not limited to, personnel supervision, recruiting, admissions, orientation, progress assessment, policy formulation, award and fellowship nominations, teaching assistantships assignments and curriculum management. She has an active, well-funded
research program, is a notable mentor and teacher, and is involved in her community with
public science outreach.