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Dr. Daniel Thornhill Appointed GEO RISE Acting Deputy Division Director

Dr. Daniel Thornhill, GEO RISE Acting Deputy Division Director, sits on boat in ocean.

Dr. Daniel Thornhill Appointed as GEO RISE Acting Deputy Division Director


February 12, 2024

Dr. Daniel Thornhill starts his position as Acting Deputy Division Director (DDD) for the Directorate for Geosciences’ (GEO) new Research Innovation, Synergies, and Integration (RISE) Division effective February 11, 2024.

Dr. Thornhill has ten years of research and research administration experience as an NSF Program Director for the Biological Oceanography Program in the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE). In this role, he worked closely with colleagues across NSF and recently led the cross-NSF Directorate LTER program through their decadal program review and strategic planning effort. Dr. Thornhill has also been heavily involved in broadening participation activities at NSF, including at the OCE, GEO, cross-NSF, and senior leadership levels.

Dr. Thornhill recently completed the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society. He earned a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Zoology and Environmental Biology from Michigan State University.

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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