Beginning September 14, Linda Hyman, associate provost for the School of Medicine’s Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, will be ‘on loan’ to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to serve as director of the division of molecular and cellular biosciences. The division comprises the areas of molecular biophysics, cellular dynamics and functions, genetic mechanisms and systems, and synthetic biology. Her duties will include assessing the needs and trends in research and education related to the division’s programs, strategic planning, and policy setting, while providing leadership to the senior division staff.

Hyman’s position with the NSF is part of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program, which provides temporary assignment of personnel to or from the federal government and state and local agencies, colleges, universities, and other organizations. It allows visiting staff to continue participating in their home organization’s activities at 20 percent time. While Hyman is at the NSF, Hee-Young Park, assistant dean for the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, will assume the division’s day-to-day responsibilities.