[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 102 (Friday, June 22, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1384]]
     TRIBUTE TO FRANCE A. CORDOVA, CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 
                         CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2007

  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to 
an individual whose dedication and contributions to the community of 
Riverside, California, are exceptional. Riverside has been fortunate to 
have dynamic and dedicated community leaders who willingly and 
unselfishly give their time and talent and make their communities a 
better place to live and work. Chancellor France Cordova is one of 
these individuals. On Wednesday, June 27, 2007, Chancellor Cordova will 
be honored at a farewell dinner in her honor.
  Chancellor Cordova began her dynamic career conducting 
anthropological field work in a Zapotec Indian pueblo in Oaxaca, 
Mexico, after graduating cum laude from Stanford University with a 
bachelor's degree in English. She went on to obtain her Ph.D. in 
physics from the California Institute of Technology. For 10 years, 
Cordova worked as a staff member of the Space Astronomy and 
Astrophysics Group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. In 1989, 
Cordova moved across the U.S. to serve as department head of astronomy 
and astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University. In 1993, Cordova 
accepted a position as the Chief Scientist at NASA which she held until 
1996. In this role, she served as the primary scientific advisor to the 
NASA Administrator and the principal interface between NASA 
headquarters and the broader scientific community.
  In 1996, Cordova returned to her home state of California to serve as 
professor of physics and vice-chancellor for research at UC Santa 
Barbara. In 2002, Chancellor Cordova accepted the position of 
chancellor at the University of California, Riverside and the 
university has undergone dramatic changes under her leadership. The 
campus itself has been augmented and improved with the addition of new 
state-of-the-art buildings and parking for students. Academically, 
Chancellor Cordova has worked towards bringing a school of medicine to 
UCR which is expected to become a reality in the near future.
  Chancellor Cordova's tireless passion for education has contributed 
immensely to the betterment of the University of California, Riverside. 
Many students, community leaders and residents are thankful for her 
service and leadership. I am proud to call Chancellor Cordova a fellow 
community member, American and friend. I know that many are grateful 
for her service and salute her as she moves to Indiana to lead Purdue 
University as their new chancellor.

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