Diane L. Souvaine is a national leader in science and engineering policy, having served as Chair of the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF).

She is a Professor of Computer Science and Adjunct Professor of Mathematics at Tufts University. She has served as Vice Provost for Research and as Senior Advisor to the Provost at Tufts University, and as Chair of the Department of Computer Science. Prior to Tufts, Diane served as Directorate of NSF’s Science and Technology Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers University, where she forged a groundbreaking academic/industry collaboration of Princeton, Rutgers, Bell Labs and Bellcore.

Diane received her PhD in computer science from Princeton University from which she also received her MSE in electrical engineering and computer science and MA in computer science. She earned an MALS in mathematical sciences from Dartmouth College and graduated with distinction from Harvard University, earning an AB in English and American language and literature, with a second concentration in mathematics.

Her research contributions range from solving challenging problems in computational geometry to practical application across disciplines. In addition to her scientific and policy contributions, Diane is dedicated to increasing diversity and advancing women and underrepresented groups in mathematics, science, and engineering and works to enhance pre-college education in mathematics and computational thinking.

In 2008, President Bush appointed Diane to the National Science Board, a 24-member body that governs the National Science Foundation and advises the United States government about science policy. In 2014, President Obama reappointed her to the Board. She was elected Vice Chair on May 6, 2016 and Chair on May 3, 2018. In 2011 and in 2016, respectively, she was elected Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Computer History Museum and for TERC.