WASHINGTON, April 2 (UPI) -- John Mather, a 2006 Nobel Prize winner, has been named chief scientist of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Alan Stern, NASA's new Science Mission Directorate associate administrator announced Mather's appointment Monday. Mather will become Stern's chief adviser.
"John Mather is a scientist of legendary reputation, technical ability and space science mission experience," said Stern in a statement. "His office will provide independent scientific advice to me to guide decision making regarding all aspects of the NASA science program."
Mather's responsibilities will include ensuring NASAs research programs are scientifically and technologically well founded, are appropriate for their intended applications and achieve a fair and optimal balance between the various scientific disciplines in the directorate.
Last October Mather and George Smoot of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory received the Nobel Prize for Physics for their collaborative work in understanding the Big Bang.
Mather has most recently directed NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer Mission. He currently also serves as senior project scientist of the James Webb Space Telescope and will continue in that position while assuming his new post in Washington.
