Martin Vetterli elected president of the SNSF
Martin Vetterli © Alain Herzog / EPFL
EPFL researcher appointed head of the Swiss National Science Foundation. Martin Vetterli, currently dean of the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, will start his new position in January 2013.
With an annual budget of over 700 million Swiss francs, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is one of the most important institutions in the Swiss scientific landscape. On Friday, the 2nd of March 2012 in Berne, the National Research Council has appointed Martin Vetterli at the head of the central organ that evaluates thousands of financing requests from scientists around the country. Currently dean of the School of Computer and Communication Sciences will take the reins of the SNSF at the beginning of 2013, replacing Dieter Imboden.
Martin Vetterli is known for his work in the fields of electrical engineering, computer science and applied mathematics. Having learnt much from his ten years in the USA, at Columbia and Berkeley, Vetterli has coupled this experience with a stunning fifteen year career at EPFL as researcher, teacher, EPFL vice-president, and dean of the School of Computer and Communication Sciences. He has also been on the Swiss Science and Technology Council. It is for these reasons that Martin Vetterli “is an expert of the politics of Swiss higher education and research,” as noted in SNSF’s press release.
The Swiss National Science Foundation is internationally known for contributing to scientific excellence in Switzerland. “The promotion of high-quality research by the SNSF is a forward-thinking investment for the future of the country. It is an honor for me to direct such a well-recognized and important institution,” explains Martin Vetterli in the official press release.