LoginsHow the Foundation is governed
The Foundation is an independent federal agency, reporting to the executive branch. Federal law (20 U.S.C. § 4703) vests its management in a 13-member Board of Trustees:
2
United States Senators
one appointed from the majority, one from the minority
2
Members of the House
one appointed from the majority, one from the minority
8
Presidential appointees
confirmed by the Senate; no more than four from the same political party
1
Secretary of Education
serves ex officio
Trustees serve six-year terms without pay, receiving reimbursement only for expenses incurred in the Foundation’s service. This structure — bipartisan by design and anchored in both Congress and the executive branch — keeps the Foundation focused on a single, shared goal: recognizing and supporting scientific excellence on merit.
Board of Trustees
John H. Yopp
Chair of the Board
Biologist and longtime leader in international higher education.
Peggy Goldwater Clay
Trustee
Youngest daughter of Senator Barry Goldwater and the Board’s longest-serving voice for the family’s legacy.
Hon. Mark Kelly
U.S. Senator · Arizona
Retired Navy captain and former NASA astronaut who commanded the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Hon. John B. Larson
U.S. Representative · Connecticut
Senior member of the Ways and Means Committee and former high school history teacher.
Hon. Burgess Owens
U.S. Representative · Utah
Biology and chemistry graduate, Super Bowl champion, and member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee.
Charles R. Korsmo, Esq.
Trustee
Professor of law at Case Western Reserve University; physics graduate of MIT with a J.D. from Yale.
Maria E. Rengifo-Ruess
Trustee
Engineer and executive who led international business development for Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
Dr. Joseph M. Green
Trustee
Higher-education leader whose career has centered on preparing first-generation and underrepresented students for graduate education.
Dr. Stewart DeSoto
Trustee
A physicist turned data scientist, he leads advanced analytics at Accenture after a decade in the field and a professorship at Wheaton College, where he chaired the physics department.
Hon. Linda E. McMahon
Secretary of Education
Serves the Board’s ex officio seat, which federal law reserves for the Secretary of Education. Previously Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Designee: Travis Logan
Officers and staff
Dr. John Mateja
President & Executive Secretary · 2016–present
Nuclear physicist and the Foundation’s third president. His career spans faculty and dean roles, Argonne National Laboratory, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation.
Shellby Padgett
Administrative Officer · 2024–present
Nonprofit management professional with more than a decade of experience supporting executive leadership across federal, nonprofit, and mission-driven organizations.
Presidents emeriti
The Foundation honors the service of its first presidents: COL Gerald J. Smith (1988–2011), Dr. W. Franklin Gilmore (2012–2015), and Ms. Lucy S. Decher, Administrative Officer, who served as the Interim President from July 2011 to March 2012, following COL Gerald J. Smith’s retirement.
Program administration
The Goldwater scholarship competition — applications, nominations, and Scholar records — is administered in partnership with Scholarship America. Questions about the nomination and selection process go to the Goldwater Help Center; questions about scholarship payments and Foundation programs go to the Foundation office. Contact details for both are on the Contact page.