Dr. Nicola Fox is the head of NASA science. She assumed the role of Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in February 2023, making her the agency's top science official. This is noted in multiple sources, including her Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Fox and NASA press releases https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-administrator-selects-new-head-of-science/. She is only the second woman to hold this position.
Understanding the Role
The Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA is responsible for overseeing and directing all of NASA's space and Earth science endeavors. This includes a vast range of activities, from robotic missions to Earth observation programs. The SMD's office manages the overall strategy and execution of these scientific explorations. https://science.nasa.gov/about-us/bios/
Previous Head of NASA Science
Prior to Dr. Fox, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen served as the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. https://science.nasa.gov/people/thomas-zurbuchen/ He held this position from 2016 to 2022. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/thomas-zurbuchen-named-head-of-nasa-science-mission-directorate/
