Former Under Secretary of Education has served as a National Education Leader

DALLAS, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) announced Thursday that nationally recognized educator and leader Sara Martinez Tucker has been selected to lead the highly-successful education non-profit as President and Chief Executive Officer.  Tucker will join NMSI on March 1^st.

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Tucker previously served as Under Secretary of Education in the U.S. Department of Education from 2006-2008.  Prior to that leadership role, she was CEO and President for nine years of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), where she raised $280 million for scholarship and community outreach programs to increase Hispanic college participation.  She also previously enjoyed a 16-year career with AT&T, last serving as regional vice president for AT&T's Global Business Communications Systems.

"NMSI will benefit immensely from the leadership skills that Sara Martinez Tucker will bring from her experience as a key official in Education Department and in the private sector.  She is well-prepared to take math and science education to new levels of achievement in the United States," said Tom Luce, chairman of the NMSI board of directors.

As Under Secretary, Tucker oversaw all policies and programs related to postsecondary education, vocation, and adult education, as well as federal student aid.  Tucker's accomplishments included development and implementation of two signature programs to increase access to college:  a joint initiative with the U.S. Treasury Department to make nearly $70 billion in 2008-09 federal student loans available during the nation's financial crisis, and an innovative website, college.gov, to help students and families prepare for college. 

"I am most appreciative of all that NMSI has accomplished since its founding," said Tucker.  "What the staff and board have done to increase the number of students who are prepared to take rigorous college courses in mathematics and science in a relatively short period is most impressive.  I am honored to have been selected and look forward to working with the team to strengthen NMSI's impact."

Among her many honors, in 2005, TIME magazine named Tucker one of the 25 most influential  Hispanics in the U.S.  She currently serves on the board of directors of American Electric Power Company, Xerox Corporation and Teach for America. She also serves on the University of Notre Dame's Board of Trustees and Wal-Mart's External Advisory Council.

Born and raised in Laredo, Texas, Tucker earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin. 

NMSI, a non-profit organization, was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to transform math and science education in the United States. NMSI has trained over 60,000 K-12 teachers to inspire students to succeed in math, science and English and was selected in 2012 to establish an Educator Leader Cadre for Common Core State Standard implementation across the country.  NMSI also has gained national recognition for recruiting more college students to become dedicated math and science teachers through the UTeach program, which is transforming teacher preparation in 34 universities in 16 states.  NMSI's Advanced Placement program is increasing achievement in 462 schools in 18 states.

NMSI has received major funding support for its groundbreaking national initiatives from Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, with additional support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more information, please visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.

*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board.

Contact: Rena Pederson, NMSI Communications Director at (214) 345-1218 or rpederson@nationalmathandscience.org.

SOURCE National Math and Science Initiative