Sethuraman "Panch" Panchanathan is the head of research development at ASU. He can speak about why research is important to society. 

In June, 2020, Dr. Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump as Director of the National Science Foundation. Panch previously spent more than 20 years in leadership positions at Arizona State University, including service as Executive Vice President of ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise and Chief Research and Technology Officer for ASU. He is officially on an extended leave of absence from the university as he devotes his time to advancing the U.S. science and technology agenda on a national and global scale.

In 2014, Panch was appointed by Barack Obama to the U.S. National Science Board, the first American of Indian origin to be appointed. Panch’s is a computer scientist whose interests are in connecting computing to humanity in a way that improves people’s lives. He has done significant work enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities.