The Board was established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 and has 24 members appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Members serve six-year rotating terms and eight members are appointed every two years.
NSB members are drawn from industry and universities, and represent a variety of science and engineering disciplines. They are selected for their distinguished service in research, education or public service. Mr. Armstrong's expertise is in the fields of quantum electronics and laser physics. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering as well as a fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Armstrong earned his Ph.D. in applied physics at Harvard University.