The National Science Foundation has announced the appointment of Renée V. Ferranti as the new special assistant to the NSF director for sexual assault and harassment prevention and response implementation. In this role, Ferranti will coordinate cross-agency activities, drive policy implementation, and provide expert analysis and evaluation of sexual assault prevention and response program procedures.
Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation said that Ferranti “brings over 25 years of experience in sexual assault prevention and response, making her ideal for this critical role, as NSF continues to strengthen our efforts to promote safe research environments for all. Addressing this pervasive problem remains a top priority for me and the agency, and with Renee’s expertise we will continue to adapt and further accelerate our efforts to address the evolving landscape of sexual assault prevention and response.”
Since October 2019, Ferranti has served as the director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program at the Peace Corps. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, Ferranti worked within the Department of Defense SAPR program for more than 15 years in various roles including victim advocate, sexual assault response coordinator and program manager at multiple military installations.
“I am honored to join NSF and contribute to the important work of sexual assault prevention and response,” said Ferranti. “I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to leveraging my expertise to make a meaningful impact to advance NSF’s progress in addressing sexual violence impacting members of the NSF community.”
Ferranti has a bachelor’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in psychology.