When Carol Burns was named chair of the Hertz Foundation’s Fellowship and Programs Council in 2020, she was already a distinguished figure in the Hertz Community. A Hertz Fellow, member of the Hertz Foundation’s board of directors, and volunteer for the prize committee and fellowship selection process, Burns had also been honored with the Raymond Sidney Volunteer Leadership Award in 2019.
She also had significant prior leadership in the scientific community, including at Los Alamos National Laboratory and in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she was able to bring deep expertise in areas such as chemistry, national security, and team science.
Her background made her a natural fit for advancing the foundation’s efforts to identify and cultivate the next generation of scientific leaders as the new council chair.
“Carol was an obvious and enthusiastic choice for the second chair of the council,” shares Hertz Fellow and Board Member Dick Miles, who served prior to Burns. “Carol’s previous contributions to the council were highly insightful, and I often sought her wise counsel. I was happy to pass the baton to her and have appreciated what’s been accomplished under her leadership—furthering our aims of structuring the council for maximum impact and leading the council through strategic planning.”
Now, as her tenure as the Hertz Foundation’s Council Chair comes to an end, she will be remembered for leading a period of transformative growth—marked by an elevation of volunteer recognition, fostering of multidisciplinary collaboration, and enhancement of community engagement—that has left a lasting legacy on the Hertz Foundation.
Burns’s Leadership as Council Chair
As council chair, Burns brought a clear and focused vision: ensuring the council was both a powerhouse of volunteer driven programs and a fulfilling enterprise for fellows.
From the beginning, Burns was a champion for the hundreds of Hertz volunteers and recognized that the strength of the Hertz Foundation lay not only in its financial support for fellows, but also in the dedicated efforts of its volunteers. She worked tirelessly to elevate the role of volunteers within the foundation, ensuring their contributions were recognized and celebrated through in-person and online events. She also strategically aligned the foundation’s resources with its volunteer network, ensuring that council members and volunteer leaders were empowered to drive forward impactful initiatives, while also experiencing a sense of professional advancement.
Under her leadership, the council expanded opportunities for Hertz Finalists and increased the metrics of community member engagement. She continued to refine the focus of the council subcommittees, appointing new chairs, energizing the council, and streamlining its efforts.
One of Burns’s notable achievements was spearheading two pillars of the foundation’s ambitious strategic plan. She led community listening sessions with key stakeholders to shape a cohesive vision and chaired the Diversity Task Force, collaborating with other fellows to develop inclusivity recommendations.
A Gift in Honor of Burns
Whether leading strategic initiatives, attending key events, or providing oneon- one support to community members, Burns was widely recognized for her deep commitment to the Hertz Foundation. Balancing her Hertz leadership with her high-profile roles at Los Alamos and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, where she moved in 2021, was no small feat, yet she managed to find time for the foundation.
“I work to bring people together to solve the nation’s most important challenges,” she says, emphasizing that “the future of science depends on building bridges between people and ideas. No talent can be left behind.”
Her dedication inspires others to follow suit. This spring, board member Rosemarie Havranek and her husband, Hertz Fellow Nathan Myhrvold, made a generous gift for community engagement in honor of Burns’s legacy.
“Carol’s dedication has allowed the power of each Hertz Fellow to be multiplied by the collectivity of their efforts to expand and unite the Hertz Community,” said Havranek. “The connection of Hertz Fellows of all ages and stages of their careers enables them to grow, learn, and achieve what no individual could do alone.”
Havranek and Myhrvold’s gift will help solidify the culture of volunteerism and support that Burns has built over five years and ensure that, as she steps down, her legacy of connection and collaboration will continue to shape the Hertz Foundation for years to come.
About the Hertz Foundation
Founded in 1957, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation accelerates solutions to the world's most pressing challenges, from enhancing national security to improving human health. Through the Hertz Fellowship, the Foundation identifies the nation's most promising young innovators and disruptors in science and technology, empowering them to become the future leaders who keep our country safe and secure. Today, a community of more than 1,300 Hertz Fellows is a powerful, solution-oriented network of our nation's top scientific minds, working to address complex problems and contributing to the economic vitality of our country. Learn more at HertzFoundation.org.