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October 27, 1998 Contact: Liz Latt, Vanderbilt News Service, Jeff Vincent, Vanderbilt Washington Office, Barbara Rice, National Academy of Sciences, 202-334-2158 |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt University Chancellor Joe B. Wyatt today was named chairman of the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable, a unique forum of more than two dozen distinguished leaders of the American science and technology enterprise.
In accepting the appointment, he stressed his goal of using the Roundtable's leadership position to spur innovative thinking about the critical role of research in U.S. competitiveness.
"A strong relationship between government, higher education and industry is essential if we are to maintain a growing economy and compete in the global marketplace," Wyatt said. "The pace of scientific and technological change is accelerating at an incredible pace. If the United States is to maintain a world leadership role, we must have a continuous, candid exchange of fresh ideas among the key players in the federal and state governments, our research universities and the corporate world. The Roundtable is well positioned to provide the forum for that exchange."
Wyatt officially assumed his new role at the fall meeting of the Roundtable, which is being held today and tomorrow in Washington, D.C. He succeeds former Ohio Gov. Richard Celeste, who was chairman of the Roundtable from 1992 until November 1997, when he was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to India. Wyatt, who joined the Roundtable in January 1995, has served as interim chairman for the last several months.
Wyatt's selection as chairman completes a process in which the Roundtable said it would identify and select for the position a "major national leader who bridges the worlds of industry, academia, and public life." The appointment was made by Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Sciences, on behalf of himself, Kenneth Shine, president of the Institute of Medicine, and Wm. A. Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering. Their three organizations sponsor the Roundtable. The selection followed extensive consultation with federal, university and industry members of the Roundtable.
The purpose of the Roundtable, created in 1984, is to facilitate personal working relationships and exchange of ideas about issues, problems and opportunities facing those charged with developing and deploying science and technology resources. In addition to a 28-member council that sets the agenda and addresses some key topics directly, the Roundtable uses various working groups to take on additional issues.
Recent topics have included the burden of regulatory costs in research; new trends and forces in the science and engineering workforce; and constraints on openness in research communication.
Wyatt was named chancellor of Vanderbilt University in 1982. His early career focused on computer science and systems, beginning at General Dynamics Corporation in 1956, continuing at Symbiotics International, Inc. (a company he co-founded in 1965) and then at the University of Houston and Harvard University. In addition to holding faculty positions, he was associated in various capacities (including President and CEO) with EDUCOM, a consortium of 450 universities that develops computer networks and systems for sharing information and resources. In 1976, he was appointed vice president for Administration at Harvard.
A patentee in computer design, Wyatt serves on the board of directors of Ingram Micro, Reynolds Metals, SONAT Corp., and Aerostructures Corp. During his career, he has carried out research on behalf of the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Eli Lilly Foundation, among others. He holds degrees in mathematics from Texas Christian University and the University of Texas. Under Wyatt's leadership, Vanderbilt has been consistently ranked among the top 20 research universities in the United States while still maintaining its focus on undergraduate education.
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