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Historical Program Kickoffs
Class of 2004-2005 -- Mr. Richard M. Russell, OSTP
Class of 2003-2004 -- Ms. Jennifer Sue Bond, National Science Foundation
Class of 2002-2003 -- Dr. Norman P. Neureiter, State Department
Class of 2001-2002 -- Dr. Joseph Bordogna, NSF
Class of 2000-2001 -- Dr. Lana R. Skirboll, NIH
Class of 1999-2000 -- Dr. Albert H. Teich, AAAS
Class of 1998-1999 -- Dr. Bruce M. Alberts, NAS
Class of 1997-1998 -- Dr. John H. Gibbons, OSTP
The 2004-2005 ComSci Program kicked off with friends, co-workers, and ComSci alumni on September 15, 2004 at the Old Ebbitt Grill. The lunchtime event featured Mr. Richard M. Russell, Associate Director for Technology, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Executive Office of the President. Mr. Russell was introduced by Mr. Benjamin H. Wu, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology.
Prior to Mr. Russell’s selection as OSTP’s Associate Director for Technology, Mr. Russell worked on the Presidential Transition Teams for the Department of Commerce, the National Science Foundation, and OSTP.
From 1995 through 2001, Mr. Russell worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science. He began his tenure on the Committee as a professional staff member for the Subcommittee on energy and environment. He was promoted to Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Technology, and finally to Deputy Chief of Staff for the full Science Committee.
Prior to joining the Science Committee, Mr. Russell was a professional staff member of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Subcommittee on Oceanography. He also directed the Washington office of the Association of California Water Agencies – a non-profit association representing 400 public water agencies responsible for delivering 90 percent of California’s domestic and agricultural water. Mr. Russell received his initial congressional experience working for Congressman Curt Weldon (R-Pennsylvania). He then joined the staff of Senator John Seymour (R-California). Mr. Russell earned a B.S. in Biology from Yale University.
Mr. Russell began his remarks by stating that executive development programs in the Federal Government, such as the ComSci Program, are critical to increased opportunity and training in the science and technology field. It is important for Federal scientists and technologists to grow in understanding what the Federal Government-at-large does, and it is important for Federal Government employees to feel that working for the Federal Government allows one to grow professionally over time. “ As a Nation, we rely on the federal research and development enterprise,” and keeping “programs like this are critically important,” he stressed.
His address focused on the enormity of Federal research and development, as well as the core function of OSTP to coordinate the President’s priorities while encouraging interagency cooperation. Presidential priority issues that Mr. Russell mentioned included: nanotechnology; information technology research and development programs; the hydrogen fuel initiative; and the future vision of space exploration. Mr. Russell concluded by stating that the President believes that over the coming decades, our Nation will draw its strength from the cutting-edge research that is occurring throughout the Federal Government.
Along with friends, co-workers, and ComSci alumni, the 2003-2004 ComSci fellowship year kicked off on September 17, 2003 at Butterfield 9 restaurant. The lunchtime event featured guest speaker, Ms. Jennifer Sue Bond.Ms. Bond, who is on assignment from the National Science Foundation to the Council on Competitiveness, is serving as the Council’s Vice President of International Affairs. She is the former Director of the Science and Engineering Indicators Program at the National Science Foundation. For the past two years she worked for Senator Joseph Lieberman as an expert on education policy. Ms. Bond previously worked as the Senior International Policy Analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and held research positions at MIT, the World Bank, the Board on Science, Technology and International Development at the National Academy of Sciences, and was the Director of the Science Policy Unit at the Brazilian Space Research Institute. Ms. Bond holds a B.A. from Stanford University in International Affairs/Political Science and a Masters' Degree in Science, Technology and Public Policy from George Washington University.
Ms. Bond began her remarks by talking about the Council on Competitiveness, a private nonpartisan, nonprofit group founded in the mid-1980s when the position of the United States as a global leader in science and technology capabilities was slipping and American industries were losing market share to international competitors, such as Japan.
The Commission on Industrial Competitiveness, comprised of private sector individuals and chaired by Mr. John Young, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, was established during the Reagan Administration to look at what should be done to boost the industrial sector. Following the Commission=s report to Congress, Mr. Young felt an urgent need to found an action-oriented group that would take a leadership role in monitoring and safeguarding what United States should do to maintain its productivity and standard of living.
To meet this challenge, two-dozen industrial, university, and labor leaders joined together and founded the Council on Competitiveness – a forum for elevating national competitiveness to the forefront of national consciousness. The Council of Competitiveness is the only national organization whose membership is comprised exclusively of the Nation=s top CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders.
The Council on Competitiveness is involved in a variety of activities, she stated, including: benchmarking competitiveness – tracks key indicators of performance to gauge the innovative capacity and global competitiveness of the United States economy; elevating innovation to a first-tier economic imperative at both the national and regional levels; and congressional policy debate – outreach through technology forums.
The Council on Competitiveness continues to develop new initiatives such as: global innovation – a major goal of this initiative is to promote the Council=s model abroad by building effective partnerships between government, industry, academia, and labor to enhance competitiveness, opening up markets leading to growth and prosperity for all; and competitiveness and security – the vision of this initiative is to create a business case for increasing security while creating market opportunities, protecting productivity and preserving competitiveness, as well as to establish a paradigm for private sector leadership that defines principles and best practices to enable security and competitiveness.
In closing, Ms. Bond emphasized the importance of collaborating and sharing new ideas, and the need to better understand what is happening abroad, why companies are going abroad, what can be done in terms of policy here to safeguard our jobs, and investing in education. Education and training sparks creativity and gives individuals cutting-edge skills, which are essential for staying competitive and driving a strong economy.
Along with friends, co-workers, and ComSci alumni, our fellowship year kicked off on September 12, 2002, with a lunchtime event featuring Dr. Norman P. Neureiter, Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of State, as our guest speaker.
A Ph.D. organic chemist, Dr. Neureiter has extensive experience in government and industry, and a public policy background that includes close ties to academia. He spoke very highly of the ComSci Program and commended the Department of Commerce for sustaining the program.
The purpose of Dr. Neureiter's remarks was to introduce us to the interface between science and technology and international affairs. In making his point, he cited a publication released by the National Intelligence Council entitled, Global Trends 2015: A Dialogue About the Future with Non-government Experts. The report outlines seven fundamental drivers for what the world will look like in the year 2015. One of those drivers, he told us, is science and technology, which is further categorized into four areas: (1) information technology; (2) nanotechnology; (3) biotechnology; and (4) materials technology.
Another report, which Dr. Neureiter referenced, entitled, The Pervasive Role of Science, Technology, and Health in Foreign Policy: Imperatives for the Department of State, was released by the National Academy of Sciences in October 1999. His job at the Department of State was created partially in response to this report. Furthermore, as a result of this report, the Department of State developed a policy and implemented a program to strengthen its capacity with respect to science and technology. Dr. Neureiter told us that 13 of the 16 stated foreign policy goals of the United States directly involve science, technology, or health.
To effectively integrate science and technology consideration in United States foreign policy, Dr. Neureiter is seeking to raise science and technology literacy at the Department of State by providing temporary positions for personnel from other federal agencies, scientific societies, and universities.
In closing, Dr. Neureiter reminded us that, "The world today is technically driven and foreign policy is a key part of the technological progress around the world."
Given the horrific events of September 11, 2001, our official kick-off (originally scheduled for September 12th) was postponed until October 4, 2001. At that time, along with ComSci supporters and alumni, we were privileged to welcome our keynote speaker -- Dr. Joseph Bordogna, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
In addition to Dr. Bordogna's assignments at NSF, his career includes experience as a line officer in the U.S. Navy, a practicing engineer in industry at RCA, and a professor. Immediately prior to his appointment at NSF, he served at the University of Pennsylvania as Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Engineering, Director of The Moore School of Electrical Engineering, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and resident Faculty Master of Stouffer College House -- a living/learning student residence at the University. During 1998, he served as worldwide President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Dr. Bordogna received his B.S.E.E. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, and his S.M. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Bordogna described our upcoming fellowship year as being a "venture of adventure and insight," adding perspective and depth to our already significant responsibilities as senior level Executive Branch employees. It will offer us an opportunity, he said, to better comprehend the breadth of science, engineering, and technology activities within the federal structure, thus, helping to strengthen collaboration and cooperation among the various federal science and technology-related organizations.
As advances in science and engineering are occurring at such great speed, he stressed the importance of focusing our attention on existing frontiers that are expanding, as well as discerning new frontiers as they are continuously created in science and engineering.
NSF takes this action very seriously, he said. Consequently, NSF believes that the next several decades will be driven by five major capabilities. They are: (1) nanoscale -- "its focus is at the molecular and atomic level of things -- both natural and human-made," (2) terascale -- "shorthand for computing technology that will take us three orders of magnitude beyond prevailing computing capabilities," (3) cognition -- "new understanding of how people think and learn, which will advance our capability in everything," (4) complexity -- "teaches us to look at places of dissonance or disorder in a field as windows of possibility," and (5) holism -- "teaches us that imaginatively integrated combinations of things have a power and a capability greater than the sum of their separate parts."
In conclusion, he pointed out that there is a common theme in each of the five major capabilities he spoke about -- "talented people and the power of their new ideas." He welcomed our comments and perspectives about this "powerful vision of the future," which he described.
Along with friends and ComSci alumni, our fellowship year officially kicked off on September 13, 2000. We were privileged to have as our keynote speaker, Dr. Lana R. Skirboll, the Director of the Office of Science Policy at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Skirboll is a neuroscientist and the author of more than 75 scientific publications. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmacology at Georgetown University Medical School, and conducted her postdoctoral training in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the Yale University School of Medicine. Following her postdoctoral training, she served as a Fogarty Fellow at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
Dr. Skirboll's address focused on the breath of policy issues NIH is facing -- most of which are extremely controversial. At NIH, Dr. Skirboll provides national leadership on science policy issues, including the ethical, legal, social, and economic implications of research, policy development for human subject protections, the privacy and confidentiality of human research records, human embryo research, cloning, fetal tissue research, and NIH's Guidelines for Research Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.
NIH's budget has gone up 15 percent every year for the last seven years, she told us. This equates to approximately two billion new dollars every year. However, balancing the needs and wants of the public against the needs and wants and reasonable expectations of the science community is the fine line that NIH finds itself walking.
The afternoon of September 29, 1999, marked the beginning of our ComSci fellowship year. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Albert H. Teich, Director of Science and Policy Programs at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He holds a B.S. in Physics and a Ph.D. in Political Science, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Teich prefaced his remarks by expressing his high regard for fellowship programs, which he considers are important contributions to public policy. He also provided a few words about the AAAS, which was founded in 1848 and is now the world's largest federation of scientific and engineering societies, as well as a professional organization with over 140,000 members and the publisher of "Science" magazine.
Dr. Teich spoke about the vision of science and technology in the new Millennium, focusing on ten trends that will shape science in the United States. The ten trends included: (1) Perpetual Austerity; (2) Growing Imbalances Among Fields; (3) Pressures for Greater Equity; (4) Pressures for Greater Accountability; (5) Pressures for Focusing on Applications; (6) Bigger Role for the States; (7) Bigger Role for the Private Sector; (8) Growing Interest in International Cooperation; (9) More Ethical Conflicts; and (10) Accelerating Scientific and Technological Progress.
Dr. Teich frequently referred to the government's budget situation. He explained that funding for research and development is part of the discretionary budget. Even though science is caught up in the discretionary budget, it usually means that science will have a good year if discretionary spending has a good year. However, despite our budget surplus and robust economy, he projected that we will have a tight budget.
Because of our changing priorities in science, Dr. Teich noted that the balance of money is shifting to biomedical sciences from the physical sciences. Health research has been going up steadily for the last 40 years. Currently, there is tremendous opportunity and dynamics in health, and many interest groups are competing for money. This competition is driving the budget up, he told us. However, health research cannot be done in isolation, Dr. Teich emphasized. We must have computers, chemistry, and mathematics to perform health research, which will lead to the improvement of our Nation's health. He pointed out that he believes the change in our science priorities is causing us to loose site of other important things that we can get out of physical science and engineering research. That is research, which ultimately leads to industrial products, environmental improvements, and standard of living changes.
Dr. Teich mentioned that the private sector's role in science research is growing much faster in relation to the federal role. Currently, industry funds over 60 percent, while the Federal Government's share is down to 30 percent. There are many reasons for this, he said, including the decline in defense and space; the increasing importance of the technology industry, which is fueling the growth in industrial research and development; the necessity for faster product cycles; increased competition; and the globalization of technology.
He concluded by cautioning us that ethical conflicts in the life sciences are arising from our progress in research. These conflicts are leading us into areas that are threatening deeply held values. He cited stem cell and fetal tissue research, as well as genetically modified foods as examples.
Dr. Teich left us with sound advice -- that we are going to have to live with these trends and interactions, which are being reinforced by the acceleration of science and technology.
The evening of September 16, 1998, marked the beginning of our ComSci fellowship year. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and a well-respected biochemist recognized for his work in biochemistry and molecular biology, was our keynote speaker.
Dr. Alberts graduated from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts with a degree in Biochemical Sciences. He earned a doctorate from Harvard University in 1965. The following year, he joined the faculty of Princeton University. After ten years, he was appointed Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Alberts has spent his career making significant contributions to the field of life sciences, and has long been committed to the improvement of science education. He holds many honors and awards, and is the principal author of The Molecular Biology of the Cell -- considered to be the leading textbook of its kind and widely used in U.S. colleges and universities.
Dr. Alberts prefaced his remarks by saying a few words about the NAS, which operates under a congressional charter granted in 1863. The NAS, along with the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine, is a parent organization of the National Research Council. All are private organizations and not agencies of the Federal Government. They receive no appropriation from Congress. Their purpose is to serve as independent advisors to the Federal Government on scientific and technical questions of national importance.
Dr. Alberts spoke about the importance of disseminating scientific knowledge throughout the world and credited the Internet, a technological innovation, for making a significant contribution. He stated that technology moves at such a fast pace that we need to do whatever it takes to help individuals in all parts of the world feel comfortable using it. He mentioned two points for us to consider as we look forward: (1) there will come a time when everyone will be connected to the Internet; and (2) being able to use the Internet in a new way to make it a tool for educating the rest of the world is just the beginning of the communications revolution. Using new technology will foster global knowledge, thus providing universal good, he said.
The beginning of the 1997-1998 ComSci fellowship year was marked by a kick-off dinner on September 9, 1997. The Honorable John H. Gibbons, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy was the featured speaker.
Dr. Gibbons pointed out "technology has become so ubiquitous that many people have taken it for granted." He spoke of the value of science and technology, which is "absolutely critical" and to the contribution that science and technology has made toward our national productivity. A firmly established acceptance is that since World War II, one-half of our gains in economic productivity have come from investments in science and technology. He stated that "these investments merit special protection" -- our future depends upon it.
Dr. Gibbons cited five key technologies (computing, telecommunications, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and alternative energy), which are just beginning major market penetration. He pointed out that these five key technologies "are all the ingredients needed to produce a global economic boom on a scale that has not been witnessed in any period of history."
Great strides and enormous gains have been made as a result of innovative technology; however, many problems associated with science and technology (i.e., climate change, pfiesteria, and new resistances to antibiotics) still exist. Dr. Gibbons cautioned the audience not to overly focus on the problems, but to look to the future and the new kinds of partnerships that are being developed with industry. It is important that we are viewed as "protagonists and partners in win-win situations, where the public interests are aligned with private interests."
Dr. Gibbons emphasized the significance of the Federal Government in paving the way for strong science and technology investments in the future. He concluded by challenging everyone to take their experiences and new contacts forward in an effort to strengthen our nation's economy and quality of life in the next century.
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