加州理工院长98任职演说精品文案范文.docx

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加州理工院长98任职演说精品文案范文

加州理工院长98任职演说

加州理工院长98任职演说

加州理工院长98任职演说

InauguralAddre

Dr.DavidBaltimore

March9,1998

Representativesofacademia,electedofficials,ChairmanMooreandothermembersoftheBoardofTrustees,formerPresidentsofCaltech,alumni,Aociates,membersofthefaculty,students,staff--includingalloftheJetPropulsionLaboratorypersoelattendingelectronically--formertraineesfrommyover30yearsinresearch,friendsandmembersofthisgreatcommunity,Ithankyouallsomuchforbeingheretoday.

Universitiesareenduringititutio.Theygotogreateffortstomarkthetraitiooftheirleadershipwiththehonoredandhistoricritualofaninauguration.Butthetruthisthattheychangeslowly,andnewchiefadministratorsdonotalterthatmeasuredpace.Thus,thisoverwhelmingevent,markingsuchadeepchangeinmylife,marksbutaslightdeflectionintheestablishedtrajectoryofthisgreatititution.MydeepestgoalaspresidentistomaintaintheeenceofCaltechwhilehelpingitadapttoachangingworld.

IwanttobeginthisaddrebythankingallofthemembersoftheCaltechcommunityforthewarmwelcomethatAliceandIhavereceived.YouhavehelpedapairofinveterateEasternersbecomemembersoftwouniquesocieties,thesocietyofCaltechandthesocietyofPasadena.Thesearehistoriccommunitieswithdeepandwonderfulvalues,andwearesogladtohavejoinedthem.

Asanoutsiderhere,I’veentthelastfivemonthslearningasmuchasIcanaboutCaltech.IwantedtocomprehendtheititutionwellenoughtobeabletohelpitsolvetheinevitableproblemsthatIknowwillarise.Butmoreimportantly,IwantedtodevelopaperectiveonCaltechthatwouldallowmetochoosethekeyelementsonwhichtoworkwiththefaculty--toestablishpriorities.

WhatIfoundisamostremarkableititution.Thedepthofscholarship,therigoroftraining,thecommitmenttothehighestidealsofpersonalbehaviormakeCaltechaveryecialplace.Itmanagestocoveranextraordinaryrangeofscientificandtechnicalareaswithaminimalfaculty.Ithasprovidedsomanynewexcitementsforonetrainedinbiologythatithasbeenacontinualfeastforme,andIknowthat

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AsIhavegatheredknowledgeaboutCaltech,questiohaveoccurredtomewhoseawerscanprovideperectiveforsettingpriorities.ThatisthepositionI’minnow--manyquestio,fewawers.Thus,IthoughtIwouldframethisaddrearoundthequestio.Itisanopeninvitationtothemanycotituenciesonthecampustoparticipateinadialogue--theBoardofTrustees,faculty,administrators,students,staff,alumni,andthevariousfriendsofCaltechwhoprovidesuort.Thus,Iwillinthistalkposeanumberofquestio,explainwhyIraisethem,anddrawoutsomeoftheirimplicatio.

ThefirstofmyquestioiswhetherCaltechistrulyimmunefromthewindsblowingthroughAmericanacademiclife.Iraisethisbecausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia,withmanyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththehumanitiesandthesciences.Thequestionmightbewhetherbyfocusingonscienceandtechnology,Caltechhewstoeternaltruths,orwhethertheself-criticismthattheintellectualworldhasembracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionofrationality.TheawerIsuectmostwouldgivehereisthatwhiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriouslyengagedonthestreetsofBerkeley,NewHaven,Cambridge,andParis,inPasadenatheprogreofsciencecontinuesquietlyandunabated.Notthatwedon’treflectonouractivitiesorevenhaveourparticipantsinthewarwehaveallofthat.It’sjustthatwehaveaolutesinwhichwebelieve.Wehaveaolutezeroonthetemperaturescale,weknowthatnothingexceedstheeedoflight.

Itisinterestingtocontemplatewhatwouldhaenifourastronomersmeasuredaredshiftindicatingthatagalaxywasrecedingfromusfasterthantheeedoflight.Orifwesomehowrecordedatemperatureofaolutezero,ormadeaperpetualmotionmachine.Inthesesituatio,theexperimentwouldreceivethedeepestscrutinyandonlyintheunlikelycasethatitsurvivedwouldtheorycomeintoquestion.Remembercoldfusion.Butwearewillingtoquestionouraolutes.Ouraolutesarenotsoaolute--theyawaitanexperimentthatcontradictsthem.Theyaretentativeaolutes,andwearecomfortablewiththem,needingnodailyreminderofthethreatthateachexperimentposestoourcomfort.Thatisthecultureofscience,anditisaecialculturethatwelivewith,weteach,andwebelieveinalmostasareligion.Itisaculturethatisincompreheibletothosewhohavenotmanipulatedtheconceptsofscience.Itiulatesusfrommanyoftheself-doubtsofthelargerintellectualworldandallowsustomoveforward.

However,weshouldnotbetoocomplacent.Majorchangesarecoursingthroughacademia.Theyarenottheintellectualchallengesfromwhichourcultureimmunizesutheyaretechnologicdevelopmentsandanincreasinglymarket-drivenaroachtoeducation.Wearealreadyreondingtothesenewpreures,incorporatingtechnologyandlookingcarefullyatourcostsandprice.Weareinafavorablepositioneconomicallybecauseofourrelativelylowdependenceontuition.Infact,wearealreadyratedthebestbuyineducation.Furthermore,wehaveaecialproduct,andrightnowtheworldwantstobuyit--alicatioareupsome20againthisyear.Theworldrealizeshowwellweprepareyoungpeopletobescientistsandengineers--thehonorcodeandthesmallnumberofstudentsmakeslearningasharedexperienceofgreatinteity,whileourlaboratoriesprovidethehands-onexperiencethatistheeenceofscience.However,wecaotbecomplacent;weneedtorethinkourvaluesandourvaluecontinuallyinthecontextofotheroortunitiesavailabletostudentsandothermodesofeducation.

Letmeturnfromanatractquestiontoaconcreteone."IsCaltechmakingasufficientcontributiontotheeconomiclifeofAmericaandeeciallyofPasadena?

"Yearsago,CaltechwasthescientificandtechnologicenginethatdrovethedevelopmentoftheaeronauticsindustryinSouthernCalifornia.ThereismuchnewenergyinCaltechthatcouldrepeatthissucce.TheoortunitylevelisparticularlyhighatJPL,whereneceitybreedsinventiononamonumentalscale.Wehavebeguntoreleaseourenergyofiovationtobenefitthelocalcommunityandthecountry,butthereismuchmorewecoulddo.Whathaenedinaeronauticscouldhaenagaininchemistry,biology,computersoftware,electronics,andotherfields,ifweprovidetherightcatalysis.WhyhaveStanfordandMITandevenUCSDbecomeenginesofeconomicgrowthandCaltech,surelyasfecund,livesinacitywithminimalhigh-techinfluence?

ThepoliticsofPasadenaarecertainlyaniue,butcouldn’tCaltechhavemoreimpactifitcommitteditselftothisgoal?

AnotherofmyquestioisoneIhaveraisedpubliclyalready,"Areweactivelyenoughengagedinpromotingdiversityonthecampus?

"Iphrasethisasaquestion,butIhavemadeitplainthatIpersonallybelievethatacampusthatbettermirrorsthedemographyofAmericaisdesirable.

Increaseddiversityhasthreebenefits.First,itbringstheparticularvaluesofaCaltecheducationtoapartoftheAmericanpublicthattoorarelyhassuchanadvantage.Second,itauresthatotherstudentsatCaltechdevelopanareciationofthevarietyofculturesthatmakeupAmerica,betterpreparingthemforanactiveroleinAmericanlife.Third,througheducatingawidermixofstudents,wecontributetothestabilityandeffectiveneofourdemocraticsociety.IwouldremindyouthatAfricanAmerica,Latinos,andAmericanIndiaaccountforonethirdofthechildrenborninAmericatoday.Meanwhile,thereisanongoingbacklashagaitaffirmativeactionthatisreadingthroughthenation.Minoritygraduatesinengineeringhaveincreasedfromafewhundredperyearintheearly’70sto6,000peryeartoday.That’sagreatachievement,butitisstillfarfromparity,andimprovementwillrequirecontinuedefforts.

AnotheraectofthequestionofdiversityistheslowincreaseinthefractionofwomenatCaltech.Whatdoweneedtodotoacceleratethattrend?

Themandateisthere:

inthestudentlifesurvey,bothmenandwomenatCaltechwantedahigherfractionofwomenstudentsoncampus.

Caltechhasforyearsrecognizedtheneedtofocusoniuesofdiversityandhasmadegreatstrides.However,itisanunfinishedagenda,andadifficultone--onlythoughtfulanalysisandcommittedeffortonthepartoftheentirecampuswillmakeithaen.Caltech’ssmallstudentbodymeathattuitionisasmallpartofourtotalincome.Furthermore,wealreadygivefinancialaidtosome70percentofourstudents.Therefore,weareinaparticularlygoodpositiontouseourfinancialresourcestoshapeourstudentbody.Also,weneedtorememberthatfinancialmattersareonlyapartoftheeduation:

wealsomustaskourselveswhetherthecampusiswelcoming,stimulatingandsuortivetoadiversestudentbody.

InpaingIreferredtoCaltechasasmallschool,andthatiscertainlytheself-imageofthiscampus.However,interestingthingsemergewhenyouask,"InwhatseeisCaltechasmallschool?

"

Therearemanymantrasecifictothiscampusbutnoneisaspervasiveasthestatement,"Caltechisasmallschoolandwantstostaysmall."Fromthatshorttheoremmanycorollariesaredrawn.Itcanbecomeanargumentfornottakingnewdirectio,fornothiringmorefaculty,fornotaddingtothestudentbody,forlivingwithale-than-criticalmaoftalentinmanyareasofscienceandengineering.Allofthistomaintainthewonderfulandveryrealvaluesofsmallne--collegiality,encouragementofinterdisciplinaryefforts,focusofactivities,erit.However,inreality,Caltechisactuallysmallonlyinitsnumbersofstudentsandfaculty.IfyoucompareCaltechtootherresearch-inteiveschools,ithasthehighestratioofacetofacultyorfederalsuorttofacultyorprobablyanyothermeasureoftheamountofsciencedoneperfacultymember.Becauseofthehugeoff-campusfacilitiesrunbyCaltech,theenormousplantonthecampus,themanytalentedmembersofthestaffwhoarewhollyinvolvedinresearch,andthepostdoctoralfellows,Caltechisalotbiggerthanitmightseem.Anditisgrowing.UnderTomEverhart,therewereeightbuildingsputupthatincreasedthesquarefootageoncampusby20percent,whilethebudgetincreasedbyareal32percent.Duringthesametime,thefacultyincreasedby6percent,butactuallyitwasstillatalowerlevelthanatanearlierpeak.AnotheraectofCaltech’ssizeisJPL.IthasabudgetalmostfourtimesthatofCaltechandisgrowing.

Caltechisnotreallysmall,itisjustbalanceddifferentlyfromotherschools.Wekeepourfacultyandundergraduatestudentbodysmallandreapthatharvest.Butmeanwhileweallowtheratioofouractivitiestoourfacultytogrowcontinually.Ithinkweneedtoquestionourselvesabouttheimplicatioofthisgrowth.Arewemaintainingsufficientcontroloverourgrowth?

Isitaffectingthelifeofthecampus?

Howcanwesafeguardthevaluesofsmallne?

Letmeturntothedirectionofthestudents.HereIhavewondered,"DoesCaltechsufficientlydevelopthoseaectsofthelivesofits20-year-oldundergraduatesthatwillallowthemtobecomethoughtful,balanced,productivemembersofsociety?

"ItisaquestionthatIaskasIvisittheHousesandmeetwithstudentleaders.ItisaquestionthatIhearfromal