加州理工院长98任职演说精品文案范文.docx

1、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InauguralAddreDr.DavidBaltimoreMarch9,1998Representativesofacademia,electedofficials,ChairmanMooreand othermembersoftheBoardofTrustees,formerPresidentsof Caltech,alumni,Aociates,membersofthefaculty,students, staff-includingalloftheJetPropulsionLa

2、boratorypersoel attendingelectronically-formertraineesfrommyover30yearsin research,friendsandmembersofthisgreatcommunity,Ithankyou allsomuchforbeingheretoday.Universitiesareenduringititutio.Theygotogreateffortsto markthetraitiooftheirleadershipwiththehonoredand historicritualofaninauguration.Butthet

3、ruthisthatthey changeslowly,andnewchiefadministratorsdonotalterthat measuredpace.Thus,thisoverwhelmingevent,markingsuchadeep changeinmylife,marksbutaslightdeflectionintheestablished trajectoryofthisgreatititution.Mydeepestgoalaspresident istomaintaintheeenceofCaltechwhilehelpingitadapttoa changingwo

4、rld.Iwanttobeginthisaddrebythankingallofthemembersofthe CaltechcommunityforthewarmwelcomethatAliceandIhave received.YouhavehelpedapairofinveterateEasternersbecome membersoftwouniquesocieties,thesocietyofCaltechandthe societyofPasadena.Thesearehistoriccommunitieswithdeepand wonderfulvalues,andweareso

5、gladtohavejoinedthem.Asanoutsiderhere,Iveentthelastfivemonthslearningas muchasIcanaboutCaltech.Iwantedtocomprehendtheititution wellenoughtobeabletohelpitsolvetheinevitableproblems thatIknowwillarise.Butmoreimportantly,Iwantedtodevelopa perectiveonCaltechthatwouldallowmetochoosethekey elementsonwhich

6、toworkwiththefaculty-toestablish priorities.WhatIfoundisamostremarkableititution.Thedepthof scholarship,therigoroftraining,thecommitmenttothehighest idealsofpersonalbehaviormakeCaltechaveryecialplace.It managestocoveranextraordinaryrangeofscientificandtechnical areaswithaminimalfaculty.Ithasprovided

7、somanynew excitementsforonetrainedinbiologythatithasbeenacontinual feastforme,andIknowthat加州理工院长98任职演说第2页AsIhavegatheredknowledgeaboutCaltech,questiohaveoccurred tomewhoseawerscanprovideperectiveforsettingpriorities. ThatisthepositionIminnow-manyquestio,fewawers.Thus, IthoughtIwouldframethisaddrearo

8、undthequestio.Itisan openinvitationtothemanycotituenciesonthecampusto participateinadialogue-theBoardofTrustees,faculty, administrators,students,staff,alumni,andthevariousfriendsof Caltechwhoprovidesuort.Thus,Iwillinthistalkposea numberofquestio,explainwhyIraisethem,anddrawoutsomeof theirimplicatio.

9、ThefirstofmyquestioiswhetherCaltechistrulyimmunefrom thewindsblowingthroughAmericanacademiclife.Iraisethis becausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia,with manyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththe humanitiesandthesciences.Thequestionmightbewhetherby focusingonscienceandtechnology,Calte

10、chhewstoeternaltruths, orwhethertheself-criticismthattheintellectualworldhas embracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionof rationality.TheawerIsuectmostwouldgivehereisthat whiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriously engagedonthestreetsofBerkeley,NewHaven,Cambridge,and Paris,inPasade

11、natheprogreofsciencecontinuesquietlyand unabated.Notthatwedontreflectonouractivitiesorevenhave ourparticipantsinthewarwehaveallofthat.Itsjustthat wehaveaolutesinwhichwebelieve.Wehaveaolutezeroonthe temperaturescale,weknowthatnothingexceedstheeedoflight.Itisinterestingtocontemplatewhatwouldhaenifour

12、astronomersmeasuredaredshiftindicatingthatagalaxywas recedingfromusfasterthantheeedoflight.Orifwesomehow recordedatemperatureofaolutezero,ormadeaperpetualmotion machine.Inthesesituatio,theexperimentwouldreceivethe deepestscrutinyandonlyintheunlikelycasethatitsurvived wouldtheorycomeintoquestion.Reme

13、mbercoldfusion.Butweare willingtoquestionouraolutes.Ouraolutesarenotso aolute-theyawaitanexperimentthatcontradictsthem.Theyare tentativeaolutes,andwearecomfortablewiththem,needingno dailyreminderofthethreatthateachexperimentposestoour comfort.Thatisthecultureofscience,anditisaecial culturethatwelive

14、with,weteach,andwebelieveinalmostasa religion.Itisaculturethatisincompreheibletothosewho havenotmanipulatedtheconceptsofscience.Itiulatesusfrom manyoftheself-doubtsofthelargerintellectualworldandallows ustomoveforward.However,weshouldnotbetoocomplacent.Majorchangesare coursingthroughacademia.Theyare

15、nottheintellectualchallenges fromwhichourcultureimmunizesutheyaretechnologic developmentsandanincreasinglymarket-drivenaroachto education.Wearealreadyreondingtothesenewpreures, incorporatingtechnologyandlookingcarefullyatourcostsand price.Weareinafavorablepositioneconomicallybecauseofour relativelyl

16、owdependenceontuition.Infact,wearealreadyrated thebestbuyineducation.Furthermore,wehaveaecialproduct, andrightnowtheworldwantstobuyit-alicatioareupsome 20againthisyear.Theworldrealizeshowwellweprepareyoung peopletobescientistsandengineers-thehonorcodeandthesmall numberofstudentsmakeslearningasharede

17、xperienceofgreat inteity,whileourlaboratoriesprovidethehands-onexperience thatistheeenceofscience.However,wecaotbecomplacent; weneedtorethinkourvaluesandourvaluecontinuallyinthe contextofotheroortunitiesavailabletostudentsandother modesofeducation.Letmeturnfromanatractquestiontoaconcreteone.Is Calte

18、chmakingasufficientcontributiontotheeconomiclifeof AmericaandeeciallyofPasadena?Yearsago,Caltechwasthe scientificandtechnologicenginethatdrovethedevelopmentofthe aeronauticsindustryinSouthernCalifornia.Thereismuchnew energyinCaltechthatcouldrepeatthissucce.Theoortunity levelisparticularlyhighatJPL,w

19、hereneceitybreedsinvention onamonumentalscale.Wehavebeguntoreleaseourenergyof iovationtobenefitthelocalcommunityandthecountry,but thereismuchmorewecoulddo.Whathaenedinaeronauticscould haenagaininchemistry,biology,computersoftware,electronics, andotherfields,ifweprovidetherightcatalysis.Whyhave Stanf

20、ordandMITandevenUCSDbecomeenginesofeconomicgrowth andCaltech,surelyasfecund,livesinacitywithminimal high-techinfluence?ThepoliticsofPasadenaarecertainlyan iue,butcouldntCaltechhavemoreimpactifitcommitteditself tothisgoal?AnotherofmyquestioisoneIhaveraisedpubliclyalready,Are weactivelyenoughengagedin

21、promotingdiversityonthecampus?I phrasethisasaquestion,butIhavemadeitplainthatI personallybelievethatacampusthatbettermirrorsthedemography ofAmericaisdesirable.Increaseddiversityhasthreebenefits.First,itbringsthe particularvaluesofaCaltecheducationtoapartoftheAmerican publicthattoorarelyhassuchanadva

22、ntage.Second,itaures thatotherstudentsatCaltechdevelopanareciationofthe varietyofculturesthatmakeupAmerica,betterpreparingthemfor anactiveroleinAmericanlife.Third,througheducatingawider mixofstudents,wecontributetothestabilityandeffectivene ofourdemocraticsociety.IwouldremindyouthatAfrican America,L

23、atinos,andAmericanIndiaaccountforonethirdof thechildrenborninAmericatoday.Meanwhile,thereisanongoing backlashagaitaffirmativeactionthatisreadingthroughthe nation.Minoritygraduatesinengineeringhaveincreasedfromafew hundredperyearintheearly70sto6,000peryeartoday.Thats agreatachievement,butitisstillfar

24、fromparity,and improvementwillrequirecontinuedefforts.Anotheraectofthequestionofdiversityistheslowincreasein thefractionofwomenatCaltech.Whatdoweneedtodoto acceleratethattrend?Themandateisthere:inthestudentlife survey,bothmenandwomenatCaltechwantedahigherfractionof womenstudentsoncampus.Caltechhasfo

25、ryearsrecognizedtheneedtofocusoniuesof diversityandhasmadegreatstrides.However,itisanunfinished agenda,andadifficultone-onlythoughtfulanalysisandcommitted effortonthepartoftheentirecampuswillmakeithaen. Caltechssmallstudentbodymeathattuitionisasmallpartof ourtotalincome.Furthermore,wealreadygivefina

26、ncialaidto some70percentofourstudents.Therefore,weareina particularlygoodpositiontouseourfinancialresourcestoshape ourstudentbody.Also,weneedtorememberthatfinancialmatters areonlyapartoftheeduation:wealsomustaskourselveswhether thecampusiswelcoming,stimulatingandsuortivetoadiverse studentbody.Inpain

27、gIreferredtoCaltechasasmallschool,andthatis certainlytheself-imageofthiscampus.However,interesting thingsemergewhenyouask,InwhatseeisCaltechasmall school?Therearemanymantrasecifictothiscampusbutnoneisas pervasiveasthestatement,Caltechisasmallschoolandwantsto staysmall.Fromthatshorttheoremmanycorolla

28、riesaredrawn.It canbecomeanargumentfornottakingnewdirectio,fornot hiringmorefaculty,fornotaddingtothestudentbody,forliving withale-than-criticalmaoftalentinmanyareasofscience andengineering.Allofthistomaintainthewonderfulandvery realvaluesofsmallne-collegiality,encouragementof interdisciplinaryeffor

29、ts,focusofactivities,erit.However,in reality,Caltechisactuallysmallonlyinitsnumbersofstudents andfaculty.IfyoucompareCaltechtootherresearch-inteive schools,ithasthehighestratioofacetofacultyorfederal suorttofacultyorprobablyanyothermeasureoftheamountof sciencedoneperfacultymember.Becauseofthehugeoff

30、-campus facilitiesrunbyCaltech,theenormousplantonthecampus,the manytalentedmembersofthestaffwhoarewhollyinvolvedin research,andthepostdoctoralfellows,Caltechisalotbigger thanitmightseem.Anditisgrowing.UnderTomEverhart,there wereeightbuildingsputupthatincreasedthesquarefootageon campusby20percent,whi

31、lethebudgetincreasedbyareal32 percent.Duringthesametime,thefacultyincreasedby6percent, butactuallyitwasstillatalowerlevelthanatanearlierpeak. AnotheraectofCaltechssizeisJPL.Ithasabudgetalmost fourtimesthatofCaltechandisgrowing.Caltechisnotreallysmall,itisjustbalanceddifferentlyfrom otherschools.Weke

32、epourfacultyandundergraduatestudentbody smallandreapthatharvest.Butmeanwhileweallowtheratioof ouractivitiestoourfacultytogrowcontinually.Ithinkweneed toquestionourselvesabouttheimplicatioofthisgrowth.Arewe maintainingsufficientcontroloverourgrowth?Isitaffectingthe lifeofthecampus?Howcanwesafeguardth

33、evaluesofsmallne?Letmeturntothedirectionofthestudents.HereIhavewondered, DoesCaltechsufficientlydevelopthoseaectsofthelivesof its20-year-oldundergraduatesthatwillallowthemtobecome thoughtful,balanced,productivemembersofsociety?Itisa questionthatIaskasIvisittheHousesandmeetwithstudent leaders.ItisaquestionthatIhearfromal