Clinton's science advisor, top industry & university scientists to discuss nation's science policy at MIT on Feb. 7

January 31, 1995

Cambridge, MA--In a time of shrinking government budgets, declining industrial research, and hard questions posed by the new Republican Congress, Dr. Charles Vest, president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has called together President Clinton's science advisor and top scientists from industry and universities for a Feb. 7 forum on the nation's science policy.

The keynote address by Dr. John H. Gibbons, assistant to the president for science and technology, will come hours after President Bill Clinton submits his budget to Congress on Monday. Dr. Gibbons' address will discuss the budget proposals on science and developments since the administration's policy paper, "Science in the National Interest," was issued last August.

The all-day forum, "Science in the National Interest: A Shared Commitment," will be held in the Bartos Theater in the Wiesner Building, 20 Ames Street. Among the participants will be Dr. Gibbons' predecessor, D. Allan Bromley, who was the science advisor to former President George Bush and is now the dean of engineering at Yale University.

The program begins at 10 a.m. with MIT Chairman Paul E. Gray, who will discuss briefly the developments in national science policy over the past 50 years. MIT Dean of Science Robert J. Birgeneau will discuss the background of the program. Provost Wrighton will introduce Dr. Gibbons and chair the discussion following responses from Dr. Miller of DuPont and Dr. Rhodes of Cornell.

NEWS CONFERENCE: 12:00 noon, Tuesday, Feb. 7,
Wiesner Bldg., 20 Ames St., 2nd floor.
Speakers: Dr. John H. Gibbons, Cornell University President Frank H.T. Rhodes, MIT Provost Mark S. Wrighton, and DuPont Senior Vice President Joseph A. Miller.

"Basic Research and Industry: Perspectives on the Life, Physical and Information Sciences" is the early afternoon program, from 1:15 to 3:30 pm. Chairing the panel will be Harvard University Dean Jeremy R. Knowles, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences. The speakers:

• Dr. Leon E. Rosenberg, president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute
• ������������������Professor Philip A. Sharp, Nobel laureate, head of the MIT Department of Biology
• Dr. John P. McTague, vice president, technical affairs, Ford Motor Co.
• ������������������Professor George M. Whitesides, Mallinckrodt Professor of chemistry, Harvard University
• ������������������Dr. William F. Brinkman, vice president, physical sciences research, AT&T Bell Laboratories
• ������������������Dr. Anita K. Jones, director, defense research and engineering, US Department of Defense

"Education for Our Future Industrial Needs" is the topic of the program from 3:45 to 5:15 pm, chaired by Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood, associate director for science, US Office of Science and Technology Policy. Speakers will be:

• Dr. Sheila Tobias, consultant, Research Corporation, Tucson, Ariz.
• ������������������Mr. James L. Vincent, chairman and chief executive officer, Biogen, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.
• Professor D. Allan Bromley, dean of engineering, Yale University, and former science advisor

MIT Professor Ernest J. Moniz, head of the physics department, will moderate a discussion at 5:15 followed by MIT President Charles M. Vest's closing remarks which will conclude around 6:00 pm.

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