Ralph J. Cicerone, Harvey V. Fineberg and Charles M. Vest will deliver the Omni Hotels Lecture on the crisis currently facing U.S. science and technology leadership as part of the Tate Lecture Series tonight at 8.
Cicerone is currently the president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council. Fineberg has been president of the Institute of Medicine since July 2002. Vest is the newly appointed president of the National Academy of Engineering and vice chair of the National Research Council. As a group the speakers act as advisors to the nation on science, engineering and medicine.
Before becoming president of the National Academy of Sciences, Cicerone was an atmospheric scientist, performing research in atmospheric chemistry and climate change that has affected environmental policy on the national and international levels. For his contributions to the better understanding of greenhouse gasses and ozone depletion, the Franklin Institute selected him as the 1999 laureate for the Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science. Cicerone received one of the science community’s most prestigious awards, the Albert Einstein World Award in Science in 2004.
Fineberg acted as dean of the Harvard School of Public Health for 13 years before becoming provost of Harvard University in 1997. Most of his past research has focused on the assessment and development of health policy and the assessment and evaluation of medical technology and vaccines.
Vest began his engineering career at the University of Michigan as an assistant professor in 1968, conducting research in heat transfer and engineering applications of laser optics and holography. However, Vest developed an affinity for academic administration, serving in various dean and provost positions before becoming president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1990. While at MIT, Vest was a strong advocate of the importance of open, global scientific communication and sharing of intellectual resources, which helped lead to the launch of the OpenCourseWare (OCW) initiative.
For the evening lecture, students should arrive in the basement of McFarlin Auditorium with their SMU IDs at 7 p.m. Backpacks are prohibited. The suggested dress is business casual. Tickets are first come, first serve.
If scheduling conflicts prohibit attendance at the evening lecture, Cicerone, Fineberg and Vest will also be speaking at the Turner Construction Student Forum. This event is not ticketed and seats are still available.
The student forum is free and open to all SMU students, faculty and staff. The Forum takes place in the Hughes-Trigg Ballroom and begins at 4:30 p.m.
