《最新加州理工院长98任职演说》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《最新加州理工院长98任职演说（27页珍藏版）》请在金锄头文库上搜索。
1、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,ChairmanMooreandothermembersoftheBoardofTrustees,formerPresidentsofCaltech,alumni,Aociates,membersofthefaculty,students,staff-includingalloftheJetPropulsionLaboratorypersoelattend
2、ingelectronically-formertraineesfrommyover30yearsinresearch,friendsandmembersofthisgreatcommunity,Ithankyouallsomuchforbeingheretoday.Universitiesareenduringititutio.Theygotogreateffortstomarkthetraitiooftheirleadershipwiththehonoredandhistoricritualofaninauguration.Butthetruthisthattheychangeslowly
3、,andnewchiefadministratorsdonotalterthatmeasuredpace.Thus,thisoverwhelmingevent,markingsuchadeepchangeinmylife,marksbutaslightdeflectionintheestablishedtrajectoryofthisgreatititution.MydeepestgoalaspresidentistomaintaintheeenceofCaltechwhilehelpingitadapttoachangingworld.Iwanttobeginthisaddrebythank
4、ingallofthemembersoftheCaltechcommunityforthewarmwelcomethatAliceandIhavereceived.YouhavehelpedapairofinveterateEasternersbecomemembersoftwouniquesocieties,thesocietyofCaltechandthesocietyofPasadena.Thesearehistoriccommunitieswithdeepandwonderfulvalues,andwearesogladtohavejoinedthem.Asanoutsiderhere
5、,IveentthelastfivemonthslearningasmuchasIcanaboutCaltech.IwantedtocomprehendtheititutionwellenoughtobeabletohelpitsolvetheinevitableproblemsthatIknowwillarise.Butmoreimportantly,IwantedtodevelopaperectiveonCaltechthatwouldallowmetochoosethekeyelementsonwhichtoworkwiththefaculty-toestablishpriorities
6、.WhatIfoundisamostremarkableititution.Thedepthofscholarship,therigoroftraining,thecommitmenttothehighestidealsofpersonalbehaviormakeCaltechaveryecialplace.Itmanagestocoveranextraordinaryrangeofscientificandtechnicalareaswithaminimalfaculty.Ithasprovidedsomanynewexcitementsforonetrainedinbiologythati
7、thasbeenacontinualfeastforme,andIknowthattherearemanymorefinemealsawaitingme.Itisanititutionthatseeminglylacksacrisis,allowingmetheluxuryofalongperiodofcontemplation.Forthisreite,IowemuchtotheseitivestewardshipofmypredeceorTomEverhart.IstandinaweofCaltechspantheonwhobuiltthisrareititution:Everhart,G
8、oldberger,Brown,DuBridge,Millikan,Noyes,andHale.Whatanacttohavetofollow.AsIhavegatheredknowledgeaboutCaltech,questiohaveoccurredtomewhoseawerscanprovideperectiveforsettingpriorities.ThatisthepositionIminnow-manyquestio,fewawers.Thus,IthoughtIwouldframethisaddrearoundthequestio.Itisanopeninvitationto
9、themanycotituenciesonthecampustoparticipateinadialogue-theBoardofTrustees,faculty,administrators,students,staff,alumni,andthevariousfriendsofCaltechwhoprovidesuort.Thus,Iwillinthistalkposeanumberofquestio,explainwhyIraisethem,anddrawoutsomeoftheirimplicatio.ThefirstofmyquestioiswhetherCaltechistruly
10、immunefromthewindsblowingthroughAmericanacademiclife.Iraisethisbecausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia,withmanyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththehumanitiesandthesciences.Thequestionmightbewhetherbyfocusingonscienceandtechnology,Caltechhewstoeternaltruths,orwhethertheself-criticis
11、mthattheintellectualworldhasembracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionofrationality.TheawerIsuectmostwouldgivehereisthatwhiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriouslyengagedonthestreetsofBerkeley,NewHaven,Cambridge,andParis,inPasadenatheprogreofsciencecontinuesquietlyandunabated.Notth
12、atwedontreflectonouractivitiesorevenhaveourparticipantsinthewarwehaveallofthat.Itsjustthatwehaveaolutesinwhichwebelieve.Wehaveaolutezeroonthetemperaturescale,weknowthatnothingexceedstheeedoflight.Itisinterestingtocontemplatewhatwouldhaenifourastronomersmeasuredaredshiftindicatingthatagalaxywasrecedi
13、ngfromusfasterthantheeedoflight.Orifwesomehowrecordedatemperatureofaolutezero,ormadeaperpetualmotionmachine.Inthesesituatio,theexperimentwouldreceivethedeepestscrutinyandonlyintheunlikelycasethatitsurvivedwouldtheorycomeintoquestion.Remembercoldfusion.Butwearewillingtoquestionouraolutes.Ouraolutesar
14、enotsoaolute-theyawaitanexperimentthatcontradictsthem.Theyaretentativeaolutes,andwearecomfortablewiththem,needingnodailyreminderofthethreatthateachexperimentposestoourcomfort.Thatisthecultureofscience,anditisaecialculturethatwelivewith,weteach,andwebelieveinalmostasareligion.Itisaculturethatisincomp
15、reheibletothosewhohavenotmanipulatedtheconceptsofscience.Itiulatesusfrommanyoftheself-doubtsofthelargerintellectualworldandallowsustomoveforward.However,weshouldnotbetoocomplacent.Majorchangesarecoursingthroughacademia.Theyarenottheintellectualchallengesfromwhichourcultureimmunizesutheyaretechnologicdevelopmentsandanincreasinglymarket-drivenaroachtoeducation.Wearealreadyreondingtothesenewpreures,incorporatingtechnologyandlookingcarefullyatourcostsandprice.Weareinafavorablepositioneconomicallybecauseofourrelativelylowdependenceontuition.Infact,wear
