Media Relations
News Releases
For Release Upon Receipt - July 8, 2003
Contact:
Kevin Carleton, 617/353-2240, carleton@bu.edu
TRUSTEES OFFER DAN GOLDIN THE PRESIDENCY OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Final Agreement Expected Within 30 Days
(Boston, Mass.) — The Trustees of Boston University today voted to offer Daniel S. Goldin, former administrator of NASA, the presidency of the fourth-largest independent university in America. His selection follows a nearly year-long search in which some 50 candidates were reviewed.
Trustee Chairman Christopher A. Barreca said that the University expects to conclude an agreement with him within 30 days.
“Dan Goldin is a visionary. He is a man with a world view who shares our understanding of what higher education can and must do in order to be most effective in its service to students and to society,” said Barreca. “He is a highly effective and proven leader who can work with a wide range of constituencies, both inside and outside a large and complex organization. He has more than demonstrated the ability to accomplish challenging goals, and we are confident that he would be an outstanding president for Boston University.”
Goldin was the first choice of the nominating committee, which was comprised of trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and students. His nomination was presented to the Board of Trustees this morning, and after an extensive interview and discussion, the Board voted unanimously to offer him the presidency.
John Silber, who became president in 1971 and has served as chancellor since 1996, would become president emeritus should an agreement between the University and Goldin be successfully concluded. He said, “I would be honored to be succeeded by a great man whose accomplishments in private and public institutions and in service to the nation position him by ability and experience to advance Boston University to unprecedented heights.”
Earle Cooley, chairman of the Primary Search Committee, said, “The intensive efforts of the Committee were rewarded by the emergence of an outstanding candidate for the presidency of Boston University. The Board of Trustees unanimously agreed with that assessment at today’s meeting.” David D’Alessandro, chairman of John Hancock Financial Services and vice chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, said, “Dan Goldin is the independent visionary leader we need to inherit the mantle of John Silber.”
Goldin served as administrator of NASA longer than anyone else — from April 1992 to November 2001 — under three presidents, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. His tenure was marked by innovation, expanded exploration, sound management and numerous awards. National Journal named him one of the 100 most influential people in government, noting, “most space watchers say that Goldin is a brilliant visionary who brought NASA back from the brink of a black hole.” The New York Times reported that space analysts attribute the new era of revitalization at NASA “to the influence of Dan Goldin.” And Aviation Week & Space Technology presented him the Laurel Award for outstanding achievement in aviation and aerospace, saying he “delivered on his promise to reshape NASA into a model government agency.”
At NASA, Goldin initiated the Origins Program to study how life on Earth began and to explore whether it exists elsewhere. He challenged planners to search for Earth-like planets within 100 light-years of our planet. He was also a vigorous proponent for increased exploration of Mars, establishing a series of robotic missions to explore the planet using planetary rovers and penetrators to determine if life and water may have existed on Mars. These expeditions will instruct development of future human missions to Mars that Goldin believes could occur within the next two decades.
Goldin is a native New Yorker who grew up in the South Bronx and graduated in 1962 from the City College of New York. He began his career at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where he worked on electric propulsion for human interplanetary travel. He then moved to TRW, becoming vice president and general manager of the company’s world-renowned Space and Technology Group in Redondo Beach, Calif. During a 25-year career at TRW, Goldin led projects for America’s defense and conceptualized and managed production of advanced communications spacecraft, space technologies, and scientific instruments.
While at TRW, and later as NASA administrator, Goldin received the Meritorious Award from the National Association of Small and Disadvantaged Businesses for his work reaching out to minorities. He was the first person to win this award twice.
He is currently a senior fellow at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, where he is involved in the research and development of brain-based systems. He is a member of the board of directors for Lucent Technologies, CDW Corporation, and AOptix Technologies. He is president and founder of the Goldin Group, a high technology consulting firm, and serves on the board of trustees for the National Geographic Society. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Competitiveness in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he is working with America’s corporate, academic and labor leaders to help improve the nation’s productivity, security and competitiveness. He is also the leader of a study group at the Council on Foreign Relations on the weaponization of space.
He has been awarded 17 honorary doctorates from some of the world’s leading universities and is a member of the National Academy of Engineers.
Goldin and his wife, Judy, have two daughters, Ariel and Laura, and two grandchildren.
About Boston University
Boston University, the fourth-largest independent institution of higher learning in the United States, has undergone an unparalleled transformation over the past three decades. While the number of students has increased over that time only slightly, the number of faculty has increased significantly, which is reflected in the dramatic growth in programs and in sponsored research, from $14.1 million in 1971 to $337.2 million in 2003. Campus facilities for classrooms, laboratories, research space, and student residences have more than doubled in square footage, and the financial strength of the University is robust.
There are more than 29,000 students enrolled at the University, which has a faculty of some 3,500 teachers, researchers and scholars. There are 17 schools and colleges in the University, which remains committed to the liberal arts and sciences.
For further information, please access the following URL:
http://www.bu.edu/news/releases/2003/07/08-transformation/08-introduction.htm
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