Former MIT President to Speak at Caltech

PASADENA, Calif.--Charles M. Vest, president emeritus of MIT, will speak at the California Institute of Technology at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in Beckman Institute Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Vest's appearance is part of the ongoing Caltech Presidential Lecture Series on Achieving Diversity in Science, Math, and Engineering. Vest, who listed as one of his priorities at MIT the enhancement of racial and cultural diversity, will speak on "Women in Science and Engineering: Personal and Institutional Journeys, Obligations, and Opportunities."

Originally a researcher in the thermal sciences and in the engineering applications of lasers and coherent optics, Vest entered academia in 1968 as a member of the University of Michigan's mechanical engineering faculty. He rose to the office of dean of engineering and associate dean for academic affairs, and later became provost and vice president for academic affairs.

As MIT's 15th president, Vest strove to build a stronger international dimension into education and research programs, to develop stronger relations with industry, and to rebuild public understanding and support of higher education and research. He served as university vice chair of the Council on Competitiveness, and also served terms as chair and vice chair of the Association of American Universities.

He has been a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology since 1994, and recently chaired the U.S. Department of Energy Task Force on the Future of Science Programs.

In February 2004 he was appointed by President Bush to serve as a member of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction.

The Caltech lecture series was established to bring to campus speakers who have had highly successful experiences in promoting women and underrepresented minorities in science and technology. The Vest lecture is sponsored by the Office of the President; the Office of Minority Student Education; the Officers of the Faculty; the Division of Engineering and Applied Science; and the Caltech Women's Center.

No tickets or reservations are required. Free parking is available in the parking structure on Wilson Avenue across from the Beckman Institute.