NSF Engineering Director Delivers Lecture at Rensselaer on NSF Programs, Plans, and Vision
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| NSF Photo |
John Brighton, assistant director for engineering for the National Science Foundation (NSF), outlined NSF's programs, plans, and vision for the future in a lecture to faculty and students during a visit to the Rensselaer campus on Nov. 12. Brighton discussed NSF’s emphasis on collaboration and partnerships, creating connections between people, ideas, and tools.
NSF has traditionally been and continues to be the primary source of federal funding for research at Rensselaer, according to Ken Gertz, assistant vice president of the office of research.
"Rensselaer’s longstanding partnership with the National Science Foundation has been strengthened tremendously over the last several years as we expand interdisciplinary research in areas such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and IT," said Gertz. "We are pleased that Dr. Brighton was able to visit campus and see firsthand the Renaissance taking place at Rensselaer. He talked with many of our young faculty, saw firsthand our numerous research centers, and was clearly enthusiastic about the rapid research growth at Rensselaer."
Noting that "NSF is a great place," Brighton said that it is "the crossroads for all of the latest, new ideas that are emerging." He outlined several key challenges facing the engineering enterprise in academia, industry, and government. The areas include: the lack of public understanding and appreciation of engineering; K-12 education; the rate of change of technology; decreased attention to research in the federal budget; and the likelihood of minor NSF budget increases for 2005 and 2006.
Brighton outlined NSF goals to keep engineering research in the forefront and to continue fostering interdisciplinary research, and he discussed NSF’s new emphasis on program assessment.
Brighton was appointed NSF assistant directorate for engineering in 2003. His career includes service as provost for National-Louis University, executive vice president and provost at Pennsylvania State University, dean of the College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University, and director of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and chairman of the department of mechanical engineering Michigan State University.
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