Washington, D.C.–On Monday, April 4, 2011, Tufts University School of Engineering presented Richard A. Meserve, president of the Carnegie Institution and a Tufts University alumnus, the first Vannevar Bush Dean's Medal. The award includes a commemorative medal and plaque, and a public lecture.
The medal is awarded to "an internationally recognized technology leader who has contributed substantially to the betterment of society through not only extraordinary technical achievement but also significant contributions at the intersection of engineering and other fields."
"Dr. Meserve's distinguished career and international leadership in nuclear safety, law, and public policy make him a most-deserved first recipient of this award, which is the highest public honor bestowed by our school," said Linda M. Abriola, Dean of Tufts School of Engineering.
Vannevar Bush earned his B.S. and M.S. from Tufts and was instrumental in the establishment of the National Science Foundation. Bush was also president of the Carnegie Institution from 1939 to 1955. Carnegie presidents hold the endowed Vannevar Bush Chair.
Richard A. Meserve, from the Tufts class of 1966, is the ninth president of the Carnegie Institution. He arrived in April 2003, after stepping down as chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. With his Harvard law degree and his Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford, Meserve has served on numerous legal and scientific committees over the years, including many established by the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering. In February 2010, Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, appointed Meserve to President Obama's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. He currently serves as chairman of the International Nuclear Safety Group, which is chartered by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and he is a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University.
Among other affiliations, Meserve is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Philosophical Society, and he is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and Phi Beta Kappa. Meserve serves on the board of directors of PG&E Corporation, the Universities Research Association, Inc., and on the Council of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The Carnegie Institution for Science (http://carnegiescience.edu) has been a pioneering force in basic scientific research since 1902. It is a private, nonprofit organization with six research departments throughout the U.S. Carnegie scientists are leaders in plant biology, developmental biology, astronomy, materials science, global ecology, and Earth and planetary science.
Tufts University School of Engineering is uniquely positioned to educate the technological leaders of tomorrow. Located on Tufts' Medford/Somerville campus, the School of Engineering offers the best of a liberal arts college atmosphere coupled with the intellectual and technological resources of a world-class research-intensive university. Its goals are to educate engineers who are committed to the innovative and ethical application of technology to solve societal problems, and to be a leader among peer institutions in targeted areas of interdisciplinary research and education. Strategic areas of emphasis include programs in bioengineering, sustainability, and innovation in engineering education.