The discussion was one of several events that marked the inauguration of Thomas F. Rosenbaum as Caltech's ninth president. In using the eve of his inauguration to reflect on the U.S. government's historical role funding basic research at universities, how that role has shifted, and the implications for institutions like Caltech, Rosenbaum signaled that the Institute's continuing ability to lead innovation is both a concern and a priority for his presidency. As he noted in his opening remarks, the discussion "occurs at a time when the model for national investment in science that came out of World War II is under both explicit and implicit reassessment. We hope to illuminate the issues that confront the practice of science, the future of national competitiveness, and the inspiration that scientific discovery provides."
Image: http://www.caltech.edu
