加州理工院长98任职演说加州理工院长98任职演说inauguraladdredr.davidbaltimoremarch9,1998representativesofacademia,electedofficials,chairmanmooreandothermembersoftheboardoftrustees,formerpresidentsofcaltech,alumni,aociates,membersofthefaculty,students,staff--includingallofthejetpropulsionlaboratorypersoelattendingelectronically--formertraineesfrommyover30yearsinresearch,friendsandmembersofthisgreatcommunity,ithankyouallsomuchforbeingheretoday.universitiesareenduringititutio.theygotogreateffortstomarkthetraitiooftheirleadershipwiththehonoredandhistoricritualofaninauguration.butthetruthisthattheychangeslowly,andnewchiefadministratorsdonotalterthatmeasuredpace.thus,thisoverwhelmingevent,markingsuchadeepchangeinmylife,marksbutaslightdeflectionintheestablishedtrajectoryofthisgreatititution.mydeepestgoalaspresidentistomaintaintheeenceofcaltechwhilehelpingitadapttoa第1页共18页changingworld.iwanttobeginthisaddrebythankingallofthemembersofthecaltechcommunityforthewarmwelcomethataliceandihavereceived.youhavehelpedapairofinveterateeasternersbecomemembersoftwouniquesocieties,thesocietyofcaltechandthesocietyofpasadena.thesearehistoriccommunitieswithdeepandwonderfulvalues,andwearesogladtohavejoinedthem.asanoutsiderhere,i’veentthelastfivemonthslearningasmuchasicanaboutcaltech.iwantedtocomprehendtheititutionwellenoughtobeabletohelpitsolvetheinevitableproblemsthatiknowwillarise.butmoreimportantly,iwantedtodevelopaperectiveoncaltechthatwouldallowmetochoosethekeyelementsonwhichtoworkwiththefaculty--toestablishpriorities.whatifoundisamostremarkableititution.thedepthofscholarship,therigoroftraining,thecommitmenttothehighestidealsofpersonalbehaviormakecaltechaveryecialplace.itmanagestocoveranextraordinaryrangeofscientificandtechnicalareaswithaminimalfaculty.ithasprovidedsomanynewexcitementsforonetrainedinbiologythatithasbeenacontinual第2页共18页feastforme,andiknowthat加州理工院长98任职演说第2页therearemanymorefinemealsawaitingme.itisanititutionthatseeminglylacksacrisis,allowingmetheluxuryofalongperiodofcontemplation.forthisreite,iowemuchtotheseitivestewardshipofmypredeceortomeverhart.istandinaweofcaltech’spantheonwhobuiltthisrareititution:everhart,goldberger,brown,dubridge,millikan,noyes,andhale.whatanacttohavetofollow.asihavegatheredknowledgeaboutcaltech,questiohaveoccurredtomewhoseawerscanprovideperectiveforsettingpriorities.thatisthepositioni’minnow--manyquestio,fewawers.thus,ithoughtiwouldframethisaddrearoundthequestio.itisanopeninvitationtothemanycotituenciesonthecampustoparticipateinadialogue--theboardoftrustees,faculty,administrators,students,staff,alumni,andthevariousfriendsofcaltechwhoprovidesuort.thus,iwillinthistalkposeanumberofquestio,explainwhyiraisethem,anddrawoutsomeoftheirimplicatio.thefirstofmyquestioiswhethercaltechistrulyimmunefrom第3页共18页thewindsblowingthroughamericanacademiclife.iraisethisbecausethelastdecadehasbeenastormyoneforacademia,withmanyquestioningtheverybasisofscholarshipinboththehumanitiesandthesciences.thequestionmightbewhetherbyfocusingonscienceandtechnology,caltechhewstoeternaltruths,orwhethertheself-criticismthattheintellectualworldhasembracedinthelastdecadeshasilledoverintoourbastionofrationality.theawerisuectmostwouldgivehereisthatwhiletheculturewarsandthesciencewarshavebeenfuriouslyengagedonthestreetsofber...