[NHCOLL-L:1082] New Pres Science Advisor & SI matters

[Elaine Hoagland]

Note the press release below ----  the new Presidential Science Advisor
nominee has some knowledge of and experience with museums.  The name of his
office has also been truncated to OST in this press release (where is
Policy?). Anyway, this may be encouraging. 

For something slightly less encouraging, visit www.sitruth.freeservers.com
for some information on the controversies surrounding the leadership at the
Smithsonian.  In addition to some advocacy documents focused on the status
of research and scholarship under Secretary Small's leadership, this website
contains a long list of newspaper articles and editorials from around the
country.  There is also a list of the SI Regents and key congressional
players who are ultimately responsible for the SI.  I for one am writing to
my Congressperson about my concern, after having done some investigation
into the problems.  The Smithsonian has been a research museum since its
charter was drafted by its founding donor.  The dual purpose, research and
public museum, is critical to its spectacular success.  I fear that some of
our museum leaders in the country today are not well versed on the concept
of "research museum", and I am deeply concerned about the long-term effect
this will have on taxonomic research and research collections themselves,
not to mention quality public programs.  Not a time to place one's head in
the sand.  But here I am, preaching to the choir!

Good summer season to all my old ASC and SPNHC friends.  

Elaine Hoagland

				THE WHITE HOUSE 
                                                        June 26, 2001 

President Bush intends to nominate John H. Marburger, III to Director of the
Office of Science and Technology.  He is currently the Director of the U.S.
Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and President of
Brookhaven Science Associates.  He is presently on a leave of absence from
the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he served as President
and Professor from 1980 to 1994 and as a University Professor of Physics and
Electrical Engineering from 1994 to 1997. Marburger served as the Dean of
the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern
California from 1976 to 1980.  He has been a member of numerous
professional, civic and philanthropic organizations including the
Universities Research Association, the Advisory Committee to the New York
State Senate Committee on Higher Education, and the Board of Directors of
the Museums at Stony Brook.  He is a graduate of Princeton University and
received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University.