Experts
Charles Vest
President, NAE; Fmr. President of MIT
What needs to change? Read More
We can't understand the world, Vest says, until our intelligence officers are more diverse. Read More
It's not the media, Vest says. It's the education system. Read More
Institutions teach by example, says Vest. Read More
We should have full freedom to explore, but we should always keep in mind the dark side of science, Vest says. Read More
Vest hopes that we can recognize the opportunity inherent in globalization. Read More
We all have to compete for the same grants, Vest says. Read More
Vest is very disappointed in the current crop. Read More
High school graduates need to understand how the building blocks of science work. Read More
Absolutely not, says Vest. Read More
Moving from physics to microbiology, information technology and nanotechnology. Read More
Finding the most accomplished engineers, but doing so in a more global context. Read More
There was lots of surplus WW II equipment lying around. Read More
Coming up from typical small-town America. Read More
About Charles Vest
Charles Vest is a professor and President Emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Vest earned his BS in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University and his MS and PhD from the University of Michigan. His academic work focused on thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. Vest joined Michigan's faculty in 1968, became a full professor in 1977, and was promoted to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1989. In 1990, he was appointed President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a position he held until 2004. Vest has served on both the Bush and Clinton Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and has been a director of DuPoint and IBM. In July 2007 he was elected to serve as president of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for six years. He has authored a book on holographic interferometry, and two books on higher education. He has received honorary doctoral degrees from ten universities, and was awarded the 2006 National Medal of Technology by President Bush.