Mason Faculty Receive Presidential Appointments, Recognition
By Joseph J. Urban III
No fewer than five members of the George Mason community received official appointments to essential national positions from President George W. Bush in the past year. In these positions, most of the appointees will have to deal with the turmoil of Sept. 11 and seek solutions to the problems that were raised.
Alexander Levis, University Professor of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, was appointed chief scientist of the U.S. Air Force. In this role, he provides independent, technical advice to the Air Force chief of staff and the secretary of the Air Force and serves on the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.
"Sept. 11 has added new dimensions to the work of the chief scientist," says Levis. "Those events focused us on the country's immediate needs, from peacetime to wartime. We're closer to the operation side of the work and the people involved in the operations."
Timothy Muris, a School of Law professor, received an appointment as chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Muris has long been associated with the FTC and served as assistant to the director of the Office of Policy Planning and Evaluation, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, and director of the Bureau of Competition. He believes the country will be taking a new direction because of the terrorist attacks.
"Because part of what was involved in Sept. 11 was identification theft, people may become more cautious about how they use their information," says Muris. He also speaks of the advantages of upgrading personal privacy protection. "I think we will see some benefits in the privacy issue in the future. We want to maximize those benefits and minimize the cost for the people."
Sharon Brown-Hruska, assistant professor of finance in the School of Management, was appointed a commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trade Commission. With her extensive study of the global economy and five years working for the commission as an economist, Brown-Hruska is excited about the prospect of overseeing the financial markets.
She tells of her visit to the New York Board of Trade, whose trading floor was destroyed on Sept. 11. "Within days after the disaster, the traders, shaken but undeterred, were back making a market in commodities and financials in an old warehouse in Long Island. My job as a commissioner is to make sure that this resiliency and competitive spirit is understood here in Washington."
William Lash, a professor in the School of Law, was appointed assistant secretary of commerce for market access compliance. The office is part of the International Trade Administration under the Department of Commerce, and its objectives are to obtain market access for American firms and workers and achieve full compliance by foreign nations with trade agreements they sign with our country.
Stanley Taylor, associate vice president for the Arlington Campus, was appointed to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, where he helps choose high school seniors to be recognized and honored for their academic and artistic merits. Taylor says the position will give him the chance to see a lot of young people and guide them in their academic careers.
All the appointees have expressed hopes that their appointments can bring great things to the university.
"This is a great experience for me as both a teacher and a researcher," says Muris. "Being near Washington gives the university an important niche." He is also impressed with the fact that more George Mason graduates currently work as staff members in Congress than graduates from any other university.
Levis says his work with the Air Force gives him a broader perspective on science and technology issues. "I feel this appointment will help me provide better research - more informed research. Also, I think it gives George Mason more recognition, which can give us the ability to attract visiting researchers and high-quality graduate students."
Brown-Hruska echoes this sentiment. "Having someone in a high-level position gives a lot of visibility to the university. Besides, it's put me on the inside of a lot of interesting issues and allowed me to learn more about these markets."
Taylor says that the appointment allows the university to brush shoulders with some really important people. "When people look at the big name schools associated with this White House Commission, they will be looking at George Mason," he says.
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