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Rao
honored in White House ceremony
June
12, 2002
More than 200
people gathered in the East Room of the White House today (June
12) to witness the awarding of 15 National Medals of Science
and five National Medals of Technology. Among those honored
was Calyampudi R. Rao, emeritus holder of the Eberly Family
chair in statistics and director of the Center for Multivariate
Analysis at Penn State.
Rao received the
award for “his pioneering contributions to the foundations
of statistical theory and multivariate statistical methodology,
and their applications, enriching the physical, biological,
mathematical, economic and engineering sciences.” The medal
is the nation's highest award for lifetime achievement in fields
of scientific research.
This was Rao’s
second trip to the White House, but his first as an honored
guest.
“My first trip
was a long time ago, around 1953. I was at the White House on
a visitor’s tour,” explained Rao.
Today’s trip
was much different from his first visit, as this time he was
at the center of attention. Rao’s day started with a reception
for all awardees held by the National Science Foundation, and
he found himself being led throughout the day from reception
to reception, with time taken out to speak to the media that
had gathered to cover the event.
“This morning’s
reception was very nice,” Rao said. “We had the opportunity
to talk with each other, learn about each other’s work.”
At the White House, Rao and the other laureates had a chance
to talk informally with President Bush about the importance
of their scientific contributions and the role they play in
the country.
“It was quite
informal, very nice,” Rao said. “For a president to
take that time to chat with us is very good. I told him that
he was doing a great service in making the world a better, safer
place to live in. He was very pleased by my comments, and he
told me we are going to win the war.”
In his introduction
of the laureates, Bush thanked them for their contributions
to society.
“The science
and technology leaders here today have turned genius and persistence
into knowledge, technology that will shape lives for decades
to come.” Bush continued, “All of our honorees, and
their colleagues throughout the United States, are asking questions
whose answers will improve lives not only here at home, but
around the world.”
Bush emphasized the
importance of research conducted by the laureates and their
colleagues, and the innovation it produces.
“Innovation helps Americans to live longer, healthier and
happier lives. Innovation helps our economy grow, and helps
people find work. Innovation strengthens our national defense
and our homeland security, and we need a strong national defense
and homeland security as we fight people who hate America because
we're free.”
After his remarks, Bush and John Marburger, director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy, presented the National
Medals of Science to Rao and his fellow laureates.
“It is a great
honor for me to receive the National Medal of Science,”
Rao said. “It is a unique honor to receive, especially
since I come from India.”
The National Science
Foundation administers the National Medals of Science for the
White House. Congress established the National Medals of Science
in 1959. The latest awards bring to 401 the total number of
science medals awarded since its inception.
Rao is the second
Penn State faculty member to receive this award.
Erwin W. Mueller, Evan Pugh research professor of physics, was
awarded the medal by President Jimmy Carter posthumously in
1977 “for his invention of the field-emission microscope,
the field-ion microscope and the atom-probe microscope, which
helped to resolve the atomic structures of solids.”
Rao
biography
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