| The Tenure of Dr. Theodore Bickart Begins
He is the 14th president of the Colorado School
of Mines.
 Dr. Theodore A. Bickart was inaugurated on
Feb. 9, 1999, in the Green Center’s Bunker Auditorium, where 62 flags, representing
the home nations of all CSM students, were displayed on stage.
The day also celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Colorado School of Mines,
formally established under the Territory of Colorado on Feb. 9, 1874.
Dr. Bickart began his leadership role at the school on Aug. 1, 1998. He came from Michigan
State University, where he served for nine years as dean of engineering.
He also spent 26 years at Syracuse University, where he was on the electrical engineering
faculty and was dean of the engineering school.
Dr. Bickart holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Johns Hopkins
University.
He was appointed a Fulbright scholar at the USSR Kiev Polytechnic Institute and held a
visiting lectureship at China’s Nanjing Institute of Technology.
He was a visiting scholar at the University of California at Berkeley and member of the
board of directors of the Engineering Deans Council.
Speech Highlights
The following excerpts are taken from the speech he
delivered at the inauguration ceremony. The complete text of his speech will appear in a
future issue of the CSM Quarterly.
 "Leading this great
institution into the new millennium is a responsibility that I assume with enthusiasm and
commitment.
In my endeavors, I have a valuable partner, a treasured source of counsel and
encouragement, and a much-loved friend, who is as committed to this school as I am.
That partner is my wife, Frani.
Together we look forward to serving this community of outstanding scholars.
There are not-so-obvious, yet critical, elements involved in attaining a high quality,
comprehensive education in science, engineering and technology.
I call these the hidden dimensions of engineering.
One is teamwork. The Mines faculty recognizes that students must learn to function in
teams. Our graduates will not work in isolation. In order to solve local and global
problems, collaboration among individuals within specialized disciplines must occur, and a
synergy among disciplines must exist.
 Another hidden dimension is communication. The most brilliant solution, to
the most complex engineering problem, will not be realized if the solution cannot be
clearly communicated: to fellow team members; to the Chief Financial Officer in the
team’s company; to the public.
Life-long learning is another hidden dimension. In the world of science and technology,
there is no final exam. Instead, we prepare constantly for pop quizzes that test our
knowledge about the most current information, the latest innovations.
Another hidden dimension that deserves more visibility is professional ethics.
We are citizens of the world and must never forget that human society is the context for
engineering, its products and processes. It is our responsibility to produce and invoke
technology that will improve the quality of human life and ensure public health, welfare
and safety.
As individual engineers, scientists and business leaders, it is our obligation—to our
colleagues and fellow citizens—to act with honesty and integrity in all matters.
Closely associated with ethics is the next hidden dimension: an understanding of the
impact of engineering on global society.
This dimension can act as a driver, or a constrainer, as we address contemporary issues
while simultaneously considering long-term implications.
Constraints can be economic or environmental in nature. They can involve manufacturability
of a product or sustainability of a technology. Public policies and political issues, both
domestic and global, can also constrain us—as well as guide us.
It has been satisfying to uncover these five hidden dimensions and find them in practice
on this campus. During the process, I have learned much about the school—about the
watermarks, hallmarks and trademarks of the Colorado School of Mines.
Values and mission—history and traditions—are woven into the fabric of the
institution; they cannot be removed, like a watermark in fine paper.
Hallmarks are many. I believe that one of the hallmarks of Mines is our Profile of a
Graduate with a bachelor’s degree, coupled to our educational vehicle, the new
undergraduate curriculum. This curriculum is distinctive. Next we need to create a Profile
of a Graduate for those receiving master’s and doctor’s degrees.
Other hallmarks of our institution can be found in the three intrinsic traits of higher
education: scholarship, teaching and public service.
Outreach is a hallmark of our institution that is literally begging for increased
attention. More and more, the school is gaining a reputation for dedication to outreach
within the United States and to global audiences … serving those in need and becoming
a stronger and more vital institution because of this service.
Our foresight in adapting, adjusting, staying current with the needs of our
students—and with the needs of our nation and the worldwide community—is a
trademark of this school. For 125 years we have been a leader in education and research
because we’ve had the vision to remain on course when it was necessary and
right—and make changes when it was appropriate and productive. This will continue to
be a trademark of our institution, as we adapt to the changes and challenges of tomorrow.
The years ahead are full of promise. And this campus in Golden, Colorado, is an exciting
place to be, as technological changes increase at a quickening pace. The people we’re
educating today will have experiences that my generation could only dream of in science
fiction settings. And this school is helping to create the doorway to those 21st
century opportunities.
It is an honor for me to play a role in this exploration of new heights and new
possibilities. The Colorado School of Mines is an energizing environment—a wonderful
‘home base’—from which to appreciate the Earth and its many
cultures—as well as the universe beyond: ‘the final frontier.’ Thank you
for being here today, to share with me my vision of the frontier before us at this
extraordinary institution."
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