Clinton Nominates Rice Provost Lane to Head NSF

Contact: Michael Berryhill
Phone: (713) 527-4943

Clinton Nominates Rice Provost Lane to Head NSF

President Clinton nominated Rice University Provost Neal
Lane today as director of the National Science Foundation and sent
his name to the U.S. Senate for confirmation.

Lane, 54, has been under consideration for the NSF post for
several months, officials close to the selection process said. He
was notified earlier this month of Clinton’s decision to submit his
name for confirmation.

"Neal Lane has been a major contributor to Rice ever since he
joined our faculty," said Charles Duncan, chairman of the Rice board
of governors. "As a faculty member, department chairman of physics
and provost during the presidency of George Rupp, Neal has exhibited
leadership, vision and commitment to Rice that has been exceptional."I understand the tremendous challenge that he is about to
embark on as director of the National Science Foundation, and I
understand why he has acquiesced to this call to public service," he
said. "However, this choice creates a tremendous loss for Rice
University. I hope sometime in the future that we can entice Neal
and Joni Sue Lane to return here."

A specialist in atomic physics, Lane earned his undergraduate
and graduate degrees, including his Ph.D., from the University of
Oklahoma in the early 1960s.

He has served as provost at Rice since 1986, his second tour of
duty at the university. He joined the school’s faculty in 1966 as an
assistant professor of physics. He was named chair of the department
in 1977. While departmental chair, Lane spent 1979 serving as
director of the division of physics at the NSF.

Lane left Rice in 1984 to become chancellor of the University of
Colorado at Colorado Springs. He returned to the university in 1986
to handle the provost’s job.

Rice President Malcolm Gillis said Lane’s selection to the NSF
post "is a tremendous gain for Washington."

"I had hoped, even though I knew about the potential nomination,
that Neal would stay on," Gillis said. "I understand the difficulty
of the decision that he had to make. But I am certain his scientific
colleagues will be fully supportive of this nomination. I have no
doubt that it will be ratified promptly by the Senate."

Gillis said he plans to move forward quickly to name an acting
provost.

"I am truly impressed with the administrative talent here,"
Gillis said. "I feel that we have several excellent people for me to
consider for this position."

###