William H. Press: Seeking the Possible in Difficult Times

摘要

Support for science might be expected to suffer in a year of election-driven partisanship and a tough fiscal environment. But as he prepares to assume the presidency of AAAS, William Press sees some positive aspects: bipartisan agreement on key U.S. science policy goals, a renewed national focus on science education, a strong set of international collaborations, and new chances to share the beauty and benefits of science with the public. While news reports and campaigns stress conflict, members of both parties recognize that investments in innovation and education are vital to American success and generally agree on the need for federal research funding, said Press, a professor of computer science and integra-tive biology at the University of Texas at Austin.