Charles Marstiller Vest | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 15th President of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology | |
| In office 1990–2004 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Gray |
| Succeeded by | Susan Hockfield |
| 7th Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of theUniversity of Michigan | |
| In office 1989–1990 | |
| Preceded by | James Duderstadt |
| Succeeded by | Gilbert R. Whitaker, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1941-09-09)September 9, 1941 |
| Died | December 12, 2013(2013-12-12) (aged 72) |
| Children | Kemper Vest Gay, John Vest[1] |
| Education | West Virginia University (BS) University of Michigan (MSE,PhD) |
| Signature |  |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mechanical engineering |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Stability of natural convection in a vertical slot (1967) |
Charles "Chuck" Marstiller Vest (September 9, 1941 – December 12, 2013) was an American mechanical engineer and academic administrator. He served as president of theNational Academy of Engineering from 2007 to 2013, as the15th president of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology from 1990 to 2004, as the 7th provost of theUniversity of Michigan from 1989 to 1990, and as the 11th dean of theUniversity of Michigan College of Engineering from 1986 to 1989.
Vest was born inMorgantown,West Virginia, in 1941.[2] He went toMorgantown High School.[3]
Vest received aBachelor of Science with a major inmechanical engineering fromWest Virginia University in 1963. He received aMaster of Science in Engineering in 1964 and aDoctor of Philosophy in 1967, both in mechanical engineering from theUniversity of Michigan, where he later served as professor of mechanical engineering.[4][5]
Vest served as dean of theCollege of Engineering at the University of Michigan from 1986 to 1989 and provost of the university from 1989 to 1990. He then served as president of MIT from 1990 to 2004.[6]
In 2004, a selection of Vest's speeches from his time as President of MIT was published under the title,Pursuing the Endless Frontier: Essays on MIT and the Role of Research Universities.[7]
Harvard University awarded him an honoraryDoctor of Laws in 2005.[8] TheUniversity of Cambridge awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Law in 2006.[9]Tufts University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science in 2011; he delivered acommencement speech at Tufts University the same year.[10]
Vest served on thePresident’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and chaired the Task Force on the Future of Science Programs at theDepartment of Energy. At the request of PresidentBill Clinton, he chaired the Committee on the Redesign of theInternational Space Station, which revitalized the space station at a time when its future was in question.[11] On February 6, 2004, he was appointed to theIraq Intelligence Commission byPresidentGeorge W. Bush.
He was appointed the president of theNational Academy of Engineering in 2007 and served until 2013. Vest was a member of theUSA Science and Engineering Festival's advisory board.[12] He was a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts & Sciences and served as co-chair of the academy's Science, Engineering & Technology Policy Program.[13] In 2008, Vest was elected an honorary academician ofAcademia Sinica.[14]
On December 12, 2013, he died ofpancreatic cancer, aged 72.[11][15][16]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | 15th President of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology 1990 – 2004 | Succeeded by |
