WASHINGTON, DC -- President Clinton will bestow the prestigious National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology on 16 individuals and one corporation in a White House ceremony on March 14.
The 1999 laureates will participate in a roundtable discussion on "Science and Technology in 2025," on Tuesday March 14, 10 am - 11 am at the National Press Club. Ira Flatow, host of NPR1s Science Friday, will serve as moderator. There be opportunities for individual interviews following the discussion.
Widely regarded as the U.S. Nobel Prize, the medals will be presented to these science and technology pioneers for profound contributions in such areas as DNA, AIDS and cancer research, biogenetics, chemistry, physics and speech science. Several laureates have dramatically impacted national and international public policy ranging from conservation, ecology and the environment to economic growth. Innovations in computer technology have advanced the Information Age and enhanced the worlds of the visually and hearing impaired, the physically disabled and the music industry. Along the way, many have built and led some of the nation's most prominent academic and research institutions. And this year a number of laureates have been particularly lauded for fostering a better understanding of science by the general public.
"We honor these exceptional U.S. scientists and engineers for their achievements, contributions and innovations that have sustained U.S. leadership across the frontiers of scientific and technological knowledge, thereby enhancing our ability to shape and improve our nation's future," said President Clinton.
The Medal of Science, established by Congress in 1959 and administered by the National Science Foundation, has been awarded to 374 distinguished individuals. The National Medal of Technology, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, has been bestowed upon 110 innovators and 11 companies since it wa
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Contact: Eileen Kugler
EKugler@aol.com
703-644-3039
National Science & Technology Medals Foundation
6-Mar-2000