TRI Brings Clinton Administration Adviser to KU

After spending 21 years advising members of the Cabinet, Congress and President Clinton on the impact of science and technology on society, John H. Gibbons is coming to Lawrence to spend a day sharing his expertise with students and faculty at the University of Kansas.

Gibbons will speak Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Spahr Engineering Classroom in Eaton Hall. The presentation begins at 4:30 p.m., and a reception will follow. The public is welcome to attend.

Gibbons is the first speaker in the KU Transportation Research Institute's new Emerging Challenges in Transportation Lecture Series. The series is designed to bring transportation technology experts to KU to help advise the institute on research areas in need of exploration.

Through his lecture and visits with KU students and faculty, Gibbons will help the institute, established earlier this year, define and structure its research program.

"We're focusing on technologies that will be most important in the future, in terms of transforming the U.S. transportation system, given high oil prices and global climate changes," said Bob Honea, director of the institute.

Gibbons spent 14 years as director of the Office of Technology Assessment, a bipartisan agency of Congress designed to provide committee members with scientific analysis. From there, he spent five years as the science adviser to former President Clinton. He also served as senior adviser to the U.S. Department of State from 1999 to 2001. Other career highlights include writing two books and numerous articles, memberships on several boards and committees in the public and private sectors, and several years teaching and lecturing at universities.