Senate to finalize nomination

By Laura Pelner
Campus Editor

It's expected that Purdue's head of the School of Nuclear Engineering will soon be selected to lead the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

President George Bush announced on Aug. 16 an intent to nominate Arden Bement Jr., head of the school, to be the director of the institute, which is part of the department of commerce.

According to representatives from the White House, Bush decided he wanted Bement for the position and then background checks began. When enough information was gathered from the checks, the government announced an intent to nominate, which is where Bement stands now.

Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the White House, said the Senate and its commerce committee would really control the confirmation process for Bement.

"When the paperwork is finalized the nomination will officially be sent to the Senate," he said. "The Senate then acts on its own time frame."

Stanzel said it's hard to predict how long the process will take but he said Bement is well suited for the job. "He is a distinguished scientist," he said. "His experience in scientific research in both the private sector and in the government service will serve him well."

Bement couldn't comment on the nomination since the details aren't final yet, but one of his coworkers had praise to share.

"We're very pleased that he was selected to head this very important position," said Richard Schwartz, dean of the Schools of Engineering. "He's had positions in academia, industry and government so his background fits this position just perfectly."

Schwartz said the nomination is a plus for Bement and Purdue. "It's obviously very good for Purdue to have one of its people selected to run (the National Institute of Standards and Technology)," he said. "It reflects very well on the quality of the people we have here at Purdue."

Bement is a distinguished professor of engineering at Purdue and has been a part of the University since 1993. He has served as a professor of engineering and nuclear engineering and is now head of the nuclear engineering school.

He's also worked as the director of the Midwest Superconductivity Consortium and held two leadership positions for TRW, Inc. - vice president for technical resources and vice president for science and technology - a company that produces products for automotive, aerospace and information technology markets.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is an organization that has far-reaching affects in America. Stanzel said its mission is to develop and promote measurement standards in technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade and improve the quality of life.

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Senate to finalize nomination

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Campus editor: Laura Pelner

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