Elachi Named JPL Director California Can Afford to Be Careless Or to Jill Perry Take Their Current Situation for Granted
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' . u. 1- 1- u. Cl) 1- The campus community biweekly February 8, 2001, vol. 1, no. 3 Program brings out Heat is on in artists in student power cr1s1s• • body In the midst of California's monumental Bandsaws buzz and sanders grind at any energy crunch, it's worth noting that Pasa given hour of the day in the student shop, dena-and Caltech-have thus far been a small corner of campus notable other largely unaffected. Given the Institute's wise only for a large hissing gas tank out current power arrangements with the city, side. That's where a group of Caltech together with its strategic planning and students are shaping metal, wood, and conservation efforts, the situation looks plastic into artworks under the guidance like it should remain fairly stable, accord of George Rhoads, Caltech's artist in resi ing to Bill Irwin, Caltech Physical Plant dence. director, and Reza Ohadi, associate direc An internationally renowned sculptor tor of campus operations. and painter from Ithaca, New York, With its own generators and long-term Rhoads accepted a six-week appointment contracts with out-of-state energy provid to work with 10 students on sculptures of ers, Pasadena meets most of its municipal their own design. Members of the lnsti- power needs without having to rely on see Artists, page 6 the troubled state power grid. And under its long-term contract with the city, Caltech receives favorable electric rates and uninterrupted power. .. Frontiers" marks Explains Irwin, "Our costs are mainly tied to natural gas prices, since the city's Pauling centennial generators are gas-powered turbines. So we experience some cost increases if the price of gas rises, but we aren't really af fected by the high prices and volatility we're hearing about." In addition, Caltech has its own cogenerator, producing about half of the campus's electricity needs. Charles Elachi, a 30-year veteran of JPL, ponders the job ahead as he prepares to take the helm May 1. Still, as the energy shortages look to become even more pronounced in the coming months-and as their effects be gin to ripple across the nation-no one in Elachi named JPL director California can afford to be careless or to Jill Perry take their current situation for granted. Even a self-sufficient municipal utility like Caltech president David Baltimore and astrophysics, he has led efforts to Pasadena's must occasionally buy power announced at a January 31 press confer create road maps of our exploration through the state grid when, for example, ence that Charles Elachi, PhD '71, has strategies decades into the future. He is its cogenerators break down or are taken been named the new director of the Jet both an effective administrator and a The only person ever to have won two off line for required maintenance inspec Propulsion Laboratory, effective May 1. visionary." unshared Nobel prizes was also one of tions. And with such a critical overall Caltech manages JPL for the National Elachi said he is honored to be en Caltech's own for more than four decades. shortage, every bit of conservation helps. Aeronautics and Space Administration. trusted with the position. "For the last 40 Linus Pauling, one of the most promi Gil Alexander, a Southern California Elachi has served in a variety of JPL years JPL has enjoyed a tradition of nent scientists of the 20th century, earned Edison spokesperson, was quoted on a research and management positions since excellence as a NASA center and division his PhD in chemistry and mathematical KFWB news broadcast as saying that cut 1971. He has headed the Space and Earth of Caltech, and I intend to continue that physics at the Institute in 1925. He was a back efforts by consumers saved as much Science Programs Directorate since 1994, tradition. My commitment is to continue member of the faculty from 1927 to 1964, as 2,000 megawatt hours during Stage 3 and has also been manager for radar the tradition of excellence and boldness in serving for 20 years as chair of the chem alerts-or enough to power two million development and leader of the radar exploring our solar system, understand istry and chemical engineering division. homes. remote-sensing team. ing the origin of galaxies, and applying In honor of what would have been his So despite Caltech's generally positive Baltimore said he believes Elachi that knowledge to better understanding 100th birthday this year, Caltech's Division outlook, Irwin says, "As good citizens, we "knows JPL better than anyone and will the changes on our own planet." of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is want to do our part and conserve as much best be able to lead the Laboratory in the The new post brings Elachi full circle, presenting "Frontiers in Science: A Cen as we can." He and Ohadi urge the coming years. Charles has an extraordi as he recalled being inspired as an 11- tennial Celebration of Linus Pauling" on Caltech community to develop a conser nary record of accomplishment in his 30 year-old in Lebanon by JPL's launching of Friday, March 2, in Beckman Auditorium. vation mind-set, and they offer these years at JPL. He's a Caltech alumnus and Explorer 1-42 years ago to the day, he Open to the public, the day-long sympo guidelines for cutting down on unneces so knows the school well. He is an expert noted. "Maybe that's a good omen for sium features scientists who will explore sary power usage in labs and offices in remote sensing, and in recognition of me," he joked. Elachi went on to receive a topics reflecting his wide-ranging inter whenever possible: his work was one of the youngest mem BSc in physics from the University of ests. They will also remember Pauling, • Turn off lights that aren't in use or bers ever elected to the National Acad Grenoble, France, and the Dipl. lng in who died in 1994, as a friend and col that aren't essential, such as corridor emy of Engineering. He has long been a engineering from the Polytechnic Insti league. lights and desk lamps. leader of planetary exploration at JPL and tute, Grenoble, both in 1968. He earned a Linus Pauling received the 1954 Nobel • Set computers to "sleep" when not in is widely respected at the Laboratory. I PhD in electrical engineering from Caltech Prize in chemistry for his ground-breaking use, and shut them down at night. look forward to having a close working in 1971, as well as an MBA from USC in research on chemical bonding. When he • In wintertime, keep thermostats at 68 relationship with him." 1978 and a master's in geology from and an associate identified the cause of degrees, "the recommended tempera NASA Administrator Dan Goldin said, UCLA in 1983. sickle cell anemia as molecular, the sci ture," says Irwin. "In a Stage 3 power "Charles Elachi brings formidable talents He is perhaps best known for his role ence of molecular medicine was born, alert, we encourage lowering that by two to his new job, as both a scientist and a in the development of a series of imaging paving the way for the subsequent or three degrees." leader. In addition to already being radar systems for the Space Shuttle that growth of fields such as immunology and • Close doors and windows to keep in responsible for many of JPL's missions in allowed scientists to see through clouds see Pauling, page 6 see Power, page 2 solar system exploration, Earth sciences, see Elachi, page 6 2 Caltech 336, February 8, 2001 Career Day offers a smorgasbord of job , . NewsBriefs opportunities Caltech vows to check sex bias All dressed up with your new degree, but Marking a significant gain for female faculty on nowhere to go? No worries. Caltech's an campus, Caltech has recently joined eight of the nual Career Day will offer more than 100 country's top universities in an effort to identify companies and organizations from which the barriers that women face in the academic fields of science and engineering, and take steps to pick and choose that perfect job. This to eradicate those roadblocks. year's event takes place on Thursday, Feb Caltech president David Baltimore, Professor ruary 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30p.m. at of Astronomy Anneila Sargent, and Hanisch Brown Gym. Career Day is geared toward Memorial Professor and Professor of Chemistry students from undergraduate to PhD lev Jackie Barton were among those in attendance at the January 29 meeting at MIT, where university els, as well as postdocs, but is open to the presidents, provosts, and faculty promised to work entire Caltech community. toward "equity and full participation" of female "We strongly encourage students to faculty. To that end, they will invite female faculty submit their resumes," said Jonie members to analyze annual reports on salaries, Watanabe Tsuji of the Career Develop resources, and hiring practices at their respective institutions. ment Center, which sponsors the event. Said Barton of the meeting, "It was remarkable As is customary, those who bring re that this group could come together not just to sumes will be entered in a drawing. "In acknowledge the problem, but also to sincerely the past, door prizes have ranged from T commit to finding solutions. It may be just a be shirts and briefcases to DVD players and ginning, but it was impressive." Sargent added, "A highlight for me was David Baltimore's remark Palm Pilots," she said. to the other presidents at the meeting: 'If you were As of press time, a record 105 organi married to my wife, you'd have known there was a zations had signed up to attend.