Technology, the University, and the Transformation of Texas
Excerpts of Remarks by Larry Faulkner
Littlefield Society Symposium
March 6, 1998
LBJ Auditorium
The University of Texas at Austin
I'm pleased that one of my first opportunities to appear as President "on deck" is to join you, the members of the Littlefield Society. Every institution has a core group of individuals who guide and sustain it, and at The University that group is here in this room. UT is fortunate to have so many devoted friends and alumni.
I describe myself as President "on deck" because I don't officially start until April 13, and in the meantime we have the good fortune of having Peter Flawn in the batter's box. I believe that with the possible exception of a few uninformed souls in Zunkerville, the rest of the state of Texas recognizes the outstanding job Dr. Flawn has been doing as interim President. I am deeply grateful for everything he's done during the past year to keep The University moving forward.
At the moment I'm doing a lot of listening. One of my most important tasks is to create an agenda on which to focus during the coming year. I am eager to have the benefit of your ideas and suggestions.
It is appropriate that the theme of this symposium is technology, because technology has had such an important role in shaping the recent history of Texas, The University, and Austin—and it will help define who we are and what role we will play in the next century.
First I think it is useful to ask why does Texas occupy the position it does in the world of technology? Why Texas and not, say, Tennessee? I believe the answer is vision. The vision of Texans in the formative stages of the Information Age. The vision of key individuals—and key institutions.
Fifty years ago, the oilfield services and defense contracting company that was to become Texas Instruments decided to diversify into new electronic technologies. TI executives Erik Jonsson and Pat Haggerty had the vision to look beyond what was safe and familiar.
Forty years ago in Dallas, Jack Kilby assembled one transistor, three resistors, and one capacitor on a semiconductor wafer to create the world's first integrated circuit. That development helped electronics become the trillion-dollar industry that it is today. Jack Kilby had vision.
In 1983, a partnership was formed between The University, the City of Austin, state government, and the business community to develop an aggressive bid to attract Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation—MCC—a high-technology consortium. The individuals responsible for the successful bid, some of whom are with us today, had the foresight to see that the future of Texas would increasingly depend on emerging technology and less upon natural resources. Peter O'Donnell, George Kozmetsky, Bobby Inman, Peter Flawn, and the other leaders of that effort had vision.
At about the same time, a freshman at UT was selling souped up personal computers out of his apartment on 32nd Street not far from here. Michael Dell's vision enabled him to understand the potential of small powerful computers, to create new strategies for serving the marketplace, and to build a company with revenues in excess of 12 billion dollars.
By the late eighties, it looked as if the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing industry might wither away. But another consortium was established to restore the U.S. chip industry to world leadership. Thirteen intense rival companies were united to form Sematech, and the Austin community and The University again waged a successful campaign to bring a new endeavor to this city.
In addition, the health sciences centers in Texas have provided world leadership in medicine, biotechnology, and research. The numerous advances in medical care and innovation that have emerged from these centers have enhanced greatly the state's position in technology and contributed to our economic success.
Technology is a part of a larger continuum of change. One generation of technology is transformed by the next. The Information Age has just increased the pace of that change. We must embrace change, take steps to prepare for it, or be left behind. The states that are taking the right steps today will be at the leading edge tomorrow. Texas needs its institutions, its government, its leaders, and especially The University, to be carefully planning for the technology of the 21st century.
Texas has done extremely well of late as a result of the visionary work done in past decades. For Texas to lead in the future, I believe certain conditions must be met. We must have: 1. An environment that recognizes the importance of brain power; 2. A well-educated general population; 3. A core of critical talent educated at the highest level; 4. A venturesome spirit and the willingness to accept risk; 5. A productive volume of research, development, and enterprise in critical domains; and, 6. Strong mutual support between individuals and organizations in the fields of research, development, and enterprise.
The University of Texas, unique among Texas institutions, can contribute to all six of these areas. But we cannot be complacent and assume that we will occupy a position of leadership in addressing these needs. We must have the vision to anticipate what this institution needs in order to contribute—and to put the necessary people and resources in place.
To protect the interests of the people of Texas—and the state's stake in future technology—The University must maintain an internationally competitive position in several important fields: 1. The design and fabrication of micro- and nano-scale devices; 2. Advanced materials—new materials that will ignite a revolution in electronics, computers, and chemistry; 3. The integration of technologies—bringing together ideas and people from the far reaches of specialization; 4. The economic, social and environmental impact of new technology—what does this change mean in human terms? 5. Human cognition—expanding technology's capacity for perception, reason, and judgment; 6. Tools for managing and integrating information; 7. Advanced simulation and modeling; and, 8. The molecular basis for biological function.
It is important to note that none of these areas fits neatly into a classic academic discipline. Interdisciplinary collaboration will have to be more than just an ideal if we are to succeed.
Every college at UT can make important contributions in one or more of these eight areas. The Deans' vision statements for their schools and colleges, as well as their work on the academic enterprise themes for the Capital Campaign, will help us chart our course.
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