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“TRIBUTE TO DR. RAYMOND ORBACH” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E128 on Jan. 22, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO DR. RAYMOND ORBACH
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HON. KEN CALVERT
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to an individual whose dedication and contributions to our country are exceptional. The United States has been fortunate to have dynamic and dedicated leaders who willingly and unselfishly give their time and talent to make our Nation a better place to live and work. Dr. Raymond Orbach is one of these individuals. On January 23, 2009, Dr. Orbach's term serving as the first Under Secretary of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy will come to an end.
Dr. Orbach began his academic career as a postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University in 1960 and became an assistant professor of applied physics at Harvard University in 1961. He joined the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA, 2 years later as an associate professor and became a full professor in 1966. From 1982 to 1992, he served as the provost of the College of Letters and Science at UCLA.
From 1992 to 2002, Dr. Orbach served as chancellor of the University of California (UC), Riverside, located in the 44th Congressional District of California. Under his leadership, UC Riverside doubled in size, achieved national and international recognition in research, and led the University of California in diversity and educational opportunity. In addition to his administrative duties at UC Riverside, he sustained an active research program; worked with postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students in his laboratory; and taught the freshman physics course each year. As the Distinguished Professor of Physics, Dr. Orbach set the highest standards for academic excellence.
Dr. Orbach was nominated by President Bush to serve as the first Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on December 13, 2005. He was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on May 26, 2006, and was sworn in by Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman on June 1, 2006.
In his capacity as under secretary, Dr. Orbach's primary responsibility was to serve as chief scientist for DOE, providing advice to the Secretary of Energy on all scientific and technical programs in DOE. Serving as chief scientist within DOE, Dr. Orbach advised the Secretary of Energy on a variety of topics, including the annual assessment of the reliability and safety of the U.S. nuclear warhead stockpile, which is developed each year by the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy for the President of the United States. As Under Secretary for Science, he was responsible for the department's implementation of the administration's American Competitiveness Initiative to help drive continued U.S. economic growth. He also was responsible for leading the department's efforts to transfer technologies from DOE national laboratories and facilities to the global marketplace, serving as the department's technology transfer coordinator, in accordance with the Energy Policy Act, and was chair of the DOE Technology Transfer Policy Board, responsible for coordinating and implementing policies for the department's technology transfer activities.
Dr. Orbach's tireless passion for science has contributed immensely to the betterment of the Department of Energy and the United States of America. I am proud to call Dr. Orbach a fellow American and friend. I know that many people around the country are grateful for his service and salute him as he ends his term.
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