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“TRIBUTE TO PATRICK H. WINDHAM” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Senate section on pages S3384-S3385 on April 17, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO PATRICK H. WINDHAM
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I want to take a few moments to remark on the outstanding Senate career of my long time science staffer, Pat Windham, whose last day on the Senate Commerce Committee staff will be tomorrow. At the end of this month, Pat will be returning to the San Francisco area where he grew up. With his wife Arati and their cute infant daughter Katie, he will be living within shouting distance of Stanford University, his undergraduate alma mater, and across the bay from the University of California at Berkeley where he received his masters in public policy.
Pat first came to the Senate in the late 1970's for a 2-year stint on the Commerce Committee staff as a congressional fellow in connection with his doctoral program at Berkeley. He returned in 1982, when he served for 2 years as a legislative assistant on my personal staff. Since 1984 he has been the Commerce Committee's resident expert on science policy, touching on virtually every science and technology issue you can imagine.
Early in his career here Pat was deeply involved in the ocean and coastal issues that are so important to the recreational and commercial needs of South Carolinians. On my personal staff he also mastered the myriad complexities of the Nation's nuclear energy policy, acquiring detailed knowledge of nuclear powerplant technology and waste storage problems.
In his service for the Commerce Committee's Science, Techology, and Space Subcommittee, he has had principal responsibility for overseeing technology policy and industrial competitiveness. I strongly believe that the key to our national economic strength is the link between technology and industry. Pat shares this vision, and has made an enormous difference to me in developing programs that are targeted at forging that link. One such program is the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which facilitates the transfer of manufacturing technology directly from the laboratory to the operations of the small- and medium-sized firms that carry out the bulk of U.S. manufacturing. Thanks in large part to Pat's tenacity in working to steadily improve the program, there are now locally run and cost-shared manufacturing extension centers in South Carolina and throughout the Nation that provide essential technical assistance to thousands of small manufacturers.
Another such program is the Advanced Technology Program [ATP], overseen by the National Institute of Science and Technology within the Department of Commerce. ATP recognizes the intense investor pressure on American companies to cut costs and spend limited research dollars on projects with short-term payoffs. It is a peer-reviewed, industry-led undertaking that provides matching funds for the development of advanced technologies--in areas like electronics, information technology, robotics, advanced materials, and biotechnology--that will be central to the formation of new industries in the 21st century. Pat spearheaded the creation of ATP in the late 1980's, and now that ATP is beginning to bear fruit, he has fought tirelessly against efforts to undercut its effectiveness.
During his 17 years of Senate service, Pat has earned wide respect and affection from Members of Congress and staff, administration officials, and the scientific community for his commitment to the development of sound science and technology policy. He has an extraordinary capacity to digest large amounts of highly technical information in a number of scientific fields and communicate it clearly to decisionmakers. Further, in spite of his intense dedication to achieving his legislative goals, Pat has made loyal and enthusiastic friends among allies and adversaries alike.
I have no doubt that in his new surroundings Pat will find ways to further his splendid contributions to our Nation's industry and technological progress. He has certainly been everything I have wanted, and more, as a staff professional, and I thank him for his excellent work.
I wish Pat, Arati, and little Katie the best of fortune in all their future endeavors.
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