G. Wayne Clough
Encyclopedia
Gerald Wayne Clough is President Emeritus of the Georgia Institute of Technology
and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
, a position he has held since July 2008. A graduate of Georgia Tech, in civil engineering, he was the first Georgia Tech alumnus to occupy that post.
Clough was president of Georgia Tech from 1994 to 2008, during which he oversaw dramatic changes in the institute, including $1 billion in new construction, increased retention and graduation rates, a higher nationwide ranking and a much larger student body. His administration championed programs to encourage undergraduate research, international experiences, and to make college more affordable for low-income students (the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Program).
The Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons
, which officially opened its doors in August 2011, is named in his honor. Clough has garnered many other awards and honors, including but not limited to the title of President Emeritus, two Norman Medal
s and membership in the National Science Board
.
, Georgia
. He is the youngest of three children. When he entered Georgia Tech in 1960, he planned to receive only a bachelor's degree
, which he earned in 1964 in civil engineering
. However, the faculty encouraged him to earn a graduate degree, and he received his master's
in 1965. In 1969, Clough received a Ph.D.
in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley
. He is a recipient of honorary doctorates from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Florida Southern College and the University of South Carolina.
. He then became a full professor
at Stanford University
. In 1982, he went to Virginia Tech as a professor of civil engineering
and coordinator of the geotechnical programs. In 1990, Clough became dean
of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering. In 1993, he moved to provost
and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Washington
.
, and was in office during the 1996 Summer Olympics
. In 1998, he separated the Ivan Allen College of Management, Policy, and International Affairs into the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
and returned the College of Management
to "College" status. During his tenure, research expenditures increased from $212 million to $425 million, computers became required for all students, enrollment increased from 13,000 to 18,000 students, Tech received the Hesburgh Award
, and Tech's U.S. News & World Report
rankings steadily improved.
Clough's tenure was especially focused on a dramatic expansion of the Institute; over $900 million was spent on expanding or improving the campus. These projects included the completion of several west campus dorms, the manufacturing complex, 10th and Home, Technology Square
, The Biomedical Complex, the Student Center renovation, the expanded 5th Street Bridge, the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center
's renovation into the Campus Recreation Center, the new Health Center, the Klaus Advanced Computing Building, and the Nanotechnology Research Center
. He also spearheaded a revamped Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), and the creation of an International Plan. The students of Georgia Tech affectionately dubbed him "Funk Masta G. Wayne" during his presidency in accordance with the expansion and growth he encouraged in urban Atlanta.
On March 15, 2008, Clough announced in an email to students and staff that he would be stepping down as President on July 1, 2008, after nearly fourteen years as President. He left to serve as the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
.
video "A Fire in My Belly" from the National Portrait Gallery’s
“Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” exhibition. The video artwork was perceived by some to be anti-Christian and Clough believed it detracted from the entirety of the exhibition. Clough's decision was widely criticized.
s, the State of the Art Award, and the Karl von Terzaghi
Lectureship in 1994. Dr. Clough has also earned a George Westinghouse Award
from the American Society for Engineering Education
. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
in 1990 for his research into soil
-structure interaction problems and served as a chair of one of its summits in 2004, The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century.
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him to the President's Council of Science and Technology
. In 2004, Bush appointed him a member of the National Science Board
, which oversees the National Science Foundation
and provides advice to Congress and the president on issues of science and technology. Also in 2004, the American Society of Civil Engineers
presented him with the Outstanding Projects And Leaders award for his contribution to education.
In 2008, Clough was made an honorary member of the ANAK Society
, Georgia Tech's oldest known secret society and honor society. In 2009, Clough was named to the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia. In March 2009, he was inducted into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia, and in February 2009, he received the Joseph M. Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award that recognizes a lifetime of leadership, achievement and service to Georgia Tech. Clough was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in April 2010. Clough is also a graduate brother of the Gamma Tau chapter of Phi Gamma Delta
.
In summer 2010, Clough received honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. He is also a recipient of honorary doctorates from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Florida Southern College and the University of South Carolina. In 2011, Georgia Tech is scheduled to open the G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons building to honor his commitment to undergraduate students.
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, a position he has held since July 2008. A graduate of Georgia Tech, in civil engineering, he was the first Georgia Tech alumnus to occupy that post.
Clough was president of Georgia Tech from 1994 to 2008, during which he oversaw dramatic changes in the institute, including $1 billion in new construction, increased retention and graduation rates, a higher nationwide ranking and a much larger student body. His administration championed programs to encourage undergraduate research, international experiences, and to make college more affordable for low-income students (the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Program).
The Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons
Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons
The G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons is an academic building on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology. The five-story, building houses classrooms, science laboratories, academic services, commons areas, and is connected to the Georgia Tech Library. Named in honor of...
, which officially opened its doors in August 2011, is named in his honor. Clough has garnered many other awards and honors, including but not limited to the title of President Emeritus, two Norman Medal
Norman Medal
The Norman Medal is the highest honor granted by the American Society of Civil Engineers for a technical paper that "makes a definitive contribution to engineering science"....
s and membership in the National Science Board
National Science Board
The National Science Board of the United States is composed of 25 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate, representing the broad U.S. science and engineering community. The Board establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation within the framework...
.
Education
Clough grew up in DouglasDouglas, Georgia
Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,589. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area which has a population of 48,708 as of the 2008 census...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He is the youngest of three children. When he entered Georgia Tech in 1960, he planned to receive only a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, which he earned in 1964 in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. However, the faculty encouraged him to earn a graduate degree, and he received his master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1965. In 1969, Clough received a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He is a recipient of honorary doctorates from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Florida Southern College and the University of South Carolina.
Early career
Clough's first academic position was as an assistant professor at Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. He then became a full professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. In 1982, he went to Virginia Tech as a professor of civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and coordinator of the geotechnical programs. In 1990, Clough became dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering. In 1993, he moved to provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
.
President of Georgia Tech
In 1994, Clough became the first Tech alumnus to serve as the President of the Institute, succeeding John Patrick CrecineJohn Patrick Crecine
John Patrick "Pat" Crecine was an American educator. After receiving his early education in Lansing, Michigan, Michigan public schools, he earned a bachelor's degree in industrial management, and master's and doctoral degrees in industrial administration from the Graduate School of Industrial...
, and was in office during the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. In 1998, he separated the Ivan Allen College of Management, Policy, and International Affairs into the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology has gradually evolved to contain a wide variety of liberal arts subjects at a school known predominantly for engineering...
and returned the College of Management
Georgia Institute of Technology College of Management
The College of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology was established in 1934, and is consistently ranked in the top 30 management programs in the nation. It draws its distinction from its roots in a world-renowned technical university....
to "College" status. During his tenure, research expenditures increased from $212 million to $425 million, computers became required for all students, enrollment increased from 13,000 to 18,000 students, Tech received the Hesburgh Award
Hesburgh Award
The Hesburgh Award is an award, established in 1993, given by TIAA-CREF to a university that has exceptional faculty development programs. It is named for Theodore M...
, and Tech's U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
rankings steadily improved.
Clough's tenure was especially focused on a dramatic expansion of the Institute; over $900 million was spent on expanding or improving the campus. These projects included the completion of several west campus dorms, the manufacturing complex, 10th and Home, Technology Square
Technology Square
Technology Square, commonly called Tech Square, is a mixed-use district on the block of Fifth Street between the Downtown Connector and Spring Street in Atlanta, Georgia. Announced in 2000 and opened in 2003, the district was built over previously vacant surface parking lots and has contributed to...
, The Biomedical Complex, the Student Center renovation, the expanded 5th Street Bridge, the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center
Georgia Tech Aquatic Center
]The Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center is part of the Georgia Tech campus.-History:...
's renovation into the Campus Recreation Center, the new Health Center, the Klaus Advanced Computing Building, and the Nanotechnology Research Center
Nanotechnology Research Center
The Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center is a nanotechnology research center located in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus. Formally opened on April 24, 2009, the NRC was constructed on the site of the Electronics Research Building, the former home of...
. He also spearheaded a revamped Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), and the creation of an International Plan. The students of Georgia Tech affectionately dubbed him "Funk Masta G. Wayne" during his presidency in accordance with the expansion and growth he encouraged in urban Atlanta.
On March 15, 2008, Clough announced in an email to students and staff that he would be stepping down as President on July 1, 2008, after nearly fourteen years as President. He left to serve as the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
.
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Clough was named 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution on March 15, 2008, at a press conference held at the Smithsonian Castle. Clough assumed office July 1, 2008. Since beginning his new post, Clough has already made plans to digitize the Museum's collections, and offer more intensive K-12 educational programming. On November 30, 2010, Secretary Clough made the decision to remove the David WojnarowiczDavid Wojnarowicz
David Wojnarowicz was a painter, photographer, writer, filmmaker, performance artist, and activist who was prominent in the New York City art world of the 1980s.-Biography:...
video "A Fire in My Belly" from the National Portrait Gallery’s
National Portrait Gallery (United States)
The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in Washington, D.C., administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of famous individual Americans.-Building:...
“Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” exhibition. The video artwork was perceived by some to be anti-Christian and Clough believed it detracted from the entirety of the exhibition. Clough's decision was widely criticized.
Honors and awards
Dr. Clough has earned numerous awards and honors during his career. In his early career, he earned two Norman MedalNorman Medal
The Norman Medal is the highest honor granted by the American Society of Civil Engineers for a technical paper that "makes a definitive contribution to engineering science"....
s, the State of the Art Award, and the Karl von Terzaghi
Karl von Terzaghi
Karl von Terzaghi was an Austrian civil engineer and geologist, called the father of soil mechanics.-Early life:...
Lectureship in 1994. Dr. Clough has also earned a George Westinghouse Award
George Westinghouse Award (ASEE)
The George Westinghouse Award, named after George Westinghouse, was given by the American Society for Engineering Education for outstanding contributions to engineering education. It was awarded to "a young engineering educator of outstanding ability to recognize and encourage his or her...
from the American Society for Engineering Education
American Society for Engineering Education
The American Society for Engineering Education is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education....
. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
in 1990 for his research into soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
-structure interaction problems and served as a chair of one of its summits in 2004, The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century.
In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him to the President's Council of Science and Technology
PCAST
The United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology is a council, chartered in each administration with a broad mandate to advise the President on science and technology. The current PCAST was established by on September 30, 2001, by President George W...
. In 2004, Bush appointed him a member of the National Science Board
National Science Board
The National Science Board of the United States is composed of 25 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate, representing the broad U.S. science and engineering community. The Board establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation within the framework...
, which oversees the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
and provides advice to Congress and the president on issues of science and technology. Also in 2004, the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
presented him with the Outstanding Projects And Leaders award for his contribution to education.
In 2008, Clough was made an honorary member of the ANAK Society
ANAK Society
The ANAK Society is the oldest known secret society and honor society at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1908, ANAK's purpose is "to honor outstanding juniors and seniors who have shown both exemplary leadership and a true love for Georgia Tech"...
, Georgia Tech's oldest known secret society and honor society. In 2009, Clough was named to the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia. In March 2009, he was inducted into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia, and in February 2009, he received the Joseph M. Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award that recognizes a lifetime of leadership, achievement and service to Georgia Tech. Clough was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in April 2010. Clough is also a graduate brother of the Gamma Tau chapter of Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
.
In summer 2010, Clough received honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. He is also a recipient of honorary doctorates from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Florida Southern College and the University of South Carolina. In 2011, Georgia Tech is scheduled to open the G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons building to honor his commitment to undergraduate students.
External links
- Biography of Dr. Clough on the Smithsonian website