Remarks by the President at University of California-Irvine Commencement Ceremony

Angel Stadium
Anaheim, California

12:10 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Hello, Anteaters!  (Applause.)  That is something I never thought I’d say.  (Laughter.)  Please, please take a seat. 

To President Napolitano -- which is a nice step up from Secretary; to Fred Ruiz, Vice Chair of the University of California Regents; Chancellor Drake; Representatives Loretta Sanchez and Alan Lowenthal; to the trustees and faculty -- thank you for this honor.  And congratulations to the Class of 2014!  (Applause.)  

Now, let me begin my saying all of you had the inside track in getting me here -- because my personal assistant, Ferial, is a proud Anteater.  (Applause.)  Until today, I did not understand why she greets me every morning by shouting “Zot, Zot, Zot!”  (Laughter.)  It’s been a little weird.  But she explained it to me on the way here this morning, because she’s very proud to see her brother, Sina, graduate today as well.  (Applause.)  So, graduates, obviously we’re proud of you, but let’s give it up for your proud family and friends and professors, because this is their day, too.  (Applause.)

And even though he’s on the road this weekend, I also want to thank Angels centerfielder Mike Trout for letting me cover his turf for a while.  (Applause.)  He actually signed a bat for me, which is part of my retirement plan.  (Laughter.)  I will be keeping that.  And this is a very cool place to hold a commencement.  I know that UC Irvine’s baseball team opens College World Series play in Omaha right about now -- (applause) -- so let’s get this speech underway.  If the hot dog guy comes by, get me one.  (Laughter.)

Now, in additional to Ferial, graduates, I’m here for a simple reason:  You asked.  For those who don’t know, the UC Irvine community sent 10,000 postcards to the White House asking me to come speak today.  (Applause.)  Some tried to guilt me into coming.  I got one that said, “I went to your first inauguration, can you please come to my graduation?”  (Applause.)  Some tried bribery:  “I’ll support the Chicago Bulls.”  Another said today would be your birthday -- so happy birthday, whoever you are.

My personal favorite -- somebody wrote and said, “We are super underrated!”  (Laughter.)  I’m sure she was talking about this school.  But keep in mind, you’re not only the number-one university in America younger than 50 years old, you also hold the Guinness World Record for biggest water pistol fight.  (Applause.)  You’re pretty excited about that.  (Laughter.) 

“We are super underrated.”  This young lady could have just as well been talking, though, about this generation.  I think this generation of young people is super underrated.

In your young lives, you’ve seen dizzying change, from terror attacks to economic turmoil; from Twitter to Tumblr.  Some of your families have known tough times during the course of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  You’re graduating into a still-healing job market, and some of you are carrying student loan debt that you’re concerned about.  And yet, your generation -- the most educated, the most diverse, the most tolerant, the most politically independent and the most digitally fluent in our history -- is also on record as being the most optimistic about our future. 

And I’m here to tell you that you are right to be optimistic.  (Applause.)  You are right to be optimistic.  Consider this:  Since the time most of you graduated from high school, fewer Americans are at war.  More have health insurance.  More are graduating from college.  Our businesses have added more than 9 million new jobs.  The number of states where you’re free to marry who you love has more than doubled.  (Applause.) And that’s just some of the progress that you’ve seen while you’ve been studying here at UC Irvine.

But we do face real challenges:  Rebuilding the middle class and reversing inequality’s rise.  Reining in college costs.  Protecting voting rights.  Welcoming the immigrants and young dreamers who keep this country vibrant.  Stemming the tide of violence that guns inflict on our schools.  We’ve got some big challenges.  And if you’re fed a steady diet of cynicism that says nobody is trustworthy and nothing works, and there’s no way we can actually address these problems, then the temptation is too just go it alone, to look after yourself and not participate in the larger project of achieving our best vision of America. 

And I’m here to tell you, don’t believe the cynicism.  Guard against it.  Don’t buy into it.  Today, I want to use one case study to show you that progress is possible and perseverance is critical.  I want to show you how badly we need you -- both your individual voices and your collective efforts -- to give you the chance you seek to change the world, and maybe even save it. 

I’m going to talk about one of the most significant long-term challenges that our country and our planet faces:  the growing threat of a rapidly changing climate. 

Now, this isn’t a policy speech.  I understand it’s a commencement, and I already delivered a long climate address last summer.  I remember because it was 95 degrees and my staff had me do it outside, and I was pouring with sweat -- as a visual aid.  (Laughter.)  And since this is a very educated group, you already know the science.  Burning fossil fuels release carbon dioxide.  Carbon dioxide traps heat.  Levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are higher than they’ve been in 800,000 years. 

We know the trends.  The 18 warmest years on record have all happened since you graduates were born.  We know what we see with our own eyes.  Out West, firefighters brave longer, harsher wildfire seasons; states have to budget for that.  Mountain towns worry about what smaller snowpacks mean for tourism.  Farmers and families at the bottom worry about what it will mean for their water.  In cities like Norfolk and Miami, streets now flood frequently at high tide.  Shrinking icecaps have National Geographic making the biggest change in its atlas since the Soviet Union broke apart.

So the question is not whether we need to act.  The overwhelming judgment of science, accumulated and measured and reviewed over decades, has put that question to rest.  The question is whether we have the will to act before it’s too late.  For if we fail to protect the world we leave not just to my children, but to your children and your children’s children, we will fail one of our primary reasons for being on this world in the first place.  And that is to leave the world a little bit better for the next generation.

Now, the good is you already know all this.  UC Irvine set up the first Earth System Science Department in America.  (Applause.)  A UC Irvine professor-student team won the Nobel Prize for discovering that CFCs destroy the ozone layer.  (Applause.)  A UC Irvine glaciologist’s work led to one of last month’s report showing one of the world’s major ice sheets in irreversible retreat.  Students and professors are in the field working to predict changing weather patterns, fire seasons, and water tables -- working to understand how shifting seasons affect global ecosystems; to get zero-emission vehicles on the road faster; to help coastal communities adapt to rising seas.  And when I challenge colleges to reduce their energy use to 20 percent by 2020, UC Irvine went ahead and did it last year.  Done.  (Applause.)  So UC Irvine is ahead of the curve.  All of you are ahead of the curve. 

Your generation reminds me of something President Wilson once said.  He said, “Sometimes people call me an idealist.  Well, that is the way I know I am an American.”  That’s who we are.  

And if you need a reason to be optimistic about our future, then look around this stadium.  Because today, in America, the largest single age group is 22 years ago.  And you are going to do great things.  And I want you to know that I’ve got your back -- because one of the reasons I ran for this office was because I believed our dangerous addiction to foreign oil left our economy at risk and our planet in peril.  So when I took office, we set out to use more clean energy and less dirty energy, and waste less energy overall. 

And since then, we’ve doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas by the middle of the next decade.  We’ve tripled the electricity we harness from the wind, generating enough last year to power every home in California.  We’ve multiplied the electricity we generate from the sun 10 times over.  And this state, California, is so far ahead of the rest of the country in solar, that earlier this year solar power met 18 percent of your total power demand one day.  (Applause.)

The bottom line is, America produces more renewable energy than ever, more natural gas than anyone.  And for the first time in nearly two decades, we produce more oil here at home than we buy from other countries.  And these advances have created jobs and grown our economy, and helped cut our carbon pollution to levels not seen in about 20 years.  Since 2006, no country on Earth has reduced its total carbon pollution by as much as the United States of America.  (Applause.)

So that’s all reason for optimism.  Here’s the challenge:  We’ve got to do more.  What we’re doing is not enough.  And that’s why, a couple weeks ago, America proposed new standards to limit the amount of harmful carbon pollution that power plants can dump into the air.  And we also have to realize, as hundreds of scientists declared last month, that climate change is no longer a distant threat, but “has moved firmly into the present.”  That’s a quote.  In some parts of the country, weather-related disasters like droughts, and fires, and storms, and floods are going to get harsher and they’re going to get costlier.  And that’s why, today, I’m announcing a new $1 billion competitive fund to help communities prepare for the impacts of climate change and build more resilient infrastructure across the country.  (Applause.)

So it’s a big problem.  But progress, no matter how big the problem, is possible.  That’s important to remember.  Because no matter what you do in life, you’re going to run up against big problems -- in your own personal life and in your communities and in your country.   There’s going to be a stubborn status quo, and there are going to be people determined to stymie your efforts to bring about change.  There are going to be people who say you can’t do something.  There are going to be people who say you shouldn’t bother.  I’ve got some experience in this myself.  (Laughter.)

Now, part of what’s unique about climate change, though, is the nature of some of the opposition to action.  It’s pretty rare that you’ll encounter somebody who says the problem you’re trying to solve simply doesn’t exist.  When President Kennedy set us on a course for the moon, there were a number of people who made a serious case that it wouldn’t be worth it; it was going to be too expensive, it was going to be too hard, it would take too long.  But nobody ignored the science.  I don’t remember anybody saying that the moon wasn’t there or that it was made of cheese.  (Laughter.) 

And today’s Congress, though, is full of folks who stubbornly and automatically reject the scientific evidence about climate change.  They will tell you it is a hoax, or a fad.  One member of Congress actually says the world is cooling.  There was one member of Congress who mentioned a theory involving “dinosaur flatulence” -- which I won’t get into.  (Laughter.)

Now, their view may be wrong -- and a fairly serious threat to everybody’s future -- but at least they have the brass to say what they actually think.  There are some who also duck the question.  They say -- when they’re asked about climate change, they say, “Hey, look, I’m not a scientist.”  And I’ll translate that for you.  What that really means is, “I know that manmade climate change really is happening, but if I admit it, I’ll be run out of town by a radical fringe that thinks climate science is a liberal plot, so I’m not going to admit it.”  (Applause.)

Now, I’m not a scientist either, but we’ve got some really good ones at NASA.  I do know that the overwhelming majority of scientists who work on climate change, including some who once disputed the data, have put that debate to rest.  The writer, Thomas Friedman, recently put it to me this way.  He were talking, and he says, “Your kid is sick, you consult 100 doctors; 97 of them tell you to do this, three tell [you] to do that, and you want to go with the three?”

The fact is, this should not be a partisan issue.  After all, it was Republicans who used to lead the way on new ideas to protect our environment.  It was Teddy Roosevelt who first pushed for our magnificent national parks.  It was Richard Nixon who signed the Clean Air Act and opened the EPA.  George H.W. Bush -- a wonderful man who at 90 just jumped out of a plane in a parachute -- (laughter) -- said that “human activities are changing the atmosphere in unexpected and unprecedented ways.”  John McCain and other Republicans publicly supported free market-based cap-and-trade bills to slow carbon pollution just a few years ago -- before the Tea Party decided it was a massive threat to freedom and liberty. 

These days, unfortunately, nothing is happening.  Even minor energy efficiency bills are killed on the Senate floor.  And the reason is because people are thinking about politics instead of thinking about what’s good for the next generation.  What’s the point of public office if you’re not going to use your power to help solve problems?  (Applause.)     

And part of the challenge is that the media doesn’t spend a lot of time covering climate change and letting average Americans know how it could impact our future.  Now, the broadcast networks’ nightly newscasts spend just a few minutes a month covering climate issues.  On cable, the debate is usually between political pundits, not scientists.  When we introduced those new anti-pollution standards a couple weeks ago, the instant reaction from the Washington’s political press wasn’t about what it would mean for our planet; it was what would it mean for an election six months from now.  And that kind of misses the point.  Of course, they’re not scientists, either.

And I want to tell you all this not to discourage you.  I’m telling you all this because I want to light a fire under you.  As the generation getting shortchanged by inaction on this issue, I want all of you to understand you cannot accept that this is the way it has to be. 

The climate change deniers suggest there’s still a debate over the science.  There is not.  The talking heads on cable news suggest public opinion is hopelessly deadlocked.  It is not.  Seven in ten Americans say global warming is a serious problem.  Seven in ten say the federal government should limit pollution from our power plants.  And of all the issues in a recent poll asking Americans where we think we can make a difference, protecting the environment came out on top.  (Applause.) 

So we’ve got public opinion potentially on our side.  We can do this.  We can make a difference.  You can make a difference.  And the sooner you do, the better -- not just for our climate, but for our economy.  There’s a reason that more than 700 businesses like Apple and Microsoft, and GM and Nike, Intel, Starbucks have declared that “tackling climate change is one of America’s greatest economic opportunities in the 21st century.”  The country that seizes this opportunity first will lead the way.  A low-carbon, clean energy economy can be an engine for growth and jobs for decades to come, and I want America to build that engine.  Because if we do, others will follow.  I want those jobs; I want those opportunities; I want those businesses right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Developing countries are using more and more energy, and tens of millions of people are entering the global middle class, and they want to buy cars and refrigerators.  So if we don’t deal with this problem soon, we’re going to be overwhelmed.  These nations have some of the fastest-rising levels of carbon pollution.  They’re going to have to take action to meet this challenge.  They’re more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than we are.  They’ve got even more to lose.  But they’re waiting to see what does America do.  That’s what the world does.  It waits to watch us act.  And when we do, they move.  And I’m convinced that on this issue, when America proves what’s possible, then they’re going to join us.

And America cannot meet this threat alone.  Of course, the world cannot meet it without America.  This is a fight that America must lead.  So I’m going to keep doing my part for as long as I hold this office and as long as I’m a citizen once out of office.  But we’re going to need you, the next generation, to finish the job.

We need scientists to design new fuels.  We need farmers to help grow them.  We need engineers to invent new technologies.  We need entrepreneurs to sell those technologies.  (Applause.)  We need workers to operate assembly lines that hum with high-tech, zero-carbon components.  We need builders to hammer into place the foundations for a clean energy age.  We need diplomats and businessmen and women, and Peace Corps volunteers to help developing nations skip past the dirty phase of development and transition to sustainable sources of energy.

In other words, we need you.  (Applause.)  We need you.  And if you believe, like I do, that something has to be done on this, then you’re going to have to speak out.  You’re going to have to learn more about these issues.  Even if you’re not like Jessica and an expert, you’re going to have to work on this.  You’re going to have to push those of us in power to do what this American moment demands.  You’ve got to educate your classmates, and colleagues, and family members and fellow citizens, and tell them what’s at stake.  You’ve got to push back against the misinformation, and speak out for facts, and organize others around your vision for the future. 

You need to invest in what helps, and divest from what harms.  And you’ve got to remind everyone who represents you, at every level of government, that doing something about climate change is a prerequisite for your vote.

It’s no accident that when President Kennedy needed to convince the nation that sending Americans into space was a worthy goal, he went to a university.  That’s where he started.  Because a challenge as big as that, as costly as that, as difficult as that, requires a spirit of youth.  It requires a spirit of adventure; a willingness to take risks.  It requires optimism.  It requires hope.  That day, a man told us we’d go to the moon within a decade.  And despite all the naysayers, somehow we knew as a nation that we’d build a spaceship and we’d meet that goal.

That’s because we’re Americans -- and that’s what we do.  Even when our political system is consumed by small things, we are a people called to do big things.  And progress on climate change is a big thing.  Progress won’t always be flashy; it will be measured in disasters averted, and lives saved, and a planet preserved -- and days just like this one, 20 years from now, and 50 years from now, and 100 years from now.  But can you imagine a more worthy goal -- a more worthy legacy -- than protecting the world we leave to our children? 

So I ask your generation to help leave us that legacy.  I ask you to believe in yourselves and in one another, and above all, when life gets you down or somebody tells you you can’t do something, to believe in something better.

There are people here who know what it means to dream.  When Mohamad Abedi was a boy, the suffering he saw in refugee camps in Lebanon didn’t drive him into despair -- it inspired him to become a doctor.  And when he came to America, he discovered a passion for engineering.  So here, at UC Irvine, he became a biomedical engineer to study the human brain.  (Applause.)  And Mohamad said, “Had I never come to the United States, I would have never had the ability to do the work that I’m doing.”  He’s now going to CalTech to keep doing that work.

Cinthia Flores is the daughter of a single mom who worked as a seamstress and a housekeeper.  (Applause.)  The first in her family to graduate from high school.  The first in her family to graduate from college.  And in college, she says, “I learned about myself that I was good at advocating for others, and that I was argumentative -- so maybe I should go to law school.”  And, today, Cinthia is now the first in her family to graduate from law school.  And she plans to advocate for the rights of workers like her mom.  (Applause.)  She says, “I have the great privilege and opportunity to answer the call of my community.”  “The bottom line,” she says, “is being of service.”

On 9/11, Aaron Anderson was a sophomore in college.  Several months later, he was in training for Army Special Forces.  He fought in Afghanistan, and on February 28th, 2006, he was nearly killed by an IED.  He endured dozens of surgeries to save his legs, months of recovery at Walter Reed.  When he couldn’t physically return to active duty, he devoted his time to his brothers in arms, starting two businesses with fellow veterans, and a foundation to help fellow wounded Green Beret soldiers.  And then he went back to school.  And last December, he graduated summa cum laude from UC Irvine.  And Aaron is here today, along with four soon-to-be commissioned ROTC cadets, and 65 other graduating veterans.  And I would ask them to stand and be recognized for their service.  (Applause.) 

The point is, you know how to dream.  And you know how to work for your dreams.  And, yes, sometimes you may be “super underrated.”  But usually it’s the underrated, the underdogs, the dreamers, the idealists, the fighters, the argumentative -- those are the folks who do the biggest things. 

And this generation -- this 9/11 generation of soldiers; this new generation of scientists and advocates and entrepreneurs and altruists -- you’re the antidote to cynicism.  It doesn’t mean you’re not going to get down sometimes.  You will.  You’ll know disillusionment.  You’ll experience doubt.  People will disappoint you by their actions.  But that can’t discourage you.

Cynicism has never won a war, or cured a disease, or started a business, or fed a young mind, or sent men into space.  Cynicism is a choice.  Hope is a better choice.  (Applause.)

Hope is what gave young soldiers the courage to storm a beach and liberate people they never met.

Hope is what gave young students the strength to sit in and stand up and march for women’s rights, and civil rights, and voting rights, and gay rights, and immigration rights. 

Hope is the belief, against all evidence to the contrary, that there are better days ahead, and that together we can build up a middle class, and reshape our immigration system, and shield our children from gun violence, and shelter future generations from the ravages of climate change.

Hope is the fact that, today, the single largest age group in America is 22 years old who are all just itching to reshape this country and reshape the world.  And I cannot wait to see what you do tomorrow.

Congratulations.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Class of 2014.   God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
12:41 P.M. PDT

Weekly Address: The President Wishes America's Dads a Happy Father's Day

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama wished America’s dads a happy Father’s Day and underscored the crucial role fathers play in our society. The President encouraged Americans to support those living without a father figure through initiatives like My Brother’s Keeper.  He also highlighted actions he is taking on behalf of hardworking, responsible dads and moms, such as hosting the first-ever White House Working Families Summit later this month, and called on Congress to do its part to help offer more parents the chance to work hard and provide for their families.   

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
June 14, 2014

Hi, everybody.  Sunday is Father’s Day.  If you haven’t got Dad a gift yet, there’s still time.  Just barely. But the truth is, what we give our fathers can never match what our fathers give us. 

I know how important it is to have a dad in your life, because I grew up without my father around.  I felt the weight of his absence.  So for Michelle and our girls, I try every day to be the husband and father my family didn’t have when I was young.  And every chance I get, I encourage fathers to get more involved in their children’s lives, because what makes you a man isn’t the ability to have a child – it’s the courage to raise one. 

Still, over the past couple years, I’ve met with a lot of young people who don’t have a father figure around.  And while there’s nothing that can replace a parent, any of us can do our part to be a mentor, a sounding board, a role model for a kid who needs one.  Earlier this year, I launched an initiative called My Brother’s Keeper – an all-hands-on-deck effort to help more of our young men reach their full potential.  And if you want to be a mentor to a young man in your community, you can find out how at WhiteHouse.gov/MyBrothersKeeper.

Now, when I launched this initiative, I said that government can’t play the primary role in a young person’s life.  Taking responsibility for being a great parent or mentor is a choice that we, as individuals, have to make.  No government program can ever take the place of a parent’s love.  Still, as a country, there are ways we can help support dads and moms who make that choice. 

That’s why, earlier this week, we brought working dads from across America to the White House to talk about the challenges they face.  And in a few weeks, I’ll hold the first-ever White House Working Families Summit.  We’ve still got too many workplace policies that belong in the 1950s, and it’s time to bring them up to date for today’s families, where oftentimes, both parents are working.  Moms and dads deserve affordable child care, and time off to care for a sick parent or child without running into hardship.  Women deserve equal pay for equal work – and at a time when more women are breadwinners for a family, that benefits men, too.  And because no parent who works full-time should have to raise a family in poverty, it’s time for Congress to follow the lead of state after state, get on the bandwagon, and give America a raise.

Dads work hard.  So our country should do what we can to make sure their hard work pays off; to make sure life for them and their families is a little less stressful, and a little more secure, so they can be the dads their kids need them to be.  Because there’s nothing more precious in life than the time we spend with our children.  There’s no better feeling than knowing that we can be there for them, and provide for them, and help give them every shot at success. 

Let’s make sure every dad who works hard and takes responsibility has the chance to know that feeling, not just on one Sunday, but every day of the year. 

Thanks everybody, happy Father’s Day, and have a great weekend. 

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Erica J. Barks Ruggles – Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda, Department of State
• Brent Robert Hartley – Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia, Department of State
• Donald L. Heflin  – Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde, Department of State
• Earl Robert Miller – Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana, Department of State
• David Pressman – Alternate Representative of the United States for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• John Anderson – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Roger N. Beachy – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Vicki Chandler – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Robert M. Groves – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• James S. Jackson – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Sethuraman Panchanathan– Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Rodney Ewing  – Chairman, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Sue Clark – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Linda Nozick – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Kenneth Peddicord – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Paul Turinsky – Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

President Obama said, “Our nation will be greatly served by the talent and expertise these individuals bring to their new roles. I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Erica J. Barks Ruggles, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda, Department of State
Erica J. Barks Ruggles, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Cape Town, South Africa, a position she has held since 2011.  From 2009 to 2011, she served as Deputy to the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations.  From 2005 to 2008, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the Department of State (DOS).  From 2004 to 2005, Ms. Barks Ruggles was a Member of the Policy Planning Staff in the Office of the Secretary of State.  From 2001 to 2004, she served as the Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway.  From 2000 to 2001, Ms. Barks Ruggles was an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution.  She was the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at DOS from 1999 to 2000, and Director of African Affairs at the National Security Council from 1996 to 1999.  Ms. Barks Ruggles was a Line Officer in the Executive Secretariat at DOS in 1996 and was the Desk Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs from 1994 to 1996. From 1992 to 1994, she served as the Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai (Madras), India.  Ms. Barks Ruggles received a B.A. from Swarthmore College.

Brent Robert Hartley, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia, Department of State
Brent Robert Hartley, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, is currently Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, a position he has held since 2012.  He served as Director for European Security and Political Affairs from 2010 to 2012, Country Director for Pakistan from 2008 to 2010, and Political-Military Counselor in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2008.  From 2006 to 2007, he served as Deputy Director for European Security and Political Affairs.  He was Senior Advisor for International Relations at the National Counterterrorism Center from 2005 to 2006.  Prior to that, he served as Director for Regional Affairs in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism from 2003 to 2005.  Mr. Hartley was also Deputy Political Advisor to the U.S. Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from 2000 to 2002, Political-Military Affairs Officer at the U.S. Mission to NATO from 1999 to 2000, and Senior Desk Officer for Cyprus from 1997 to 1999.  Earlier assignments at the State Department include: Political-Military Officer in the Office of Regional Nuclear Nonproliferation Affairs, Political-Military Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy, Political-Military Officer in the Office of European Security and Political Affairs, and Staff Assistant in the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs.  Mr. Hartley received a B.A. from Hampshire College and an M.S. from the National War College.

Donald L. Heflin, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde, Department of State
Donald L. Heflin, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is the Managing Director of the Visa Office in the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the Department of State, a position he has held since 2012.  He served as Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico from 2009 to 2012, and as Acting Director and Deputy Director of the Office of West African Affairs from 2006 to 2009.  From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Heflin was Deputy Director of the Office of African Regional and Security Affairs.  From 1999 to 2003, he served as Consul at the U.S. Embassy in the United Kingdom.  Prior to that, he served as a Coordination Division Officer in the Visa Office in the Bureau of Consular Affairs from 1997 to 1999.  From 1995 to 1997, he was Rwanda/Burundi Desk Officer in the Office of Central African Affairs.  Mr. Heflin was Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Zambia from 1993 to 1995, and Consul and Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Hermosillo, Mexico from 1992 to 1993.  Mr. Heflin was Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulates in Chennai (Madras), India and Lima, Peru.  Prior to joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1987, Mr. Heflin was as an attorney in Mobile and Huntsville, Alabama.  Mr. Heflin received a B.A. from Birmingham-Southern College, a J.D. from the University of Alabama Law School, and an M.S. from the National War College.

Earl Robert Miller, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana, Department of State
Earl Robert Miller, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, is currently Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa, a position he has held since 2011.  Previously, he served with the Department of State (DOS) as Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in India from 2008 to 2011, Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq from 2007 to 2008, Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia from 2004 to 2007, and Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia from 2000 to 2003.  Before that, he was Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the Boston Field Office of the Diplomatic Security Service from 1998 to 2000 and Regional Security Officer in Botswana from 1995 to 1998.  Since joining DOS in 1987, he also served in the Diplomatic Security Service as Southern Africa Desk Officer, Special Agent in Miami, Assistant Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, and Special Agent in San Francisco.  Mr. Miller was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1985 to 1992, including a six-month tour when recalled to active duty during the Gulf War.  Prior to joining DOS, he served as a U.S. Marine Corps Officer from 1981 to 1984.  Mr. Miller received a B.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

David Pressman, Nominee for Alternate Representative of the United States for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador
David Pressman currently serves as the Counselor to the Permanent Representative at United States Mission to the United Nations, a position he has held since 2013.  From 2011 to 2013, he served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  From 2010 to 2011, Mr. Pressman was detailed from DHS to serve as the Director for War Crimes and Atrocities on the National Security Council at the White House.  From 2009 to 2010, he served as Counselor to the Deputy Secretary at DHS.  Mr. Pressman co-founded the international human rights advocacy organization Not On Our Watch.  From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Pressman served as Special Assistant to Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.  He received a B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Dr. John Anderson, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. John Anderson is currently the President of the Illinois Institute of Technology, a position he has held since 2007.  From 2004 to 2007, Dr. Anderson served as Provost, University Vice President, and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University.  From 1976 to 2004, Dr. Anderson served in various roles at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), most recently as Dean of the College of Engineering from 1996 to 2004.  He also served as Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at CMU from 1983 to 1994 and Director of the Biomedical Engineering Program from 1980 to 1985.  Dr. Anderson was a University Professor at Carnegie Mellon from 1994 to 2004 and was a Professor of Chemical Engineering from 1979 to 2004.  He served as an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at CMU from 1976 to 1979. He began his career as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Cornell University from 1971 to 1976.  Dr. Anderson received a B.Ch.E. from the University of Delaware-Newark and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Dr. Roger N. Beachy, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation< br /> Dr. Roger N. Beachy is currently Founding Executive Director of the World Food Center at the University of California, Davis, a position he has held since January 2014.  In addition to this role, he has served as Professor Emeritus of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) since 2009.  In 2013, Dr. Beachy was Founding Executive Director and CEO of the Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan.  He was the first Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at the Department of Agriculture from 2009 to 2011. He was President of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis from 1999 to 2009. From 1991 to 1998, he led the Division of Plant Biology at The Scripps Research Institute, serving as a Professor of Cell Biology and as Co-director of the International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology.  He was a member of the Biology Department at WUSTL from 1978 to 1991, where he was Professor and Director of the Center for Plant Science and Biotechnology. Dr. Beachy received a B.A. from Goshen College and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

Dr. Vicki Chandler, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. Vicki Chandler is currently the Chief Program Officer for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Science Program, a position she has held since 2009.  Since 1997, Dr. Chandler has held a variety of positions at the University of Arizona, including Director of the BIO5 Institute, Co-Director of the BIO5 Institute, and Associate Director of the BIO5 Institute.  She served as Regents’ Professor from 2003 to 2011, Full Professor in the Molecular Cellular Biology Department and member of the Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics from 1998 to 2011, and Full Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences from 1997 to 2011.  She worked at the University of Oregon from 1985 to 1997, including as Full Professor from 1995 to 1997, Associate Professor from 1990 to 1995, and Assistant Professor from 1985 to 1990.  She was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Plant Biology at Stanford University from 1983 to 1985 and was a Pre-doctoral Trainee in the laboratory of Dr. Keith R. Yamamoto at the University of California, San Francisco from 1978 to 1983.  Dr. Chandler received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Robert M. Groves, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. Robert M. Groves is currently the Provost and Gerard Campbell SJ Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Georgetown University, positions he has held since 2012.  Prior to Georgetown University, Dr. Groves served as Director of the Census at the Department of Commerce from 2009 to 2012. He was a Research Professor at the University of Michigan from 2002 to 2012 and also a Research Professor at the University of Maryland from 1995 to 2012.  Dr. Groves was Director of the University of Michigan Survey Research Center Institute for Social Research from 2001 to 2009. He was the Program Director (Senior Research Scientist) at the University of Michigan Survey Research Center from 1988 to 1995, which included serving as Associate Director of the Census from 1990 to 1992. He received an A.B. from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in Sociology, an M.A. in Statistics, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Dr. James S. Jackson, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. James S. Jackson is currently a Research Professor and Director of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, positions he has held since 2005.  He has served in a variety of roles at the University of Michigan since 1971.  He is also the University of Michigan’s Daniel Katz Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, a Faculty Associate in the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, and Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies, positions he has held since 1995, 2001, and 2011, respectively.  He served on the Councils of the National Institute on Aging from 2005 to 2008 and the National Institute of Mental Health from 1989 to 1993.  Dr. Jackson was elected the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science in 2012.  He was chosen as a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology in 2009, the Gerontological Society of America in 1991, and the American Psychological Association in 1989.  Dr. Jackson received a B.S. from Michigan State University, an M.A. from the University of Toledo, and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University.

Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan is the Senior Vice President of the Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development at Arizona State University (ASU), a position he has held since 2011.  Since 1998, Dr. Panchanathan has held a number of positions at Arizona State University.  He has been a foundation chair professor in Computing and Informatics since 2009 and a founding Director of the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing since 2001.  Dr. Panchanathan founded the ASU School of Computing and Informatics in 2006 and the Department of Biomedical Informatics in 2005.  Prior to working for ASU, Dr. Panchanathan served at the University of Ottawa as a founding Director of the Visual Computing and Communications Laboratory from 1990 to 1997, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 1994 to 1997, and Assistant Professor from 1989 to 1994.  He worked as a Data Communication Engineer for International Software India Limited in Chennai (Madras), India in 1986.  Dr. Panchanathan received a B.Sc. from the University of Madras, a B.E. from the Indian Institute of Science, an M.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Dr. Rodney Ewing, Appointee for Chairman, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Dr. Rodney Ewing is currently the Chairman and a Member of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, positions he has held since 2012 and 2011, respectively.  Dr. Ewing became the Frank Stanton Professor in Nuclear Security in the Center for International Security and Cooperation and a Professor of Geological and Environmental Sciences in the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University in 2014.  Prior to his current positions at Stanford, he held faculty appointments at the University of Michigan in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering from 2008 to 2013, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences from 1997 to 2013, and Geological Sciences from 1997 to 2013.  From 2010 to 2011, Dr. Ewing served as a visiting professor in the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University.  Dr. Ewing has been an Emeritus Regents' Professor at the University of New Mexico since 1997.  He held a number of position at the University of New Mexico from 1974 to 1997, including Adjunct Professor of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Regents’ Professor, Associate and Assistant Professor, and Chair of the Department of Geology.  Dr. Ewing received a B.S. from Texas Christian University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Sue Clark, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Sue Clark is a Regents Professor of Chemistry at Washington State University, a position she has held since 2010. She is currently a Member of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, where she has served since 2011.  She has held a variety of positions at Washington State University, including Interim Dean of the College of Sciences in 2010, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in 2008, Departmental Chairperson of the Chemistry Department from 2004 to 2007, E.R. Meyer Distinguished Professor from 2000 to 2002, and Assistant Professor from 1996 to 2000.  Prior to joining Washington State University, Dr. Clark was an Assistant Research Ecologist at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory from 1992 to 1996.  From 1991 to 1996, she was an adjunct assistant professor in the Environmental Systems Engineering Department at Clemson University.  From 1989 to 1992, Dr. Clark served as a senior scientist in the Interim Waste Technology Division at the Westinghouse Savannah River Laboratory.  Dr. Clark received a B.S. from Lander College and an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.

Linda Nozick, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Linda Nozick is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University and Director of Cornell University’s College Program in Systems Engineering, positions she has held since 2004 and 2009, respectively. She has served as a Member of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board since 2011.  Prior to this, she served at Cornell University as Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1998 to 2004 and Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1992 to 1998.  Dr. Nozick served on two NRC-National Academy of Engineering panels to assist the Department of Energy on the renewal of its infrastructure from 2002 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2008.  Dr. Nozick received a B.S. from The George Washington University and an M.S.E and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Kenneth Peddicord, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Dr. Kenneth Peddicord is the Director of the Nuclear Power Institute at Texas A&M University, a position he has held since 2007. He is currently a Member of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, a position he has held since 2012.  He held a number of positions at Texas A&M University between 1983 and 2007, including Director of the Nuclear Power Institute, Director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, Senior Associate Dean for Research, and Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal Relations.  Prior to this, Dr. Peddicord served at Oregon State University as an Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering from 1979 to 1982 and as an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering from 1975 to 1979.  He was a Research Nuclear Engineer at the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research in Switzerland from 1972 to 1975.  Earlier in his career, he worked as a Research Assistant at the Nuclear Engineering Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Peddicord received a B.S.M.E. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Paul Turinsky, Appointee for Member, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Dr. Paul Turinsky is Chief Scientist at the Innovation Hub for Modeling and Simulation of Nuclear Reactors at the Department of Energy, a position he has held since 2010.  He has also been a Professor of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University since 1980.  Dr. Turinsky is a Member of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, a position he has held since 2012.  Dr. Turinsky served as the Head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State University from 1999 to 2006 and from 1980 to 1988.  Prior to this, Dr. Turinsky worked for Westinghouse Electric in a variety of positions, including Manager of Product Development from 1978 to 1980, Manager of Nuclear Design from 1975 to 1978, a Fellow Engineer from 1974 to 1975, and Senior Engineer from 1973 to 1974.  He was an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1970 to 1973.  Dr. Turinsky received a B.S. from the University of Rhode Island, an M.S.E and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.

President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Five to Serve on the United States District Courts

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Wendy Beetlestone, Victor Allen Bolden, Mark A. Kearney, Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., and Gerald J. Pappert to serve on the United States District Courts.

“I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench,” President Obama said.  “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Courts.”

Wendy Beetlestone:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Wendy Beetlestone is a shareholder at Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, where she litigates a variety of commercial matters before both federal and state courts.  Prior to joining the law firm in 2005, Beetlestone served as General Counsel of the School District of Philadelphia from 2002 to 2005.  From 1994 to 2002, she worked at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, becoming a partner at the firm in 2001.  Beetlestone began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge Robert S. Gawthrop, III, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1993 to 1994.  She received her J.D. in 1993 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her B.A. with honors in 1984 from Liverpool University. 

Victor Allen Bolden:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
Victor Allen Bolden has served as the Corporation Counsel for the City of New Haven since 2009.  He previously worked at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., serving as General Counsel from 2005 to 2009 and as Assistant Counsel from 1994 to 2000.  From 2000 to 2005, Bolden worked at the law firm Wiggin & Dana, where he handled a wide range of commercial litigation matters.  He began his legal career at the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, where he worked as a Staff Attorney from 1990 to 1994 and as a Marvin Karpatkin Fellow from 1989 to 1990.  Bolden received his J.D. in 1989 from Harvard Law School and his A.B. in 1986 from Columbia University.

Mark A. Kearney:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Mark A. Kearney is a shareholder at Elliott Greenleaf & Siedzikowski, P.C. in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, where he handles complex commercial litigation before both federal and state courts.  He joined the law firm as an associate in 1990 and was promoted to shareholder in 1995.  Previously, Kearney worked at Elliott Mannino & Flaherty, P.C. from 1988 to 1990 and clerked for Vice Chancellor Maurice A. Hartnett, III, of the Delaware Court of Chancery from 1987 to 1988.  Kearney received his J.D. in 1987 from Villanova University School of Law and his B.A. with honors in 1984 from Villanova University. 

Joseph F. Leeson, Jr.:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., has been a partner at Leeson, Leeson & Leeson in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania since joining the firm in 1980, where his practice has focused on civil litigation.  In addition, Leeson has been an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association since 1981.  Throughout his legal career, Leeson has served as a solicitor for several local municipalities in Pennsylvania.  Leeson received his J.D. in 1980 from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and his B.A. cum laude in 1977 from DeSales University. 

Gerald J. Pappert:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Gerald J. Pappert has been a partner at Cozen O’Connor since 2012.  He also currently serves as the Chair of the Pennsylvania Banking and Securities Commission.  Previously, Pappert was Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Cephalon, Inc. from 2008 to 2012 and a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP from 2005 to 2008.  Pappert served as the Attorney General of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2005 and as the First Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania from 1997 to 2003.  He began his legal career working at Duane Morris LLP from 1988 to 1997.  Pappert received his J.D. in 1988 from the University of Notre Dame Law School and his B.A. cum laude in 1985 from Villanova University.