Rutgers ready for Whitman's new technology initiatives
Archived article from Jan 21, 2000
By Douglas Frank
Rutgers officials welcomed the high-technology initiatives introduced by Gov. Christine Todd Whitman in her State of the State address Jan. 11, including a $165 million economic package that would spur high-tech business growth and create new jobs.
Noting that education is "the linchpin of economic expansion," Whitman dedicated $15 million to "challenge our colleges and universities to produce the high-tech work force of tomorrow," and $10 million in research grants to challenge institutions to match that amount with funding from the federal government.
Universities will play a leading role in the new economy, added Whitman, "not only in generating high-tech workers but also in launching high-tech ventures."
President Francis L. Lawrence praised the governor's technology initiatives and said they speak "volumes about her vision for a creative partnership to address the state's economic development priorities as we enter the new century."
"The future direction of the state's economy is closely dependent on the growth of the high- technology sectors and their associated labor force and higher educational requirements," Lawrence added. "The governor's initiative is well-conceived and precisely on target for ensuring the future economic well-being of New Jersey."
Joseph J. Seneca, university vice president for academic affairs, said Rutgers "stands ready to help provide the critical research and training necessary to realize the governor's vision of a new economy bolstered by high technology."
"This is the best economy in a generation," Seneca added. "We must continue to emphasize via public policy the link of higher education and high-technology industry and build on the state's research strengths."
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