Dr. Steve Stice, Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar at the University of Georgia, gave the ninth annual Harold W. Gegenheimer Lecture on Innovation at the end of October 2003. He presented a very interesting lecture on Cloning Technology at a Crossroad: Raelians or Real Science? He talked about advances and innovations made in cloning, such as the production of safer and cheaper drugs through cloned animals. He said that as is the case with any technological advance, there have been setbacks and we will need to decide whether the potential benefits of cloning outweigh the risks. To listen to Dr. Stice's lecture, go to our home page at www.me.gatech.edu and click on the Gegenheimer Lecture icon. Dr. Stice's research focuses on developing innovative animal cloning and stem cell technologies. He produced the first cloned rabbit in 1987 and the first cloned transgenic calves in 1988. He holds 14 patents and six patent applications.

Dr. John Brooks Slaughter, the 2003 Woodruff Distinguished Lecturer, talked about The Search for Excellence and Equity in Higher Education: A Perspective from an Engineer. He said, "There is an inevitable divergence between the desire for selectivity and the goal of diversity in higher education. Historically, matters of diversity and pluralism have not been highly visible on the radar screens of science and engineering departments in our nation's colleges and universities and the relative absence of women and minorities in and in front of the classrooms and laboratories is one indication of this reality. America requires all of the scientific and engineering talent it can muster to maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace of ideas and artifacts."

Dr. Slaughter is the fifth president and CEO of NACME - The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. He has a long and illustrious career as a leader in the education, engineering, and scientific communities. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an eminent member of the Tau Beta Pi Honorary Engineering Society.

For a complete biography of Dr. Slaughter and to listen to the webcast of his lecture, view www.me.gatech.edu and open the George Woodruff icon. A transcript of his stimulating lecture is now available.