Hyde Park resident Walter E. Massey, Ph.D. will receive the Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The prestigious award honors science and technology leaders who have made substantial contributions to the welfare of the nation through public service in science, technology, and public policy.
Massey has had an extensive career as a leader in the fields of science and technology. He is a former professor from the University of Chicago and a former director of Argonne National Laboratory. He is also president emeritus of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, he has served as NSF director and he has held executive leadership roles at Brown University and the University of California. Currently, he serves as a senior advisor to the president of the University of Chicago and as chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization.
In addition to his contributions to STEM fields, Dr. Massey has been a lifelong advocate of student success in the arts. He is particularly interested in the intersections between the arts and sciences and how exposure to both prepares students for future success and contributes to a more creative and dynamic society. Additionally, he is the only person to ever serve as both president and chairman of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and as chair of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. He had received both the Enrico Fermi Award for Science and Technology from the Chicago Historical Society and the Public Humanities Award from Illinois Humanities.
“Knowing so many of the previous Vannevar Bush awardees, and all that they have accomplished, I feel so honored to be included in their company,” Dr. Massey said. “Having served on the National Science Board and as National Science Foundation director, I fully recognize the significance of the award, and I will accept with a great deal of pride and humility.”
Dr. Massey is a graduate of Morehouse College where he studied theoretical physics. He holds a Ph.D. in physics from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Massey will receive the award on May 14 at the NSF annual award ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Walter E. Massey (born April 5, 1938) is an American educator, physicist, and executive. He is president emeritus of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) since 2018 and previously served as its president beginning in 2010 and chancellor in 2016. He is also chairman of the board overseeing construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, and serves as trustee chair of the City Colleges of Chicago. Massey's career had earlier seen him serve for over 10 years as president of Morehouse College. He is also a former head of the National Science Foundation, managing director of Argonne National Laboratory, and chairman of Bank of America. He has served in professorial and administrative posts at the University of California, University of Chicago, Brown University, and the University of Illinois.
Throughout his more than forty years of professional life, Massey has been guided by two overarching principles: first, that science and technology are necessary to sustain the nation's quality of life and the standard of living of its citizens; and, second, that the general public's understanding of science and technology is a critical component of a democratic society. Massey's commitment to these principles has, among other areas of advocacy, additionally led him to be a proponent of the need for a strong system of national science education, as well as the need to enhance the representation of women and minorities in science and technology.
Massey has focused on arts and design education at the college and K-12 levels, working to improve student access to the arts and to highlight the important role they play in fostering student creativity and achievement. Massey is particularly interested in the intersections between the arts and sciences and in the ways broad exposure to both prepares students for future success and contributes to a more creative and dynamic society.
Reflecting his diverse array of experience, Massey is the only individual to serve as both President and Chairman of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and as Chair of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). Additionally, Massey is the only individual to have received both the Enrico Fermi Award for Science and Technology from the Chicago Historical Society and the Public Humanities Award from Illinois Humanities.