[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 126 (Wednesday, October 11, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H9803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA SCIENTISTS RECEIVE NOBEL PRIZES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to excellence on 
the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara.
  As Members of the House may know, the Nobel Prizes for chemistry and 
physics were awarded this week to two brilliant members of this 
wonderful university in my congressional district. I want to take this 
opportunity to congratulate Professors Alan Heeger and Herbert Kroemer 
for their outstanding work.
  Herbert Kroemer, an engineering professor, was awarded the Nobel 
Prize for Physics for helping to develop cutting edge laser technology. 
This technology is widely used today in the Internet's fiberoptics 
network and consumer goods like CD players, bar code readers and laser 
pointers. His work has given us the communication tools that are 
powering our new economy and helping America to dominate the world in 
technology.
  Professor Kroemer has been at UCSB since 1976. Prior to that, he 
worked in research labs in the United States, in Germany, and at the 
University of Colorado.
  Arriving at UCSB, he persuaded his department to focus its research 
efforts on emerging compound semiconductor technology and helped the 
University to become a leader in this field. We are grateful for his 
foresight and dedication.
  Physics Professor Alan Heeger won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Many 
people believe that his work on electrically conducting plastics will 
revolutionize computing. It is expected that this new field of 
chemistry will provide ways to produce flat-screen TVs, plastic roll-up 
computer screens, and molecular computers smaller than watches.
  Professor Heeger has been at UC Santa Barbara since 1982. He has also 
taught at universities in Pennsylvania, Utah, and in Geneva. He has won 
numerous awards, including an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and a John 
Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. His lifetime dedication and 
work has developed a new field of study, and enormous new 
opportunities, at the intersection of physics and chemistry.
  A member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences noted that these 
two prizes are about the electronics of today and the electronics of 
the future. I certainly agree.
  Mr. Speaker, these two gentlemen reflect the high quality of research 
and instruction found throughout the University of California system 
and especially in my heart at the University at Santa Barbara.
  UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry Yang noted yesterday that 
Professors Heeger's and Kroemer's work are examples of the kind of 
interdisciplinary research that are a hallmark at this campus, UC Santa 
Barbara. I know that the central coast of California reaps the benefits 
of this wonderful institution on a daily basis.
  I have a long history with UC Santa Barbara. My husband was a 
religious studies professor there for more than 30 years, and that was 
before he came here to Congress. I received my master's in education 
there a few years back, and our son is also a graduate of UC Santa 
Barbara. Many of my staff were students there as well. It is a 
wonderful institution which has opened the doors of opportunity to 
millions of people, both young and old.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Professor Kroemer, Professor Heeger for 
this tremendous recognition and for the extremely wonderful 
contributions they have made to the University of California at Santa 
Barbara and to our society. The entire central coast is proud of their 
achievements and proud that they call UCSB home.

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