[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 145 (Tuesday, November 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING JOSEPH A. STEGER AS HE ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT AS PRESIDENT 
                    OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 12, 2002

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joseph Steger, a 
friend and constituent, who will retire as president of the University 
of Cincinnati next year.
  Dr. Steger has been president of U.C. for more than eighteen years, 
beginning his service on July 6, 1984. He has served longer than any of 
U.C.'s former presidents except one, and his accomplishments on behalf 
of the University have been described as nothing short of phenomenal.
  His success touched every segment of the University, from academics 
and research to fundraising. Dr. Steger brought the University into the 
digital age. Credited with bringing the Internet into the University's 
academic programs, Dr. Steger created a $1.5 million fund to help the 
faculty to adapt the new technology to the school's programs.
  Under his direction, the University became a research powerhouse. 
Research funding quadrupled to more than $260 million, and the 
University's important National Science Foundation research ranking 
rose from 76 to 47. It was Dr. Steger who pioneered the international 
co-op program because, he said, a world class university should have a 
global presence. The University signed affiliation agreements with more 
than fifty universities from China to France, and he introduced 
requirements for language and cultural studies.
  Dr. Steger believed the university should operate more like a private 
institution, so he worked to increase fundraising from $15 million 
annually to $73 million in the most recent fiscal year. During his 
tenure, the University's endowment grew from $150 million to nearly $1 
billion. He initiated major physical changes to the campus, including 
new academic and research buildings designed by world renowned 
architects.
  Dr. Steger graduated from Gettysburg College and earned his masters 
and doctoral degrees from Kansas State University. After working for 
Prudential Life Insurance, Dr. Steger began his academic career at the 
State University of New York-Albany, where he was named Outstanding 
Educator of the State University of New York System. He went on to 
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where he served as 
professor, vice president for administration and budget, and later dean 
and acting provost. Dr. Steger was director of organizational 
development and human resources for New York-based Colt Industries Inc. 
when he was named provost of the University of Cincinnati in 1982.
  Joe Steger and his wife, Carol, are a formidable team. We hope they 
will stay in our area.
  All of us in Greater Cincinnati appreciate the remarkable 
contributions of Dr. Steger. We will miss him as president of the 
University and we wish him great success in the new challenges to come.

                          ____________________