[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 69 (Tuesday, May 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING GMU PRESIDENT ALAN MERTEN ON HIS RETIREMENT

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 15, 2012

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. 
Alan G. Merten and to congratulate him on the occasion of his 
retirement following a distinguished, 16-year tenure as president of 
George Mason University.
  Dr. Merten was Mason's fifth president, and under his leadership the 
University developed the culture, academics and reputation of a unique 
and world-class institution of higher learning. There are many examples 
of its growth and enhanced prestige, but I would like to cite a few 
statistics that speak to the caliber of excellence Dr. Merten has 
helped build at Mason. U.S. News and World Report ranks George Mason 
138th among the best universities in the nation. Incoming freshman now 
average a 3.6 GPA, up from 3.0 in 1996. Mason's student body has grown 
to more than 32,000. While GMU was founded as a branch of the 
University of Virginia, it became an independent institution in 1972 
and now is the largest university in the Commonwealth. Dr. Merten's 
success cultivating new funding opportunities and promoting the fields 
of information technology and biological sciences have sparked an 
increase in annual research funding from $28 million in 1996 to more 
than $100 million today.
  When he steps down next month, Dr. Merten will conclude a career in 
higher education that has spanned more than four decades of service at 
numerous institutions. Dr. Merten holds an undergraduate degree in 
mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, a master's degree in 
computer science from Stanford University, and a PhD in computer 
science from the University of Wisconsin. He began his career in 1970 
as an associate professor of industrial and operations engineering at 
the University of Michigan. He later served as an associate dean in the 
Michigan Business School where he was responsible for executive 
education and computing services. After serving for three years as the 
dean of the College of Business at the University of Florida, Dr. 
Merten accepted the deanship of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate 
School of Management at Cornell University in 1989. In 1996, he 
accepted the position of President at GMU.
  Dr. Merten is a well respected figure in the Northern Virginia 
community who has used his considerable and diverse talents to raise 
the profile of the University and our community. Throughout his tenure, 
Dr. Merten has expanded GMU's partnership with the regional business 
community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington 
Board of Trade and the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and he was 
a member of the Virginia Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher 
Education. His tireless efforts advocating on behalf of the university 
in local, state, and federal government have earned him a reputation as 
a champion of higher education. After his retirement, Dr. Merten will 
continue to serve George Mason and our community in other capacities, 
as well as spend more time with his wife Sally, daughter Melissa, son 
Eric and four grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking Dr. Alan G. 
Merten for his tremendous contributions to George Mason University and 
the higher education community. I consider Dr. Merten a dear friend and 
wish him, his wife and family the best as he moves into retirement. 
Thanks to his leadership, the University and Northern Virginia are well 
positioned for future growth and success.

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