[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1598-S1599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO DR. ALAN S. RUDOLPH
Mr. BENNET. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the
extraordinary public service career of Dr. Alan S. Rudolph as he
concludes his tenure as vice president for research at Colorado State
University--CSU--one of the Nation's top research universities.
Dr. Rudolph received his undergraduate degree from the University of
Michigan, an MBA at George Washington University, and a doctorate in
zoology from the University of California, Davis. As a National
Research Council postdoctoral fellow, his work at the U.S. Naval
Research Laboratory NRL showed how we can learn from organisms that
survive extreme environments to protect biosensors and blood products
for use in the field.
Following his time at the NRL, he was recruited to join the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency--DARPA--as chief of biological
[[Page S1599]]
sciences and technology, where he led new strategic efforts for
investments in biosciences and biotechnology. He led seminal programs
in biorobotics, including starting the design and prototype of Spot,
the Boston Dynamics robotic dog, and brain machine interfaces, where he
led new programs in brain-controlled prosthetics.
In 2003, he left civil service for the private sector to start new
corporate biotechnology efforts with Adlyfe, an Alzheimer's diagnostics
company, and Cellphire, Inc., which freeze dries blood products. In
2010, Dr. Rudolph was recruited by the Obama administration and
inducted into the Senior Executive Service to lead the Department of
Defense Biodefense Program as Director of the Joint Science and
Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. At the Pentagon,
Dr. Rudolph invested in broad programs to protect the Nation, including
new antibody treatments that saved the lives of three Americans in the
U.S. during the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Dr. Rudolph concluded his 17-
year civil service career leading the Department of Homeland Security's
Chemical and Biological Science and Technology Office.
In 2012, through an international research foundation started by Dr.
Rudolph, he led a project across over 30 countries to demonstrate the
application of brain technology to help injured patients relearn their
ability to walk in the Walk Again Project. The trial culminated at the
opening of the World Cup in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where a paraplegic
opened the world games by kicking a ball onto the pitch with a new
prosthetic under brain control.
Dr. Rudolph's outstanding public service continued when he became
vice president for research at Colorado State University in Fort
Collins, CO, in 2013. At Colorado State, he oversaw record-breaking
annual research expenditures approaching $500 million annually and
representing 38 percent of the university's overall budget. During his
service, he doubled the number of specialized centers and institutes,
including the Center for Healthy Aging, One Health Institute, and Data
Science Research Institute, and catalyzed other partnerships in mental
wellness, climate adaptation, and agricultural sustainability. Today,
CSU ranks among the top tier of research universities in the United
States.
Dr. Rudolph has served on numerous executive-level committees and
advisory boards. He was a member of the executive board for the
Colorado BioScience Association, board member at Innosphere Ventures,
and chairman of the board of CO-Labs, which represents 30 Federal
research laboratories in the front range. He was on the board of the
Colorado Energy Research Collaboratory and the Colorado Department of
Education's Higher Research Alliance.
Dr. Rudolph has been recognized for his public service, including a
meritorious civil service citation from the Office of the Secretary of
Defense for his contributions to life sciences and national security
investments. He also won numerous research awards for his scholarly
publications in blood research and tissue engineering.
Dr. Rudolph has performed outstanding Federal service, showing an
unwavering commitment to promoting science in service of the public,
and has earned the trust and utmost respect of his colleagues and the
citizens of Colorado.
I am pleased to honor Alan S. Rudolph's distinguished service and
want to express a deep appreciation for his dedication, sacrifice, and
outstanding service to his country in the name of science and
education.
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