I am pleased to welcome everyone, in particular, our two nominees, Mr. Bracy and Dr. Noonan. I also welcome Senators McCain and Warner, who will introduce Mr. Bracy; Senator Graham, a member of the Committee, will introduce Dr. Noonan.
It is my pleasure to report that both nominees have impressive backgrounds and are highly-qualified for the positions before them. Terrence Bracy initially was appointed by President Clinton to the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Foundation in 1994 and has been nominated by the President to serve a second term on the Board. Mr. Bracy also was elected the first Chair of the Foundation's Board.
Mr. Bracy currently is the Chief Executive Officer of Bracy Williams & Company, a Washington-based consultancy with a clientele that includes Fortune 500 companies, major U.S. cities, Native American Tribes, Asian and European concerns, and the U.S. Government. Prior to this position, Mr. Bracy served in a number of capacities, including as a legislative assistant to Congressman Udall from 1966-1976. In this position, he played an important role
In the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Act, the Campaign Reform Acts of 1971 and 1974, and numerous other environmental bills. In addition, Mr. Bracy, who holds an undergraduate degree from St. Louis University and a Master of Arts degree in Government from the University of Arizona, has been published in many well-respected journals and has appeared as a guest lecturer at the Brookings Institute and Harvard University.
The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by Congress in 1992 as a non-profit organization committed to educating a new generation of Americans to preserve and protect their national heritage by the recruitment and preparation of individuals skilled in effective environmental public policy conflict resolution. Thus far, 125 undergraduate students throughout the U.S. have been named Morris K. Udall scholars and have been awarded scholarships up to $5000. Just this year, the Foundation has been given a new mission by the Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Act of 1998. The Foundation will serve as an executive branch resource to solve important environmental disputes without resorting to litigation.
Dr. Noonan is nominated to be the EPA's Assistant Administrator for Research and Development. The Assistant Administrator for Research and Development serves as the principal science advisor to the Administrator and is responsible for the development, direction, and conduct of national research, development, and demonstration programs in various areas, including pollution sources and health and welfare effects. In addition, the person in this position advises the Administrator on pollution prevention and control, waste management and utilization technology, environmental sciences, and monitoring systems. Dr. Noonan also has an impressive background. Since 1992, she has served as the Dean of the Graduate School and is currently Vice President for Research at the Florida Institute of Technology. From 1987 to 1992, Dr. Noonan was Chief of the Science and Space Programs Branch of the Energy and Science Division, Office of Management and Budget. In addition, she served as an American Chemical Society Congressional Service Fellow for the Senate Commerce Committee and as an expert consultant for the congressional subcommittee on Science, Research, and Technology. Dr. Noonan, who received her B.A. summa cum laude in zoology from the University of Vermont, and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in cell biology from Princeton University, is a Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Cell Biology, Sigma Xi, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Both positions pose challenges, but I am confident that both Mr. Bracy and Dr. Noonan are prepared to face what is required of them. I look forward to hearing what today's nominees have to say about their backgrounds and what they hope to accomplish, if confirmed.
After we hear the statements of Senator Baucus and other Committee members, we will hear from Senators McCain, Warner, and Graham, followed by Mr. Bracy and Dr. Noonan.