President Hockfield stresses innovation in speech to U.S. governors
MIT President Susan Hockfield delivered a keynote address at the annual meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA), which began today in Salt Lake City. The NGA — composed of the governors of the 50 U.S. states, three territories and two commonwealths — is a public-policy organization that, since 1908, has represented the interests of states on Capitol Hill and shared best practices among governors. The 103rd annual meeting, held July 15-17, has as its focus “states’ role in supporting education, fostering innovation and increasing competitiveness.” Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, chair of the NGA, invited Hockfield to speak about how universities can nurture economic growth through collaboration with government and the private sector. Gregoire convened the plenary session today and introduced Hockfield, saying, “Susan Hockfield … has been a tireless advocate for innovation. … She believes strongly in translating research into practice, tech transfer [and] harnessing the university's collective knowledge...