The Business-Higher Education Forum Announces New Leadership ― William E. Kirwan, II, to serve as chair and Wes Bush to be vice chair

Washington, DC (June 28, 2011) —The Business-Higher Education Forum’s (BHEF) inducted its new leadership for 2011-2012 during its summer member meeting. William E. ("Brit") Kirwan, II, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, will lead the organization as its new chair, and Wes Bush, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation, will serve as vice chair. Kirwan succeeds William Swanson, chairman and CEO, Raytheon Company, as BHEF chair.

“BHEF is fortunate, indeed, to have two talented and visionary individuals like Brit and Wes to lead the organization,” said BHEF CEO, Brian Fitzgerald.  “They assume BHEF’s leadership at an important juncture, when the organization is building on successes achieved in its initiatives in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education; and in strengthening college readiness, access, and success.  Their expertise and leadership will be immensely valuable to these efforts, particularly as BHEF launches a new STEM Higher Education and Workforce Project that will seek to strengthen STEM undergraduate and graduate education, and grow a more diverse pipeline of STEM capable students and workers.  Never have business and higher education leadership been more important to the country in addressing these challenges.”

 “I am delighted to serve as chair of BHEF and want to express my personal appreciation to Bill Swanson for his extraordinary leadership as chair during the past year,” Kirwan said.  “Through Bill’s leadership and that of his predecessors, BHEF has emerged as an important voice in the public policy debate about improving education.  Through research, data analysis, and innovative tools such as modeling, BHEF brings to bear national resources to provide evidence-based solutions to education problems locally.  Today’s challenges in STEM education, as well as in college readiness, access and success, need the leadership of both the business sector and the education community nationally and locally.  I am honored to lead BHEF at this important time.”

Responding to his election as vice chair, Bush said, “I welcome this opportunity to work with Brit, BHEF’s board and its staff to help address our nation’s key education priorities.  This work is fundamental to our nation’s competitiveness and to our current and future workforce, particularly for businesses dependent upon STEM talent.  These issues are vitally important and I want to do my part to contribute to their solutions.”     

About William E. Kirwan, II
William E. (Brit) Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland since 2002, is a nationally respected authority on critical issues shaping the higher education landscape. He served as president of Ohio State University for four years (1998-2002) and as president of the University of Maryland, College Park, for 10 years (1988-1998).

Currently, Dr. Kirwan chairs the National Research Council Board of Higher Education and Workforce, chairs the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center Advisory Committee, and co-chairs the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

In Maryland, Dr. Kirwan co-chairs the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Governing Board, and is a member of the Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council, the Governor's International Advisory Board and the Maryland Economic Development Commission. He also is a member of several boards, including those of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Greater Baltimore Committee, and the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education.

In 2010, Dr. Kirwan was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), which advises the U.S. Secretary of Education on accreditation issues and certification processes for colleges and universities. (deleting this here because it’s now included above).  Dr. Kirwan is a past board chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and of the American Council on Education, and former vice chair of the Business-Higher Education Forum. He was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a member of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century and chaired the National Research Council's Commission on the Mathematical Sciences in the Year 2000, which produced the report titled Moving Beyond Myths: Revitalizing Undergraduate Mathematics, National Academy Press (1991).  President Bush appointed Dr. Kirwan to the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 2000.  

Among his many honors and awards are the 2010 TIAA-CREF Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence, the 2009 Carnegie Corporation Leadership Award, and the 2008 Reginald H. Jones Distinguished Service Award from the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).  In 2002, he was elected as a fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2007, Dr. Kirwan became the 16th recipient of the Maryland House of Delegates Speakers' Medallion in recognition of his service to the House and to the State of Maryland. He also received the Maryland Senate's First Citizen Award in 1998, in recognition of his commitment and service to the state.
 
Dr. Kirwan received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Kentucky and his master's and doctoral degrees in mathematics from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 1962 and 1964 respectively.

About Wes Bush
Wes Bush is chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Bush assumed the role of chief executive officer and president in January 2010. He was elected to the company’s Board of Directors in 2009 and also serves on the company’s corporate policy council.  

Bush most recently served as the president and chief operating officer of the company. Previously he served as the corporate vice president and chief financial officer, and, before that, as the president of the company’s Space Technology sector. Prior to the acquisition of TRW by Northrop Grumman, he had served since 2001 as president and chief executive officer for TRW’s UK-based global Aeronautical Systems.  

Bush joined TRW in 1987 as a systems engineer, and served in engineering, program management and business development roles in TRW’s Space & Electronics business. Prior to joining TRW, he held engineering positions with both the Aerospace Corporation and Comsat Labs.

Bush earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also completed the University of California, Los Angeles’ Executive Management Program. In addition to BHEF, Bush serves on boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and Conservation International.  In 2008, he was appointed to serve on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.