In a design that reflects the strength of regional industry, the engineering curriculum at George Mason revolves around information sciences rather than the physical sciences as is traditionally the case at American engineering schools. Merten said engineering education is based at George Mason's "School of Information Technology and Engineering" because the programs there are geared to help students pursue careers with local information technology companies. Information technology companies in the Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia region include America Online, Comsat and MCI.

Merten said it is critical that university presidents have a clear understanding of how information technology should work for their schools. He said decision making on information technology planning and purchases can no longer be delegated to others by school presidents or chief executives, a practice he sees common in both higher education and business.

After twenty-seven years of full-time teaching and administrating, Merten appears well-prepared to guide to George Mason into a leading role among American universities in the information technology arena. Merten earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics at the University of Wisconsin, a master's degree in computer science at Stanford University, and doctorate in computer science at the University of Wisconsin. He has held teaching and administrative positions at the University of Michigan, the University of Florida and Cornell University.

"Merten is a strong advocate of education, possesses impressive leadership skills and has a proven ability to work well with a wide range of people. George Mason University is fortunate to have such an outstanding leader as we face the challenges of the next century," said Stanley Harrison, rector of the board of visitors at George Mason University.

Who Has Computers?

                       Percent with
Family Income       Computers in the Home
< 20,000                 9.2
20,000 - 29,999         18.5
30,000 - 39,999         26.5
40,000 - 49,999         35.2
50,000 - 74,999         47.3
75,000 and above        62.8

                        Percent with
Gender               Computers in the Home
Male                    36.2
Female                  36.0

                        Percent with
Race                 Computers in the Home
White                   43.3
Black                   16.1
Hispanic                15.2

                        Percent with
Age                  Computers in the Home

< 25                     30.8
25 - 29                  23.4
30 - 39                  30.7
40 - 49                  36.4
50 - 59                  27.1
60 and above             10.5

COPYRIGHT 1997 Cox, Matthews & Associates

© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com