Robert J. Birgeneau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert J. Birgeneau
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Birgeneau in May 2016
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| 9th Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley | |
| In office 2004–2013 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Berdahl |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Dirks |
| 14th President of the University of Toronto | |
| In office 2000–2004 |
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| Chancellor | Hal Jackman Vivienne Poy |
| Preceded by | Robert Prichard |
| Succeeded by | David Naylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Joseph Birgeneau
March 25, 1942 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Spouse | Mary Catherine Birgeneau |
| Education | University of Toronto (BSc) Yale University (PhD) |
| Awards | Founders Award, American Academy of Arts & Sciences |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Magnetic interactions in rare earth insulators (1967) |
| Doctoral advisor | Werner P. Wolf |
| Doctoral students |
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Robert Joseph Birgeneau (born March 25, 1942) is a Canadian-American physicist and a leader in higher education. He served as the ninth Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley from 2004 to 2013. Before that, he was the fourteenth President of the University of Toronto from 2000 to 2004.
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Robert Birgeneau's Early Life and Education
Robert Birgeneau was the first person in his family to complete high school. He graduated from St. Michael's College School in Toronto. In 1963, he earned his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in mathematics. He studied at St. Michael's College within the University of Toronto.
While at the University of Toronto, he met his wife, Mary Catherine. They later had four children. He continued his studies and received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in physics from Yale University in 1966. His Ph.D. research focused on "Magnetic Interactions in Rare-Earth Insulators."
Early Career in Physics
After finishing his Ph.D., Birgeneau spent a year teaching at Yale University. He also spent a year on the faculty at the University of Oxford in England. From 1968 to 1975, he worked as a physicist at AT&T Bell Laboratories. This was a famous research center known for many scientific discoveries.
Leading Science at MIT
After his time at Bell Laboratories, Robert Birgeneau joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He became a professor of physics there. He spent 25 years at MIT, taking on important leadership roles. He served as the Chair of the Physics Department. Later, he became the Dean of Science, overseeing all science departments at MIT.
University Leadership Roles
Robert Birgeneau has held top leadership positions at two major universities.
President of the University of Toronto
From 2000 to 2004, Birgeneau served as the President of the University of Toronto. During his time there, he made important decisions about the university's leadership. He appointed Shirley Neuman as Vice President and Provost, who is the chief academic officer. However, she resigned after about 19 months.
Birgeneau left the University of Toronto after four years. This was earlier than expected, as his term had been extended. His departure caused some discussion at the time.
Chancellor of UC Berkeley
In 2004, Robert Birgeneau became the ninth Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley. He was recommended for this role by Robert Dynes, who was then the President of the UC system. Dynes and Birgeneau had worked together previously at AT&T Bell Laboratories.
Supporting Student Aid and Rights
As Chancellor, Birgeneau used his position to speak out on important issues. He supported the California Dream Act. This law helps students who are undocumented to qualify for financial aid for college. He also supported changes to Proposition 13. This change would help get more funding for social services, including higher education.
Birgeneau also spoke against Proposition 8 in 2008. This measure would have removed the right for gay and lesbian people to marry. He believed it could harm California's academic strength. He also supported repealing Proposition 209, which would help increase diversity in public universities.
Creating the Middle Class Access Plan
During the 2011-2012 school year, Birgeneau introduced a new financial aid program. It was called Berkeley MCAP, or the Middle Class Access Plan. This plan helped middle-income families afford college. It limited the total yearly cost of education for eligible students. This cost included tuition, fees, room, board, and books. The cap was set at 15 percent of the family's total income.
Families earning between $80,000 and $140,000 per year could qualify for this program. It provided grants starting in the fall of 2012. This was the first program of its kind in the UC system to specifically help middle-class families. It also inspired the statewide Middle Class Scholarship program in California.
Robert Birgeneau completed his term as Chancellor of UC Berkeley on June 1, 2013. Nicholas Dirks succeeded him in the role.
