Roland W. Schmitt

Roland Walter Schmitt ( born July 24, 1923 in Seguin, Texas) is an American physicist and research manager.

Schmitt studied physics at the University of Texas with a bachelor 's degree in physics and mathematics in 1947 and her Master's degree in Physics in 1948., 1951, he received his doctorate at Rice University in physics. After that he went to General Electric, where he 1978-1986 the research center in Schenectady initiated ( one of the largest industrial research centers in the U.S. ) and 1988 went into retirement. In 1982, he became Senior Vice President of GE.

1988 to 1993 he was president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was from 1982 to 1994 in the National Science Board from 1984 to 1988 and its president. He was also from 2000, the board of the management council of the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research.

From 1978 he was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Arthur M. Bueche Award he received in 1995. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the IEEE Engineering Leadership Recognition Award 1989 received and the IEEE Founders Medal in 1992. He received the 1988 Maurice Holland Award and the 1989 IRI Medal. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.