[W]e have a world that has been shrunk by modern technology and travel; it’s becoming a world community. And the complexity of that is enormous. Today, science is global, as with the [National High Magnetic Field Laboratory], which is the largest and highest-powered magnet lab in the world and where all of the research is interdisciplinary. . . . Our teams have economists and sociologists; we are looking at the impact of technology as we develop technology. You’re looking to a future where your colleagues will not necessarily be, say, the biology researchers that you so far have been interfacing with, but instead very, very large interdisciplinary teams. That is an exciting atmosphere to work in—to see how different disciplines look at technological problems and the impact of technology on the future. The challenges facing you will continue to get more and more complex, and will continue to require a very diverse, multidisciplinary approach.

. . . I’ll close with one statement, and it’s a statement that’s been made by many, but I think it’s worth stating again: Remember that a lot more is always accomplished if you are not worried about who gets the credit.

Jack E. Crow ’67 (Ph.D.), Director of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Rochester Distinguished Scholar Medal (doctoral ceremony)