The Business-Higher Education Forum Announces New Leadership ― Wes Bush to serve as chair and Barbara R. Snyder to be vice chair
Washington, DC (June 25, 2012) — The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) inducted its new leadership for 2012-2013 during its summer member meeting. Wes Bush, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation, will lead the organization as its new chair, and Barbara R. Snyder, President, Case Western Reserve University, will serve as vice chair. Bush succeeds William E. (Brit) Kirwan, II, Chancellor, University System of Maryland, as BHEF chair.
“BHEF operates at the intersection of industry and higher education, and at no point in our economic history has this juncture been more critical to our nation’s future,” stated BHEF CEO Brian Fitzgerald. “As BHEF launches its national and regional strategies, Wes’ and Barbara’s leadership, tenacity, and vision toward the necessary grand solutions will be the driving forces that will inspire others to join and strengthen this national movement, build critical collaborations, and put our nation on the path to producing the diverse and highly capable workforce our member companies and other employers are clamoring for nationwide.”
Wes Bush added, “In order to ensure America's competitiveness and continuing prosperity, it is imperative that we increase the number of students graduating with degrees that support the needs of business, and in particular, in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Business-Higher Education Forum is dedicated to helping achieve this goal through broader alignment and deeper engagement among business, higher education, and government, and I am honored to be a part of this great organization.”
“I am also honored to have this opportunity to work with leaders committed to collaboration to advance academic programs and economic prosperity,” President Snyder said. “BHEF’s unique combination of members provides a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and insights vital to developing solutions that make measurable, meaningful progress on such critical challenges as college access and the engagement of students in STEM-related fields.”
About Wes Bush
Wes Bush assumed the role of Northrop Grumman chairman in July 2011. He was named chief executive officer and president in January 2010, and elected to the company’s Board of Directors in 2009.
Bush previously served as the president and chief operating officer of Northrop Grumman. Before that, he served as the corporate vice president and chief financial officer, and, earlier, 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. Bush serves on the board of directors of Norfolk Southern Corporation. He also serves on boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Conservation International and the Business-Higher Education Forum. In 2008, Bush was appointed to serve on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.
Northrop Grumman is 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.
Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
About Barbara R. Snyder
Barbara R. Snyder became president of Case Western Reserve University on July 1, 2007. A professor who began her academic career as a faculty member at Case Western’s School of Law, she returned to the university committed to increasing academic excellence, enhancing faculty collaboration, and improving alumni engagement.
During her tenure, the university has set all-time records for annual fundraising and total donors, doubled the number of undergraduate applicants, and significantly strengthened the academic qualifications of entering students. In 2011 the university launched Forward Thinking, the university's $1 billion capital campaign, with more than 60 percent of the goal raised during the quiet phase.
Snyder assumed the Case Western Reserve presidency after serving as Executive Vice President and Provost of The Ohio State University, and as Professor of Law at the Moritz College of Law for 19 years. She graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as executive editor of its law review, and earned her bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University.
Please visit www.case.edu for more information.