C. Daniel Mote Jr.

C. Daniel Mote, Jr.
Dr. C. Daniel Mote
In office 1998–2010
Personal details
Born	(1937-02-05) February 5, 1937 San Francisco, California
Alma mater	University of California, Berkeley
Profession	Professor, university administrator, academic

Clayton Daniel Mote, Jr., Ph.D. (born February 5, 1937) is the current President of the National Academy of Engineering. He served as President of the University of Maryland, College Park from September 1998 till August 2010. From 1967 to 1991, Mote was a professor in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and served as Vice Chancellor at Berkeley from 1991 to 1998.

Academic career

University of California, Berkeley

Mote was born in San Francisco, California and received his bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in mechanical engineering. He briefly taught at Carnegie-Mellon University before returning to Berkeley as an assistant professor in 1967. Eventually, he rose to become chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he established a reputation as a strong fundraiser.

Over the course of his academic career, Mote was primarily involved with research in the fields of dynamic systems and biomechanics. He is internationally known for research on the dynamics of gyroscopic systems and the biomechanics of snow skiing, including work to produce thinner and safer saw blades for the wood industry, and improvements in ski bindings to reduce knee injuries. He has produced over 300 academic publications, and has mentored 56 Ph.D. students.

In September 1991, Mote was chosen to serve as a vice chancellor of Berkeley in charge of fundraising. In this position, he implemented a major fundraising campaign in 1993, which eventually raised $1.4 billion for the university.

University of Maryland

In 1998, Dr. Mote was recruited to the presidency of the University of Maryland, College Park, a position he held until 2010 when he was appointed Regents Professor. His goal for the university was to elevate its self-expectation of achievement and its national and global position through proactive initiatives. During his tenure the number of Academy members among the faculty tripled, three Nobel laureates were recognized, and an accredited school of public health and a new department of bioengineering were created. He also founded a 130-acre research park next to the campus, faculty research funds increased by 150%, and partnerships with surrounding federal agencies and with international organizations expanded greatly. The number of students studying abroad tripled, and he created an annual open house day that has attracted over 100,000 visitors on that day, founded a charitable foundation for the campus whose board of trustees launched a $1 billion capital campaign that reached its goal, and took every student to lunch that wanted to go. The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked the campus #36 in 2010 and its Engineering School #13 globally.

National Academy of Engineering

The National Academy of Engineering elected him to membership in 1988, and to the positions of Councillor (2002-2008), Treasurer (2009-2013), and President for six years beginning July 1, 2013. He has served on the National Research Council(NRC) Governing Board Executive Committee since 2009. He chaired the NRC Committee on Global Science and Technology Strategies and Their Effects on US National Security (2009-2010), co-chaired the National Academies Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (2007-2013), and co-chaired the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Workforce Needs for the US Department of Defense and the US Industrial Base (2011-2012). He was vice chair of the NRC Committee on the Department of Defense Basic Research (2004) and served on the NRC committee authoring the Rising Above the Gathering Storm reports of 2005 and 2010. He was also a founding member of the FBI’s National Security Higher Education Advisory Board (2005-2010).

Personal life

Mote has been married for over forty years to Patricia Mote, a supporter of the arts. She is a spokesperson for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and a member of the Prince George's County Arts Commission. They have two children, Melissa and Adam, and four grandchildren, Zoe, Danny, Megan, and Katie.

Awards and memberships

Mote has received numerous distinctions throughout his career:

• Humboldt Prize from the Federal Republic of Germany.
• Berkeley Citation, an award similar to the honorary doctorate, from the University of California-Berkeley.
• Distinguished Engineering Alumnus from the University of California-Berkeley.
• Member and council member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
• Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
• Honorary Membership in the ASME International.
• Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science.
• Fellow of Acoustical Society of America.
• Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• 2005 J. P. Den Hartog Award from the ASME International Technical Committee on Vibration and Sound to honor his lifelong contribution to the teaching and/or practice of vibration engineering.
• 2005 Founders Award from the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his comprehensive body of work on the dynamics of moving flexible structures and for leadership in academia.
• 2011 ASME Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.