Tony Frank, Colorado State University Provost, Appointed to U.S. Department of Commerce Export Committee

U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez has appointed Tony Frank, the top academic official at Colorado State University, to a new advisory committee that will address the complex issues surrounding access of controlled sensitive technology by foreign nationals within the United States.

As a member of the Deemed Export Advisory Committee, Frank, Colorado State provost and senior vice president, will help review policy and provide recommendations to the commerce department. The committee, which represents views of industry, academia and government, will work to ensure the deemed export licensing policy protects national security as well as the U.S. position as a technology innovator.

"Tony is widely respected at Colorado State and around the nation as a scholar and administrator," said Larry Edward Penley, Colorado State president. "He will be a tremendous asset in developing policy on this vital topic of national importance."

Under deemed export laws, certain foreign nationals working with controlled technology in the United States may need to obtain licenses prior to working the technology or equipment in the same manner as if those items were being exported to their native countries.

Frank’s appointment is for a one-year term. He’s one of 12 people on the committee, which includes Norman Augustine, retired chairman and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corp., and Robert Gates, president of Texas A&M University.

"U.S. research and industry must have access to the world’s best minds to sustain America’s technological leadership consistent with America’s security interests," Gutierrez wrote in a letter to Frank. "As a result, there is an urgent need for greater clarity and understanding of deemed export policy. There is no better source for such advice than the leaders who navigate these issues on a daily basis. Your expertise will be invaluable in helping the Administration to shape these policies."

Frank received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Wartburg College and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois. He completed a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue University. He served on the faculty at Oregon State University before joining Colorado State in 1993, where he served as chairman of the Department of Pathology and associate dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Frank was appointed as vice president for Research and Information Technology at Colorado State in 2000 and served in that capacity until he assumed the role of interim provost in March 2005. He was appointed to the position of Provost and Senior Vice President in July 2005, and in this role, he is responsible for coordination of the academic core of the university.

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