Some students and scholars at local universities are among those affected by President Donald Trump's executive order banning entry into the United States from several predominantly Muslim nations, but many academics are speaking out against the executive order.
Subra Suresh, president of Carnegie Mellon University, is no exception. After a more general statement from the university over the weekend, Mr. Suresh sent a more personal letter today.
In the letter, which was addressed to the CMU community and made available on the university's website, Mr. Suresh said emigrating to the U.S., being accepted by Americans and enjoying this nation's freedoms allowed him to flourish.
"The topic of immigration is very personal to me," he said. "As I reflected in my inaugural address at CMU in November 2013, I first came to the U.S. at age 21 with a partially filled suitcase, less than $100 in cash, and a one-way airplane ticket purchased with a loan. Once in the U.S., I was able to pursue a series of extraordinary opportunities for scholarship and service without regard for my national origin — an experience that forged in me an unshakeable faith in the ability of this nation to help everyone to succeed, wherever they came from."
Mr. Suresh, who was born in Mumbai, India, has a bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras; a master's degree from Iowa State University; and a doctor of science degree from MIT.
He eventually was named director of the National Science Foundation, which he led until his hiring at CMU.
With a nod to the university’s founder, Mr. Suresh said many of the nation's accomplishments were achieved by immigrants.
"My own story is just one among millions that have shaped the history of this country," he said. "Immigration and international collaboration are not footnotes in the story of higher learning. Andrew Carnegie, CMU’s founder and such a central figure in America’s industrial dominance during his time, was an immigrant. All six Americans who were awarded Nobel Prizes in 2016 were born abroad, as were a substantial portion of the membership of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Tens of thousands of foreign-born students, researchers, scholars, innovators and faculty members across the country, including many at CMU, do pioneering work at the cutting-edge of science, technology and artistic creativity.
"The point is clear: our very prosperity and security as a nation, and thus our freedom, depend in part on the people who come to this country from around the world."
First Published: January 30, 2017, 7:25 p.m.
