Ivan Selin (born March 11, 1937) is an American businessman, and former chairman of the

Nuclear Regulatory Commission The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with protecting public health and safety related to nuclear energy. Established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the ...

and

Under Secretary of State for Management The under secretary of state for management (M) is a position within the United States Department of State that serves as principal adviser to the United States Secretary of State, secretary of state and United States Deputy Secretary of State, d ...

. Selin is a

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

Scholar and graduate of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

(PhD, Electrical Engineering, 1960) and

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

(Doctor of Science, Mathematics, 1962). He was born in New York City.

Early career

From 1960 to 1965, Selin was a research engineer at the

RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation, doing business as RAND, is an American nonprofit global policy think tank, research institute, and public sector consulting firm. RAND engages in research and development (R&D) in several fields and industries. Since the ...

, working on national security issues and statistical communication theory. In 1965, Selin went to work for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, one of Robert S. McNamara's Whiz Kids. From 1965 to 1970, Selin worked for McNamara, becoming Acting

Assistant Secretary of Defense Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of De ...

for Systems Analysis by the end of that period. While serving in this capacity, Selin represented the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the commissioning of the . He received the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal in 1970. In 1970, Selin and several DOD colleagues co-founded

American Management Systems American Management Systems, Inc., was a high-technology and management consulting firm, founded in 1970 by a group of five former United States Department of Defense, Defense Department officials who had worked under Robert McNamara in the John F ...

, a technology and management consulting firm. Selin served as chief executive officer from the company's founding to the late 1980s. Selin served as chairman of the Military Economic Advisory Panel to the

Director of Central Intelligence The director of central intelligence (DCI) was the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1946 to 2004, acting as the principal intelligence advisor to the president of the United States and the United States National Se ...

(1978–1989); member (1979–1989) and chairman (1988–1989) of the board of governors of the United Nations Association-USA; member of the advisory board on the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and Eastern Europe at the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

(1986–88); and member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

(1979–present).

Later public service

Selin was Under Secretary of State for Management from May 23, 1989, to June 30, 1991. He received the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award in 1991. On July 1, 1991, Selin became chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, serving in that capacity until he resigned on June 30, 1995. Selin was sworn in by outgoing NRC chairman Kenneth Monroe Carr and also had a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony at which Vice President

Dan Quayle James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American retired politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party (United States), ...

presided and Supreme Court Justice

Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (March 26, 1930 – December 1, 2023) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, O' ...

administered the oath. Selin was founding chairman of the board of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center is a historical museum in Washington, D.C. It collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and m ...

. For his government service, he received the Pentagon's Distinguished Civilian Service medal in 1970.

References

External links

# {{DEFAULTSORT:Selin, Ivan Living people Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science alumni University of Paris alumni 1937 births United States under secretaries of state