Dr. Hagelin is a world authority in the area of unified quantum field theories. His scientific contributions in the fields of particle physics and cosmology include some of the most cited references in the physical sciences. He is co-developer of what is now considered the leading contender for a grand unified field theory, known as Supersymmetric Flipped SU(5). Dr. Hagelin is unique among particle theorists in his dedicated efforts to apply the latest scientific understanding of natural law for the benefit of the individual and society.
In 1992, Dr. Hagelin was appointed Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy, a science and public policy think tank. As Institute director, he successfully headed a nationwide effort to identify, scientifically evaluate, and promote through public policy, innovative solutions to critical social problems in the areas of crime, health care, education, economy, and the environment.
According to Dr. Hagelin, "Solutions to national problems exist right now -- programs that could save billions of dollars, promote health and prosperity, and alleviate human suffering -- but they are being ignored by government due to ignorance or for purely political reasons."
Dr. Hagelin has worked on Capitol Hill for over 20 years promoting progressive health care, crime prevention, education and environmental reforms. This year, Dr. Hagelin inspired and helped organize the first-ever bipartisan, bicameral Congressional caucus, known as the Congressional Prevention Coalition. This widely attended ongoing Congressional caucus provides an unprecedented forum for high-level consideration of innovative, prevention-oriented solutions in health care, crime, food safety (including genetic engineering), and the environment.
Dr. Hagelin is helping to mount a national campaign to educate the public about the health and environmental dangers posed by genetic engineering, calling for mandatory labeling of such foods. He recently presented testimony to the NIH hearings on the genetic engineering of human fetuses, recommending a ten-year moratorium on such in utero gene transfer therapy “to permit a comprehensive evaluation of its long-term and short-term safety to the fetus and possible irreversible side effects on the human germ line.”
Dr. Hagelin is actively involved in the nationwide grassroots movement to overhaul anti-democratic campaign finance laws. Current laws grant undue special interest control over our political process and have seriously compromised the government’s public accountability. He has organized national press conferences and launched large-scale grassroots letter writing campaigns in support of key campaign finance reform legislation.
Dr. Hagelin has championed free and democratic use of our publicly owned airwaves. He testified before the FCC’s hearing, where Fox television was seeking an exemption to the 60-year-old “equal access laws” of the Federal Communications Act, in an attempt to provide free TV air time to the candidates of its choice. He has also led the fight for fair and open access to the presidential debates. This litigation is expected to lead to objective, nonpartisan criteria for participation in all publicly funded political debates.
Dr. Hagelin became politically active in 1992, when he accepted the presidential nomination of the newly formed Natural Law Party. Under Dr. Hagelin's leadership, the Party became the first "third party" to attain "national party status" from the Federal Election Commission and have its presidential candidate qualify for federal matching funds. In the 1996 elections, the Party ran over 400 candidates on the ballot in 48 states, and drew more than 2.5 million votes nationwide.
In recognition of these and other achievements, Dr. Hagelin was named winner of the prestigious Kilby Award, which recognizes scientists who have made "major contributions to society through their applied research in the fields of science and technology." The award recognized Dr. Hagelin as "a scientist in the tradition of Einstein, Jeans, Bohr and Eddington."
Dr. Hagelin received his A.B. summa cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1975 and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1981. He is currently Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy and Professor of Physics at Maharishi International University.