U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige has announced that President Bush intends to nominate Gene Hickok to be deputy secretary of education. Dr. Hickok currently serves as both under secretary of education and acting deputy secretary of education.

The deputy secretary is a key member of the education secretary's executive team and serves as a principal policy advisor to Secretary Paige on all major program and management issues, including President Bush's sweeping education reform law, the No Child Left Behind Act.

Regarding the announcement, Secretary Paige said: "I cannot emphasize enough Gene's role in our success with implementing No Child Left Behind. His past experiences -- as a state education chief, college professor and school board member -- have made him an invaluable asset to the department, and I look forward to continuing our close working relationship."

As under secretary, Hickok is responsible for oversight of policy development, recommendations and initiatives that help define a broad, coherent vision for achieving the president's education priorities, including the No Child Left Behind Act.

Since July, Hickok has served as both under secretary of education and acting deputy secretary of education. He was confirmed as under secretary of education in July 2001.

Prior to joining the Bush administration, Hickok served six years as secretary of education in the administration of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Before that, he was a political science professor at Dickinson College and the founding director of Dickinson's Clarke Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Contemporary Issues.

Hickok earned his bachelor's degree from Hampden-Sydney College and his master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

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