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2009 National Summit

Master of ceremonies, Dean Tom KatsouleasThe Summit was a two-day event on March 2-3, 2009 in Durham, NC, drawing leading engineering, science, humanities and social science scholars from across the nation to articulate the challenges and opportunities of the science, technology, and policy related to each National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge and proposed solutions.

The Grand Challenges are a call to action and serve as a focal point for society's attention to the most important opportunities that challenge our quality of life. This listing of challenges was identified by the National Academy of Engineering in 2008, based on the recommendations of leading technical thinkers. The project was sponsored by a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Award #ENG-0632026.

In response to this call, Duke University in partnership with the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering and Olin College hosted the Summit to stimulate conversations on the importance of engineering and science in maintaining and enhancing our quality of life.

Sunday: March 1, 2009 Summit on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges
12:00 pm Student Registration on Duke University Campus, Schiciano Auditorium. Transportation provided from the Marriott and Washington Duke Inn.
1:00 - 5:30 pm Student Day Program, Fitzpatrick Center, Pratt School of Engineering Campus, Duke University. Transportation from/to Marriott Hotel provided.
3:00 - 6:00 pm Conference registration at the Marriott
5:30 - 7:00 pm Preconference Meet and Greet Reception, Marriott Hotel Ballroom
7:30 pm Conference Speakers Dinner (Invitation only)

Monday: March 2, 2009 Summit on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges
8:00 – 8:45 am Breakfast and registration
8:45 – 9:00 am

Summit emcee - Moira Gunn, host of TechNation, National Public Radio  

Introduction - Duke Engineering Dean Tom Katsouleas

Welcome - Duke President Richard Brodhead
9:00 – 9:30 am

Plenary Speaker – Charles M. Vest, president, National Academy of Engineering

Session I:  Energy and the Environment

The five specific challenges are Make Solar Energy Economical and Provide Energy from Fusion, Develop Carbon Sequestration Methods, Manage the Nitrogen Cycle, and Provide Access to Clean Water.

Session Moderators - Matt Tirrell, dean, University of California, Santa Barbara
9:30 – 10:00 am Session I Keynote – A. Paul Alivisatos, interim director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
10:00 – 10:30 am Session I Keynote – Robert Socolow, professor, Princeton University
10:30 - 10:45 am Break
10:45 - 11:45 am Panel Discussion – Robert Socolow; James Rogers, CEO, Duke Energy; Lincoln Pratson, professor, Duke; F. Emil Jacobs, VP ExxonMobil
11:45 – 12:15 pm Announcement of the Video/Essay Contest Winners - Tom Katsouleas
12:15 – 1:30 pm Lunch and Student Poster Session

Session II:  Health

The two specific grand challenges are Engineer Better Medicines and Advance Health Informatics.

Moderator - Matthew O'Donnell, dean, University of Washington
1:30 – 2:00 pm Session II Keynote – Robert Langer, professor, MIT, and Recipient of the 2008 Millennium Technology Prize
2:00 – 3:00 pm Panel Discussion – Robert Langer, Bill Hawkins, CEO, Medtronic; Anna Barker, deputy director, National Cancer Institute
3:00 - 3:15 pm Break

Session III: Entrepreneurship and the Grand Challenges

This panel will discuss key success factors for fostering entrepreneurship and innovation to accelerate diffusion of technology solutions to the grand challenges. This includes teaching students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, fostering innovation-oriented business ecosystems in all regions, and stimulating effective university technology transfer.

Moderator - Tom Byers, professor, Stanford University

3:15 - 5:00 pm

Panel Discussion - Trevor Loy, founder, Flywheel Ventures; Steve Nichols, professor, University of Texas at Austin; Paul Kedrosky, senior fellow, Kauffman Foundation; Phil Weilerstein, executive director, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA)

Registration required for Gala Events
6:30 – 7:00 pm Gala Reception, President's Gallery, Washington Duke Inn. Transportation provided from/to the Marriott
7:00 – 9:00 pm Gala Dinner, President's Ballroom, Washington Duke Inn

Tuesday: March 3, 2009 Summit on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges
8:30 – 9:00 am Breakfast

Session IV:  Security

The three specific grand challenges are Secure Cyberspace, Prevent Nuclear Terror, and Restore and Improve Urban Infrastructure.

Moderator - Ilesanmi Adesida, dean, University of Illinois
9:00 – 9:30 am Session IV Keynote – Annie Antón, professor, North Carolina State University
9:30 – 10:30 am Panel Discussion – Annie Antón; William S. Rees, former Deputy Under Secretary for Defense, Laboratories and Basic Sciences; Joe Eyerman, director, RTI
10:30 - 10:45 am Break

Session V: National Survey Findings
10:45 – 11:30 pm National Survey Findings Discussion – Peter Hart, chairman, Hart Research Associates with Moira Gunn, host of TechNation, National Public Radio
11:30 - 12:30 pm Lunch

Session VI:  Understanding Brain Function: Learning/Computation

The four specific grand challenges are Reverse Engineer the Brain, Enhance Virtual Reality, Advance Personalized Learning, and Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery. Our keynote speaker will articulate key challenges related to learning and computation overall and why these challenges are particularly important. 

Moderator - Leah Jamieson, dean, Purdue University

12:30 – 1:00 pm Session VI Keynote – Jeff Hawkins, co-founder, Numenta
1:00 – 2:00 pm Panel Discussion – Jeff Hawkins, Terrence Sejnowski, professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies; Kevan Martin, co-director of the Institute of Neuroinformatics, a joint Institute of the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
2:00 – 2:15 pm Break

Session VII:  Panel Discussion – Big Idea Panel on Grand Challenges and Engineering Education
2:15 - 3:30 pm

Live session to be re-broadcast on NPR’s TechNation.

Moderator - Moira Gunn, host of TechNation, National Public Radio

Panelist Discussion - Louis Martin-Vega, dean of Engineering, North Carolina State University; Richard Miller, president, Olin College of Engineering; Tom Byers, professor, Stanford University; and Ilesanmi Adesida, dean, University of Illinois, Leah Jamieson, dean, Purdue University.

Tuesday Evening Activity
5:30 pm Dean’s Dinner (Invitation only) Transportation provided.