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Chicago Grand Challenge Summit

Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of Chicago

April 21-22, 2010

 

Confirmed Speakers:

Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineers

Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering and vice chair of the National Research Council, the principal operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering. He is also President Emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a past and present member of many government task forces and advisory committees that have helped shape national and international policies on research, science, education, and national security.

 

 

Roger Frechette, Director of Building Services and Sustainable Engineering, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Roger Frechette is a registered professional and mechanical engineer with over 20 years of experience in the MEP industry. He is currently leading SOM engineering teams for the Burj Dubai, planned as the world’s tallest building and man-made structure, as well as the low-energy, high-performance Pearl River Tower, currently under construction in Guangzhou, China. His work includes a diverse group of projects ranging from laboratories, airports, hospitals, academic buildings, and corporate offices to government buildings and museums. Frechette is a Senior Fellow with the Design Futures Council—a global network of design community professionals, and frequently speaks about High Performance Design and Green Engineering at various educational seminars. In 2002, he co-authored “Nantucket Principals,” focusing on the trends and issues that will influence green building and sustainable design in the future; in 2004,  Mr. Frechette received U.S. Congressional recognition for his work in building sustainability.

Lord Ernest Ronald Oxburgh, member, House of Lords, and member, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

Lord Oxburgh is a member of the House of Lords and, since 2000, has been a member of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.  He is an advisor to the Climate Change Capital and to Englefield Capital.  He is also currently the honorary president of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association. Previously, he served as chairman of the board of Shell Transport & Trading, plc.  Lord Oxburgh has dedicated much of his career to advancing higher education both as a professor of geosciences and in positions of leadership at prestigious universities, having served as the president of Queens' College and Rector of Imperial College London. From 1988-1993 he was the chief scientific adviser for the British Ministry of Defence.   Throughout his career, Lord Oxburgh has also contributed to numerous journals about geology, defence and science.

John W. Rowe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Exelon Corporation

Rowe is the senior chief executive in the utility industry, having served in such positions since 1984.  Rowe has led Exelon since its formation in 2000 through the merger of PECO Energy and the parent of Commonwealth Edison.  Rowe previously held chief executive officer positions at the New England Electric System and Central Maine Power Company, served as general counsel of Consolidated Rail Corporation, and was a partner in the law firm of Isham, Lincoln and Beale.  Rowe serves on the board and executive committee of the Nuclear Energy Institute and is the past chairman of NEI and the Edison Electric Institute.  He is also co-chairman of the National Commission on Energy Policy, an industry and environmental organization dealing with climate change.  He is a member of the boards of directors of Sunoco and the Northern Trust Company.  In both 2008 and 2009, Institutional Investor named Rowe the best electric utilities CEO in America.

For more information, please contact Jeffrey D. Bierig Associate Vice President Director of Communications, Illinois Institute of Technology, at 312-567-5057 or bierig@iit.edu.