2009 National Summit

Master of ceremonies, Dean Tom Katsouleas The 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.

Summit on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges
Watch It	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
Watch It	Session I Keynote – A. Paul Alivisatos, interim director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Watch It	Session I Keynote – Robert Socolow, professor, Princeton University
Watch It	Panel Discussion – Robert Socolow; James Rogers, CEO, Duke Energy; Lincoln Pratson, professor, Duke; F. Emil Jacobs, VP ExxonMobil
Watch It	Announcement of the Video/Essay Contest Winners - Tom Katsouleas
Session II: Health The two specific grand challenges are Engineer Better Medicines and Advance Health Informatics. Moderator - Matthew O'Donnell, dean, University of Washington
Watch It	Session II Keynote – Robert Langer, professor, MIT, and Recipient of the 2008 Millennium Technology Prize
Watch It	Panel Discussion – Robert Langer, Bill Hawkins, CEO, Medtronic; Anna Barker, deputy director, National Cancer Institute
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
Watch It	Session moderator: Tom Byers, professor, Stanford University Panel discussion: Trevor Loy, founder, Flywheel Ventures; Steve Nichols, professor, University of Texas – Austin; Paul Kedrosky, senior fellow, Kauffman Foundation; Phil Weilerstein, executive director, National Collegiate Inventors and Inventors Alliance (NCIIA)
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
Watch It	Session IV Keynote – Annie Antón, professor, North Carolina State University
Watch It	Panel Discussion – Annie Antón; William S. Rees, former Deputy Under Secretary for Defense, Laboratories and Basic Sciences; Joe Eyerman, director, RTI
Session V: National Survey Findings
Watch It	National Survey Findings Discussion – Peter Hart, chairman, Hart Research Associates with Moira Gunn, host of TechNation, National Public Radio
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
Watch It	Session VI Keynote – Jeff Hawkins, co-founder, Numenta
Watch It	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
Session VII: Panel Discussion – Big Idea Panel on Grand Challenges and Engineering Education
Watch It	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.

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2009 National Summit

Summit on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges

Session I: Energy and the Environment

Session II: Health

Session III: Entrepreneurship and the Grand Challenges

Session IV: Security

Session V: National Survey Findings

Session VI: Understanding Brain Function: Learning/Computation

Session VII: Panel Discussion – Big Idea Panel on Grand Challenges and Engineering Education

Summit Series Organizers

Student Day Photos