Experts have convened in Durham this week to discuss some of the most critical challenges posed to engineering: preventing nuclear terror, providing access to clean water and making solar energy economical.
The Summit of the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges kicked off Monday at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Along with Duke, the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering helped organize the conference.
Over the course of the two-day event, an impressive cadre of engineering, science and humanities experts will discuss 14 challenges that were identified in a report from the National Academy of Engineering. Addressing the issues will necessitate an interdisciplinary approach, organizers said.
"Nearly all of these challenges address complex social issues that require technology to solve but cannot be solved by technology alone," Tom Katsouleas, dean of the Pratt School of Engineering and organizer of the conference, told Duke Engineering News. "Most require engineers to work with policymakers, business professionals, social scientists and humanists, and most are inherently global by nature."
Among the speakers were Charles Vest, president of the National Academy of Engineering, and Phil Weilerstein, executive director of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance.
Panel discussions took place Monday and concerned issues in energy and the environment, health and entrepreneurship. Today, panelists will consider problems related to security, brain function and engineering education.
Weilerstein, who spoke during the entrepreneurship panel, emphasized the importance of cooperation in addressing these challenges.
"My hope is for this event to show the opportunities for people who study basic mechanisms and natural phenomena in science to bridge the gap and bring their work to practical reality," he said. "Entrepreneurship is a team sport. Too often, technicians see the process as tossing their work over the cubicle wall."
Indeed, the mounting difficulties facing the world today impact all disciplines, said Tom Byers, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University who moderated the panel discussion on entrepreneurship.
"Entrepreneurs feel a great sense of urgency, for these problems are all solvable," he said.
About 500 people attended the summit Monday, many of whom were from Olin College. The turnout of Duke students was unexpectedly low, likely due to the snow, organizers said.
For students who did attend, the conference allowed a unique glimpse into the numerous interdisciplinary opportunities available in engineering and related disciplines.
Hari Iyer, a sophomore majoring in systems dynamics at Olin College, said the conference has met his expectations so far.
"I came to self-explore my career options, and the summit is just an awesome chance to see what's at the cutting edge of science," he said. "I want to see how I can mix my interests in science, entrepreneurship and policy."
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