About this event
Abstract: The world is in transition and is offering possibly the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century. The question is: Can we grab it? Access to clean and affordable energy as well as their efficient and smart use are critical for sustainable growth of both global population and economies. Many of the technologies to address this global need do not exist today and the world is looking for leadership in science and engineering, as well as education, policy, finance and business. It is widely felt that whoever leads the world in this endeavor will ensure their economic prosperity in the 21st century. In this talk Dr. Majumda will outline what he believes are the opportunities and challenges as well as the pace and scale of innovation needed to address this global need. He will also discuss where we are today and what we need to do to ensure a sustainable energy future.
About the Guest Speaker: Dr. Arun Majumdar became the first Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E), the country's only agency devoted to transformational energy research and development, in October 2009. Dr. Majumdar also currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy. Prior to joining ARPA-E, Dr. Majumdar was the Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Environment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His distinguished research career includes the science and engineering of energy conversion, transport, and storage ranging from molecular and nanoscale level to large energy systems. In 2005, Dr. Majumdar was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for this pioneering work.The main objectives of the Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series are:
- To integrate knowledge with education, innovation, and practice
- To highlight important engineering concepts, accomplishments, and policy issues
The Lecture Series is open to all NSF staff and outside research communities.
For additional information contact: Kishan Baheti, 703-292-5370, rbaheti@nsf.gov