2015 Dr. Pramod Khargonekar

"Engineering for the 21st Century – A Perspective from the National Science Foundation"

Dr. Pramod Khargonekar is the former Dean of the University of Florida's College of Engineering, Deputy Director for Technology at the U. S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Project's Agency-Energy, and is currently the Assistant Director for the National Science Foundation's Directorate of Engineering.

Engineering research and resulting technologies have had enormous influence on society since the industrial revolution. The pace of discovery and invention continues to accelerate in many areas of engineering such as nanotechnology, engineering for biology and medicine, and engineering for energy, water, agriculture, infrastructure, and natural resources. In this talk, Dr. Khargonekar will discuss major trends and forces that are shaping the advances in engineering and technology. Success of technological advances is inextricably linked with its connection to people at various levels as individuals, groups, communities, organizations, nations and the world. Dr. Khargonekar will share his thoughts on the enormous opportunities ahead as we look to shaping the 21st century of human progress.