February 26, 2009
Experts to speak at public symposium on the future of energy
The UW will host a symposium devoted to Contemporary Topics in the Energy Field on Tuesday, March 17. While the event brings together regional engineering experts, the public is invited to attend.
Charles Vest, president of the National Academy of Engineering and former president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will make the introductory remarks. Speakers will include Northwest experts on topics including developing cheap solar cells, creating bio-based jet fuel, burying CO2 emissions and increasing efficiencies in the electrical grid.
“The Pacific Northwest has an opportunity to become a leader in clean and sustainable energy technology, through work at UW, WSU, Boeing, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, and a variety of companies,” said Ed Lazowska, the Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering, who is organizing the symposium on behalf of the National Academy of Engineering.
The afternoon’s program runs from 1:15 to 5:30 in 225 Kane (the Walker-Ames Room). The program comprises seven talks:
- “Integrated CO2 Capture and Sequestration Systems: Lessons Learned from Commercial-Scale Design Studies” by Pete McGrail, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
- “The Smart Grid and its Role in a Carbon-Constrained World” by Rob Pratt, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
- “Status of Sustainable Biofuel Efforts for Aviation” by Tim Rahmes, the Boeing Company.
- “How to Face Increasing Challenges on Energy and the Environment? Smart Use of Organic Electronics” by Alex Jen, professor and Boeing-Johnson Chair in Materials Science & Engineering.
- “Nanostructured Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage” by Guozhong Cao, UW professor of Materials Science and Engineering.
- “System-of-Systems Interfacing Issues: A Threat to Bioenergy Development in the West” by Dan Schwartz, manager for marine operations in the UW School of Oceanography.
- “Design of New Enzyme Catalysts” by David Baker, UW professor of biochemistry, also with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
A complete program is posted here. Registration for the symposium is appreciated but not required; please send e-mail to Ed Lazowska at lazowska@cs.washington.edu.
