The David Wilson Jenks Science and Technology Forum
This site lists the topics of discussion for the David Wilson Science and Technology discussion groups at the Jenks Center in Winchester MA. We meet every second and fourth Fridays at 10:30 to noon (except August).
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
On November 8th, Peter Ciriscioli will speak with us on Autonomous Vehicle Policy Issues.
Peter Ciriscioli has extensive development experience with ground vehicles, aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft including a number of different ICBM programs and satellites. He has successfully developed complex ground vehicles and vehicle systems: He led the development of the BAE Systems MRAP family of vehicles for deployment during the Iraq War and also led the development of the successful proof of concept vehicle for the DoD’s HMMWV replacement, the CTV. In parallel with that effort, Peter led the development of the BAE Systems JLTV. and the initial development of the first hybrid electric drive for armored vehicles. Peter received a patent for a vehicle armored window system and has received recognition from the Secretary of Defense for his work in vehicle development and vehicle survivability.
Prior to his vehicle development work, Peter led the successful development of a new molecule which is currently used in the secondary carbon fiber composite structures of almost all commercial aircraft manufactured since 1997. Peter wrote 37 FAA approved material, process, and manufacturing specifications for the LearFan aircraft, which is now displayed in Boeing’s Museum of Flight, and his patented fire shield material was used on the nonstop globe-circling Rutan Voyager aircraft, now displayed in the Smithsonian Institution. Peter developed the manufacturing processes and composite material “design allowables” for the equipment section of the Trident II (D5) missile. In addition to the USA, Peter has worked in the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Israel, Zambia, India, Japan and Australia. Peter is currently an independent consultant who helps companies innovate to improve cash flow.
Peter received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University for his work to develop an expert system which cures advanced composite materials.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
On Friday, October 25 join Winchester's Sustainability Director, Ken Pruitt to discuss the progress of the Town's Climate Action Plan.
Ken Pruitt became Winchester's first Sustainability Director in 2021. Prior to joining Winchester, he spent four years as Energy Manager for the Town of Arlington, located in the Department of Planning and Community Development. As Arlington's Energy Manager, Ken was the Town’s lead on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, electric vehicle acquisition and charging infrastructure, the Arlington Community Electricity program, building electrification, municipal energy supply, and net zero planning. Prior to working for the Town of Arlington, Ken served as Director of Conservation for the Town of Boxford and went on to become Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions and then the Environmental League of Massachusetts. He earned a Master of Forest Science degree from the Yale School of the Environment and a BA in Political Science and International Studies from Macalester College. Ken has been a Winchester resident since 2010 and, since 2014, an elected member of Town Meeting.
Monday, October 21, 2024
On October 11th join our Generative AI Panel Discussion with Ron Smith, Bernhard Suhm, and Marv Goldschmitt.
In my experience, technologists have been historically reluctant to become involved in public policy and yet in our technologically intense world the absence of technological input is a concern to me. I saw a recent article in the New York Times by writer James Pogue about Senator Chris Murphy. Pogue wrote “... the idea that modern life is a story of constant economic and technological progress steadily making the world a better place has stopped lining up with how Americans feel.” Senator Murphy (D-Conn) and Governor Spencer Cox (R-Utah) have launched a national conversation with the intent to restore the common good. They look to involving intellectuals and activists. Notably, technologists do not seem to be included in their thinking. Maybe they were not considered/invited. In any case, we need to become part of the conversation.
There is a lot of good that has come from technology in health care, for example, and more to come. But I am equally certain that technology can be and is being used abusively. The misinformation and disinformation that appear in social media are examples. The changes in AI that began in November 2022 with Generative AI are remarkable. GenAI is not any new technology. This one is shattering. But I suppose that to the average thoughtful person, the telephone must have been shattering. Just as the Model T. What is different is the case of GenAI is that it does not just add a new dimension to our lives, it presents technology as a force beyond nature. It allegedly thinks and feels though it is not clear on what scale and in what detail it compares to human thinking. But we don’t really understand the particulars of how humans think. I worry that technology may be heading so far out front of humans that people may begin to distrust science and technology on a level that is unprecedented today. That would be disaster from my perspective.
Technology and technologists have crucial roles to play in my view in medicine, meeting energy demand, addressing climate change, k-12 education (which has been on my radar screen for decades) and so much more. My hope is that we have learned some lessons from the history of the Internet and The Web that may help lead to a responsible and accountable advance of AI into our social fabric. My sense, however, is that GenAI has the potential to be supremely useful and also supremely abusive (personal, socially, culturally) and the tech giants who are moving it at breakneck speed are driven by age old motivation...fear (of losing market share) and greed (fear of losing market share) rather than societal benefit.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
On September 27th, Bernhard Suhm will continue our conversation about Generative AI.
Bernhard Suhm Ph.D., Principal, USpeak AI, has been applying AI to improving user experiences and solving business challenges his whole career. Prior to working as an independent consultant, he drove adoption of machine learning, vector search, and generative AI as a product marketer at Elastic, promoting how these capabilities enable more automation in observability, additional layers of security, and improved search experiences. In prior roles, Bernhard was product owner of the Machine Learning toolbox at MathWorks, and developed AI-powered call analytics to improve caller experiences and the delivery of customer service, influencing the handling of 100Ms calls working with Fortune 100 companies. He received a PhD in Computer Science specializing in speech user interfaces from Karlsruhe University in Germany, learned the ropes of user-centered design at Carnegie Mellon University, and has presented on speech recognition, caller experience analysis, and machine learning.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
We leadoff our new Wilson Forum season on Friday, September 13th
Ron Smith is an experienced innovator who left the for-profit world 34 years ago to apply entrepreneurial business principles to social needs. The focus in this time-line has ranged from the creation of innovative community projects, creation and implementation of local and foreign emergency disaster relief efforts to the global environmental imperative. His commitment to a positive, business-like and balanced approach to community, environment, education and related issues has helped attract some of the best minds in business, education, the environment and the community to work on pragmatic approaches that target the goal of a truly sustainable future. In 2007 Innovation Toronto was born. It began with Ron overseeing an online focus on the startup community in Toronto but quickly evolved to focus on the brilliant breakthroughs and discoveries that global science was bringing to the world. Since that time, Innovation Toronto has strived to showcase the best and brightest ideas that can be found from universities and research institutions worldwide. The ongoing overall mission is to help accelerate the development of the projects and ideas most likely to be of service in a time of local / global need. With the advent of generative artificial intelligence platforms he is deeply involved in exploring the possibilities and potential offered by AI to better promote the promise and wonders of science to the general public. See the attached for a more complete summary of Ron’s remarkable leadership over the years.
Marv Goldschmitt has been involved in the “bleeding” edge of the computer industry for 45 years. He brings a long history of high technology executive management and consulting experience to every engagement. He is a broad thinker who applies his skills to a variety of areas that are impacted by rapid changes in technology. Active in the evolving areas of information privacy and data governance he started and ran the first software industry lobbying organization to combat piracy and establish protection for software IP. He was a member of IBM’s Data Governance Council leading the privacy and security policy development team. Marv has a long interest and involvement with AI. In 1986 he worked with Nestor Inc., the first dedicated neural networking company. He was at IBM when Watson was being developed and then started a company to help job seekers combat the use of AI in resume screening. Marv has published numerous articles on business development strategies, security and data governance. He holds a BS from the State University of New York and an MS from the Medical College of Virginia/VCU, in psychology, is a professional photographer and spent a number of years as a meditation instructor. A short version of Marv’s unique history is included in the attached.
Paula McConnell, founder of Seva Digital, began her journey in technology at just four years old with an oscilloscope her father brought home from work at Hewlett Packard. With over a decade of experience in human-centered design and an MBA in Innovation and Technology Transfer, Paula has a rich background in creating impactful tech solutions, including a notable app developed in Nicaragua to assist smallholder farmers. Seva Digital is dedicated to empowering small business owners by offering tailored AI and technology solutions that enhance business efficiency, growth, and community engagement. As a sought-after speaker and workshop leader, Paula combines her profound expertise with a supportive and engaging approach, helping business leaders understand and implement AI technologies effectively. She acknowledges the hesitations many face in adopting new technology and is committed to guiding professionals through these transformative changes with empathy and insight. Paula encourages you to delve into AI with confidence, recognizing its potential to transform industries and enrich our professional lives, and is dedicated to advancing AI literacy to ensure everyone can navigate these advancements with clarity and awareness.
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
On June 28, Walter Hubbard will moderate a discussion on The Electric Grid and Climate Issues.
Also, note that we will take a summer break in July and August and resume our program for next season on September 13th, leading off with Generative AI.
Friday, June 14, 2024
On Friday, June 14, 2024, Dr. Albert Moussa will answer the question, How Safe are the Friendly Skies?
Dr. Moussa is the Founder and Technical Director of BlazeTech Corp., a technology development and consulting company in the areas of safety, environment and energy. He specializes in combustion, fire and explosion working particularly for the aircraft and chemical industries. He got his B.S. from Stanford University and his MS and PhD from MIT. He has published widely including one book. Because of his forewarning about fuel tank vulnerabilities prior to the TWA 800 and Concorde disasters, he received coverage by the media, including the New York Times, CBS, BBC and several European journals. He has received the SAE/AIAA William Littlewood Memorial Lecture Award, Best Paper Awards (by AIAA and ASEI), and Engineer of the Year Award by the NE Section of AIAA and AIAA Distinguished Lecturer. He has served as Associate Editor of an ASME Journal and on several national committees. He has given guest lectures on this topic at the NTSB Training Center and at various Universities.
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
On Friday, May 24th, Jane Kent will speak about Hospital Planning Going Forward.
Jane Kent is currently a Business Process Consultant in the Facilities Documentation and Space Division of the Facilities Planning and Development Department for University of Michigan Medicine where she manages the Matterport Scanning project. Jane and her colleagues have led Michigan Medicine to become a world leading provider in healthcare, education and research. Jane worked for 13 years with City of Cambridge MA in the Traffic and Transportation Department, working closely with Planning Department to facilitate installation of traffic calming measures and safe bike routes throughout the city. After moving to Ann Arbor she worked with the city of Ann Arbor, continuing her work with bike safety and ultimately joined the Michigan Medicine documentation group. Jane is the youngest daughter of a historic figure in the evolution of The Jenks Center, Jim Kent.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
On Friday, May 10th, Peter Baldwin, Past President of Ramgen Power System (Ret.), will offer his perspectives on evolving Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) opportunities.
Peter Baldwin has been involved in all aspects of the gas turbine and compressor industries for almost 60 years, and has broad general industry knowledge and practice, based on years of global commercial interactions. Base-e; his Boston based independent consulting company focusing on practical product positioning and commercialization strategies for Distributed Energy Technologies, Gas Turbines, and various Air and Gas Compression interests. Pete is the immediate past President of Ramgen Power Systems, a Seattle-based developer of an advanced shock compression technology intended for use as a utility scale CO2 compressor in the, then developing Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) projects and applications. Ramgen has been supported through U.S. Department of Energy funding grants and by Dresser Rand as a strategic investor. Pete is also the past President of Northern Research and Engineering Corporation (NREC), a world-class turbomachinery design services organization, now doing business as part of Concepts/NREC. Prior to its sale to Concepts, NREC was a wholly owned subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand. NREC was responsible for the development of Ingersoll-Rand’s PowerWorks Microturbine Technology, now offered by FlexEnergy. NREC was also responsible for an advanced gas turbine recuperator technology that has since been incorporated into the Rolls-Royce WR21 marine gas turbine engine, now operating successfully in the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer. NREC, in cooperation Westinghouse and Rolls-Royce, developed and tested the first 53% efficient Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine Hybrid (SOFC/GT) at UC Irvine in the late 90’s. Prior to joining NREC, Pete had been Vice President of Sales and Service, North America for Ingersoll-Rand’s Air Compressor Group. Previously, and as the Air Compressor Group Marketing V-P, Pete negotiated and implemented a licensing agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries for a mixed-flow blower technology, and an MOU with Daewoo for an I-R Corporate JV in Korea. Pete also spent four years in Europe. The first assignment was as a Centrifugal Compressor Division Area Manager responsible for the UK and Scandinavia with the goal to reenergize the local sales effort. Pete was subsequently promoted to the position of Product Manager Centrifugal Compressor for Europe, Mid-East, and Africa, operating out of the Division manufacturing location in Milan, Italy. Pete returned to the U.S. as Product Manager for Rotary/Recip Compressors in U.S., Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Pete has been a Contributing Editor with Turbomachinery International magazine from 2000 to 2008, and Gas Turbine World since 2020. He has been an associate with Cambridge Energy Research Distributed Energy Practice (Now IHS). Pete Baldwin is a recognized and respected industry leader in the turbomachinery industry with a unique combination of technical understanding and real-world commercial experience. Pete holds a BSME degree from Purdue University.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Professor David Seidman will speak about Northwestern University’s Center of Atom Probe Tomography.
David is Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering and the Founding Director of the Northwestern University Center for Atom-Probe Tomography (NUCAPT). David earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and M.S., and B.S. from New York University, all in Physical Metallurgy. He joined the Northwestern University faculty in1985. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, His current interests center on three high-temperature superalloys: aluminum-based, cobalt-based, and nickel-based. He is specifically interested in understanding the first-order phase transformations (precipitation) that occur in these alloys on an atomic scale utilizing atom-probe tomography (APT) and correlative instruments, which provide information at larger length scales: transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. In the case of Nickel-based alloys he employs vacancy-mediated lattice kinetic Monte Carlo (LKMC) simulations, which complement and supplement the APT experiments and help to elucidate the mechanisms for nucleation, growth and coarsening.
Friday, April 26, 2024
On Friday, April 12th, Historian Vincent Dixon, will speak on The Massachusetts Legislative Process.
Vincent Lawrence “Vince” Dixon is a known Historian, especially focused on presentations including Colonial History; Current Events, and their Relationship to History; Church-State Relationships, Evolutions, and Relationships with Civic Society; Parks, and Landscape History; and has taught, and tutored, as well. He has done work in curriculum development, is a frequently published columnist, and speaker; and responds to custom requests. MASS PRESENTATIONS (a dba brand, of Dixon’s) develops a wide variety of presentations, including media, curriculum, and published materials, across a wide range of audiences, and subject matter. Dixon has made many presentations, including to Winchester Historical Society: Religious Realities of Winchester: Houses of Worship and Communities of Faith; Schools of Winchester and Their Namesakes (including an exploration of The Lincolns of Massachusetts); Sports History of Winchester (A Virtual Event – by Zoom); and a History of Vaccination, Immunization, and Disease Prevention. He has also conducted Town Day Trolley Guided Tours; and will again, on this year’s Winchester Town Day, June 1, 2024; previous presentations to Cambridge Historical Society; and is periodically invited to teach classes in History, and Civics, at East Boston High School. Interestingly, Vince was home schooled K-12; earned his Associate in Arts, and his Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, at the Harvard University Extension School and a Master of Education Degree at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. He studied with Dr. Thomas H. O’Connor, University Historian of Boston College, the long-time Dean of Boston Historians.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
On March 22, Boston Globe business reporter Jon Chesto will speak broadly about current events shaping Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Future
Monday, March 18, 2024
Richard Adler rejoins us on March 8th to revisit Bending the Law of Unintended Consequences: More Decision Support Models.
Rich Adler is a software architect, management consultant, and start-up executive. He spent most of his career building software tools and applications to improve business operations and critical decision-making. Richard worked for Control Data, MITRE, Computer Sciences Corporation, and three software start-up companies. Early in his career, Richard built AI programs, including one that automated operations support for the Launch Processing System for NASA’s Space Shuttle Fleet. As the founder of DecisionPath, he developed solutions to improve strategic decisions such as competitive marketing, counterterrorism, and organizational change, as described in his recent book Bending the Law of Unintended Consequences. Richard has published and spoken on topics including intelligent and distributed systems, simulation, homeland security, and knowledge management. Richard holds a BS degree in Physics and Philosophy (University of Michigan), an MS in Physics (University of Illinois at Urbana) and a PhD in Philosophy of Physics (University of Minnesota).
Thursday, March 7, 2024
On February 23rd, MIT Professor Jesus del Alamo will speak on the future direction of microelectronics, Microelectronics: Quo Vadis?
Jesús A. del Alamo is the Donner Professor and Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT. He obtained a Telecommunications Engineer degree from Polytechnic University of Madrid (Spain) and MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. In 1985 he joined Nippon Telegraph and Telephone LSI Laboratories in Japan and since 1988 he has been with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 2013 until 2019, he served as Director of the Microsystems Technology Laboratories at MIT. His current research interests are focused on nanoelectronics based on compound semiconductors and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors and novel ionic and ferroelectric devices for artificial intelligence accelerators. Prof. del Alamo was an NSF Presidential Young Investigator. He is a member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Engineering and Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Physical Society and the Materials Research Society. He is the recipient of the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award in Emerging Research Devices, the Semiconductor Research Corporation Technical Excellence Award, the IEEE Electron Devices Society Education Award, the University Researcher Award by Semiconductor Industry Association and Semiconductor Research Corporation, the IPRM Award and the IEEE Cledo Brunetti Award. From 2019 to 2022 he served as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Electron Device Letters. He is the author of “Integrated Microelectronic Devices: Physics and Modeling” (Pearson 2017, 880 pages), a rigorous and up to date description of semiconductor physics, transistors and other contemporary microelectronic devices.
Friday, February 16, 2024
On February 9th, Professor Angel Serrano Aroca of the Catholic University of Velencia (UCV) will speak about his work on Antimicrobial Face Masks, Face Shields and...Lipsticks.
Moreover, the BAK coating was also effective against the life-threatening methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). Other antimicrobial face masks can be developed using a low-cost technology consisting of a solidified hand soap coating. Bio-based technologies for the production of antimicrobial face masks can also be applied using cranberry extracts by dip-coating. A novel bio-based lipstick containing cranberry extract was also developed to prevent infections caused by a broad range of microorganisms: enveloped and non-enveloped viruses; multidrug-resistant bacteria like MRSA, Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium smegmatis, a surrogate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; and the Candida albicans fungus. Therefore, all these antimicrobial tools are very promising in the current antimicrobial-resistance era.
Monday, February 5, 2024
On Friday, January 26th, Dr. Robert Caligiuri , Corporate Vice President at Exponent, Inc., will describe An Example of the Challenges and Adventures of Failure Analysis and Risk Mitigation—The Camisea Pipeline System.
Bob Caligiuri is an internationally recognized leader in understanding the fracture and fracture mechanics of materials used in critical engineering systems. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC-Davis and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford. He specializes in combining the principles of solid mechanics with an understanding of the physical, mechanical and corrosion behavior of metals to solve complex problems in industrial applications. He has over 35 years of experience conducting failure investigations, root cause studies and risk assessments for clients in the petrochemical, consumer product and transmission pipeline industries throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has specialized expertise in the use and application of the standards, codes and regulations that govern the design, operation, and maintenance of engineered systems. Bob Caligiuri is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
On January 12th, Dr. Piotr Moncarz, XGS Energy, will speak on Geothermal Solutions.
Dr. Piotr d. Moncarz, is a Co-Founder and Vice Chair, and CEO for the initial years of XGS Energy, Inc., a company focused on closed loop harvesting and delivery of geological heat from very hot rock. He serves as Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and the School of Sustainability at Stanford University. He graduated from Road and Bridge Vocational School, Poznan, Poland; with a final Ph.D. degree from Stanford University. He joined California firm, Failure Analysis Associates, today Exponent, where he has worked on issues of engineering design and project analysis including risk management, failure prevention, and correcting project failures. As a corporate officer he participated in taking Exponent public and building it into a world‘s leading engineering and scientific consulting company. For over 30 years he has been actively involved in energy projects with international and domestic project development, plant restructuring, and acting in an advisory role in national energy policies in resurging economies. Passionate about delivering a solution to the keystone element of environmental, climate, and geo-political stability: ubiquitous, green, no water, no land-grab, 24/7 energy supply - GeoHeatTM (www.xgsenergy.com ). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of American Society of Civil Engineers, member of numerous US and international energy, environmental, and engineering societies, registered professional engineer in numerous U.S. states and provinces of Canada, educator and professional leader.
Friday, December 29, 2023
On Friday, December 22nd, Professor Noam Eliaz of Tel Aviv University will speak on Additive Manufacturing by Directed Energy Deposition – Opportunities and Challenges.
Noam is the Dean of The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering at Tel-Aviv University. He is the founder of its Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is also an endowed chair professor and the founding director of TIET/TAU Center of Excellence on Advanced Manufacturing at Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in India, and the Chief Scientist of SGS Dental Implant. He was elected to The Israel Young Academy and to the US National Academy of Inventors (as a Senior Member). He was awarded with the title Professor Honoris Causa of the Transylvania University of BraÅŸov in Romania, and has won numerous awards, including TMS 2024 Leadership Award, ECS Electrodeposition Division Research Award, The Israel Vacuum Society (IVS) 2021 Excellence Award for Research, NACE International’s Fellow, Technical Achievement, and Herbert H. Uhlig awards.
Monday, December 18, 2023
On Friday, December 8th Professor Ahmed Ghoniem will speak on Fuels Beyond Fossil: Why, What and When?
Ahmed F. Ghoniem is the Ronald C. Crane Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Center for Energy and Propulsion Research at MIT. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree from Cairo University, and Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. His recent research focus has been on clean energy technologies with focus on oxy-combustion for CO2 capture, renewable energy, biofuel and solar fuel production. He supervised more than 120 graduate students and post-doctoral students; published more than 500 articles in leading journals and conferences; and consulted for the aerospace, automotive and energy industry. He is fellow of the ASME, the APS, and the Combustion Institute, and associate fellow of the AIAA. He received several awards but most proud of the “Committed to Caring Professor” at MIT.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
On Friday, November 17th State Senator Mike Barrett will join our Forum meeting and speak on the tandem goals of expanding clean energy infrastructure and contracting natural gas infrastructure in Massachusetts.
Mike Barrett is the State Senator for Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lincoln, Waltham, Weston, and large parts of Lexington. He serves as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy. He also serves as Assistant Majority Leader of the Democrats in the State Senate. Mike was the chief architect of An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy and An Act Driving Climate Policy and Offshore Wind. The bills became law in 2021 and 2022, respectively. By common agreement, they position Massachusetts among the leading states in the nation on steps taken to deal with global warming. Mike is a graduate of Harvard College and the Northeastern University School of Law, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar. He’s married, lives in Lexington, and is the father of twin daughters.
On November 10th, Professor Chris Knittel of MIT’s Sloan School will speak on Climate Policy and The Electric Grid.
Christopher Knittel is the George P. Shultz Professor of Applied Economics in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also the Director of MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research which has served as the hub for social science research on energy and the environmental since the late 1970s. Professor Knittel also co-directs of The E2e Project, a research initiative between MIT and UC Berkeley to undertake rigorous evaluation of energy efficiency investments. He joined the faculty at MIT in 2011, having taught previously at UC Davis and Boston University. Professor Knittel received his B.A. in economics and political science from the California State University, Stanislaus in 1994 (summa cum laude), an M.A. in economics from UC Davis in 1996, and a Ph.D. in economics from UC Berkeley in 1999. His research focuses on environmental economics, studying how firms and consumers respond to policies. He is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Productivity, Industrial Organization, and Energy and Environmental Economics groups. He is the co-editor of the Journal of Public Economics, and an associate editor of the Journal of Transportation Economics and Policy, and Journal of Energy Markets, having previously served as an associate editor of The American Economic Journal -- Economic Policy and The Journal of Industrial Economics. His research has appeared in The American Economic Review, The American Economic Journal, The Review of Economics and Statistics, The Journal of Industrial Economics, The Energy Journal and other academic journals.
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
On Friday, October 27th, Zeyneb Magavi of the Home Energy Efficiency team, HEET, will speak on Cutting Carbon Emissions: Geothermal Energy.
Monday, October 16, 2023
On Friday, October 13, Walter Hubbard will moderate our discussion on Solutions for the Grid: The Light at the End of the Tunnel.
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
On Friday, September 22nd, Eric Johnson of will speak about the work of ISO New England.
Eric is Director of External Affairs for ISO New England, the operator of the region’s electric grid. He leads a team of government affairs professionals that coordinates the ISO’s outreach to government officials in the six New England states. He works with state and federal policymakers and regulators to educate them on ISO initiatives related to regional system planning and wholesale electricity markets. He leads communications and training exercises to keep government officials informed during power system emergencies. He has appeared before legislative committees, public utility commissions, environmental agencies and siting boards to speak on a wide range of electricity issues. He serves on the board of directors of the Connecticut Power and Energy Society, and is the organization’s immediate past president. When he is not at work, Eric enjoys hiking with his family and their dog, Leo, and serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Hazardville Fire Department in Enfield, Connecticut.
Monday, September 11, 2023
On Friday, September 8th, MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer will speak on Controlling the release of large molecules from biomaterials: How overcoming skepticism led to new medical treatments and ways to tackle a global health challenge.
Since graduating from MIT in 1974 with a ScD in chemical engineering, Bob Langer has gone on to serve as an Institute Professor at MIT, the highest distinction awarded to an MIT faculty member; preside over the largest academic biomedical engineering lab the world; conduct research in medicine and biotechnology that has improved the lives of over 2 billion people; become the most cited engineer in history; and garner countless awards and accolades for his work. He is a co-founder of Covid-19 vaccine maker Moderna. In his words, this celebrated educator, innovator and entrepreneur has said “Because I knew something about engineering and something about medicine, I was able to put those concepts together to come up with new ideas...” His work is of real and lasting value to society.
Thursday, July 6, 2023
On Friday, June 23rd , Innovation Toronto’s Ron Smith will join us. His presentation is titled From Science Fiction to Science Friction.
Ron Smith is an experienced innovator who left the for-profit world 34 years ago to apply entrepreneurial business principles to social needs. The original plan was to spend 3 or 4 years giving back and then return to the for-profit universe . . . he is running a little late! The focus in this time-line has ranged from the creation of innovative community projects, creation and implementation of local and foreign emergency disaster relief efforts to the global environmental imperative. His commitment to a positive, business-like and balanced approach to community, environment, education and related issues has helped attract some of the best minds in business, education, the environment and the community to work on pragmatic approaches that target the goal of a truly sustainable future. In 2007 Innovation Toronto was born. It began with Ron overseeing an online focus on the startup community in Toronto but quickly evolved to focus on the brilliant breakthroughs and discoveries that global science was bringing to the world. Since that time, Innovation Toronto has strived to showcase the best and brightest ideas that can be found from universities and research institutions worldwide. The ongoing overall mission is to help accelerate the development of the projects and ideas most likely to be of service in a time of local / global need. With the advent of generative artificial intelligence platforms he is deeply involved in exploring the possibilities and potential offered by AI to better promote the promise and wonders of science to the general public. See the attached for a more complete summary of Ron’s remarkable leadership over the years.
Monday, June 12, 2023
On Friday, June 9th, historian and writer Vincent Dixon will speak about America’s preparations for its 250th Anniversary, Heading Toward America’s 250th, and the background foundational history that explains how Massachusetts led the Original Thirteen, forward, to the culminating actions, and the document, that we know of as The Declaration of Independence.
Thursday, June 1, 2023
On Friday, May 26th Paul Woskov, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, will join us to speak about Geothermal Drilling Technologies. Geothermal energy from Super-Hot Rock
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Friday May 12th, 2023 Laura Lewis on Synthetic Tetrataenite: Extraterrestrial Origins and Terrestrial Consequences.
Laura H. Lewis is the Distinguished University and Cabot Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Prior to her Northeastern University position, she was a research group leader and Associate Department Chair in the Nanoscience Department of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Concurrently, she was the Deputy Director of the BNL Center for Functional Nanomaterials, a DOE national user facility to provide researchers with state-of-the-art capabilities to fabricate and study nanoscale materials. Laura’s research focuses on investigating the materials factors at the atomic level that provide functionality to magnetic and electronic materials, with particular expertise in advanced permanent magnets. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 100 invited presentations at national and international venues. She has participated on a number of advisory panels and currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Critical Materials Institute (a DOE Energy Innovation Hub). She is a Delegate of the U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to develop supply chain and sustainability standards to ISO TC298 (Rare Earths) and ISO TC333 (Lithium), on behalf of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Laura, a Fellow of the IEEE, was Conference Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Magnetics (2008 – 2018) and was Chair of the IEEE Magnetics Society Technical Committee (2017-2019). She is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a Fulbright Fellow as well as an elected member of JEMS-EMA (The European Magnetism Association), the Materials Research Society, the American Chemical Society and the American Society for Engineering Education.
Monday, May 8, 2023
Friday, April 28th, 2023 Ismaila Dabo on Data-Intensive Discovery of Earth-Abundant Semiconductors for Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion
Penn State Professor Ismaila Dabo will speak on Data-Intensive Discovery of Earth-Abundant Semiconductors for Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion. Renewable and sustainable solar generation of hydrogen is pivotal to diversifying the global energy supply away from fossil fuels in the transportation sector and across major branches of the industry, including ammonia synthesis, process metallurgy, and hydrocarbon production. While photovoltaics and electrolysis are increasingly mature technologies whose association may ultimately offer a viable path to produce hydrogen at scale, there is increasing debate over building a future hydrogen infrastructure that would massively rely on critical Pt-group metals and on photovoltaic devices, whose supply chains and global markets are largely controlled by non-domestic producers. Thus, there is strategic interest in developing novel classes of scalable semiconductors that can directly cleave water into oxygen and hydrogen under solar illumination by photocatalytic means. This presentation will discuss the use of data-intensive materials discovery workflow for narrowing down the choice of candidate semiconductors for solar hydrogen generation. Progress in predicting the optical properties of compound semiconductors will also be highlighted.
Ismaila Dabo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State University with joint appointments in the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, and in the Penn State Materials Research Institute. He received a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT in 2008, working under the supervision of Nicola Marzari on the first-principles modeling of electrochemical solid–liquid interfaces. His recent awards include the Wilson Teaching Excellence Award (2021), Materials Science and Engineering Faculty of the Year Award (2021), Corning Chair in Materials Science and Engineering (2020). He currently serves on the editorial board of the journals Computational Materials Science (Elsevier) and Science (AAAS).
Friday, April 14th, 2023 Aziz Asphahani on Computational Materials Design and Engineering
Dr. Asphahani’s early research activities were focused on identifying the parameters affecting alloys resistance to corrosion. His research involved assessing the mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement and its deleterious impact on corrosion-resistant alloys (CRA). Furthermore, he identified the roles of key alloying elements that were essential to developing CRA with improved resistance to corrosion and wear [one of his patented alloys (HASTELLOY alloy C-22) was selected as a durable material to contain nuclear waste for the Yacca Mountain project]. QuesTek Innovations is a leader in developing and deploying novel, advanced materials based on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) technologies and the Accelerated Insertion of Materials (AIM) methodologies, using genomic science-based data, and physics-based modeling. He holds eight patents. In 2017, Aziz was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering "for executive leadership in STEM education, integrated computational design of materials, and innovation and production of corrosion-resistant alloys." He is a past president of ASM International and past chair of its educational foundation. His degrees include Diplome Ingenieur-Physique from École Centrale de Paris and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from MIT.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Friday, March 24th, 2023 Michael Garjian on Carbon Dioxide Removal
Michael left the farm to earn a degree in business management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Isenberg School Of Management. As a lifelong commercial entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, and author, he holds 11 international patents for alternative lighting systems, electronic power supplies, and atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR) systems. As a commercial entrepreneur he and his wife Irene employed 400 associates producing innovations he developed and sold internationally. As a social entrepreneur in the 2000s, he conceived of and pursued the development of sustainable economic systems while working in community development organizations helping more than one hundred very low income individuals and refugees start small businesses. His work earned a number of awards and was recognized widely by the community, business, and social media of that time. He and his wife Irene are the founders of CarbonStar Systems, Inc., a Massachusetts domestic benefit corporation (B-Corp).
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Friday March 10th, 2023 David Hsu on The Origin of Community Choice Aggregation
David Hsu is an Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Cities connect to their environment through infrastructure, built through physical, technological, and social systems. David's research and teaching focus on how planners, policymakers, and advocates can shape and implement these complex systems using technology, data, and analysis. David taught previously at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University, and worked in structural engineering, real estate finance, and as a policy analyst in the city governments of New York and Seattle. He holds a B.S. from Yale University in physics; a M.S. from Cornell University in applied and engineering physics; a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science in city design and social science; and from the University of Washington in Seattle, a Ph.D. in urban design and planning with a certificate in social science and statistics. David is working on a book contracted with the University of Chicago Press on governance of utilities and infrastructure.
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Friday February 24th, 2023 Richard Adler on the Law of Unintended Consequences (LUC)
Richard Adler is a software architect, management consultant, and start-up executive. He spent most of his career building software tools and applications to improve business operations and critical decision-making. Richard worked for Control Data, MITRE, Computer Sciences Corporation, and three software start-up companies. Early in his career, Richard built AI programs, including one that automated operations support for the Launch Processing System for NASA’s Space Shuttle Fleet. As the founder of DecisionPath, he developed solutions to improve strategic decisions such as competitive marketing, counterterrorism, and organizational change, as described in his recent book Bending the Law of Unintended Consequences. Richard has also published and spoken on topics including intelligent and distributed systems, simulation, homeland security, and knowledge management. Richard holds a BS degree in Physics and Philosophy (University of Michigan), an MS in Physics (University of Illinois at Urbana) and a PhD in Philosophy of Physics (University of Minnesota).
Friday, February 3, 2023
Friday, February 10th, 2023 Wayne Sharfin: Developing a Science Demonstration Program to Inspire Underprivileged Middle-School Students
Wayne Sharfin was born in Queens NYC. Both of his parents worked in NYC public schools, his father was an artist and amateur musician. He performed in the All-City NYC High School Orchestra. He was interested in science and music and attended the U. of Rochester, which has the Eastman School of Music. He received his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the U. of Chicago where he did his PhD research in laser spectroscopy. Wayne joined the newly formed Fundamental Research Lab of GTE Laboratories after doing post-doctoral research at the U. of Toronto. He received two awards for his research at GTE and joined MIT Lincoln Lab after the Fundamental Research Lab was closed. Dr. Sharfin has been the chairman of several international conferences on optical devices for telecommunications. He began his career in product development at Lasertron in 1993 where he was the Director of Pump Laser Development when Corning acquired the company in 2000 for its pump laser technology. He has been the VP of Engineering at three start-up companies in the US and Canada, including Aegis Lightwave, a market leader in optical channel monitors for WDM communications which was acquired by II-VI Corporation, (now part of Coherent) in 2011.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Friday, January 27th, 2023 Eric Miller on Hydrogen
Dr. Eric L. Miller is Chief Scientist at the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, where he plays important roles in the Department’s Hydrogen Energy Earthshot and H2@Scale Initiatives. He is also co-founder and Chair of the DOE Energy Materials Network, and a member of the OSTP Subcommittee on the Material Genome Initiative. With a background in applied physics, electrical engineering, and materials science, he has spent over 30 years in the research and development of hydrogen and other clean energy technologies; and is globally recognized as a pioneer in the field of solar hydrogen production.
Friday, January 6, 2023
Friday, January 13th, 2022 - Dan Metlay on Nuclear Waste
Dr. Daniel Metlay recently retired after 24‐years of service on the senior professional staff of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. Prior to joining the NWTRB, he taught organizational theory and public policy in the political science departments of Indiana University, Bloomington, and at MIT. He served on the steering committee to prepare the Reset of America’s Nuclear Waste Management: Strategy and Policy report, which was released by Stanford and George Washington Universities in 2018. As a Senior Fellow at the B. John Garrick Institute for Risk Sciences at UCLA, he is now working on a book dealing with the institutional and technical challenges of developing a deep‐mined, geologic repository for high‐activity radioactive waste.
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Friday December 23, 2022 Vincent Dixon - Holiday Music and Musical Stories
Vincent Lawrence “Vince” Dixon, is a known Historian, especially focused on presentations including Colonial History; Current Events, and their Relationship to History; Church-State Relationships, and their Evolution, and Relationship with Civic Society; Parks, and Landscape History; and has taught, and tutored, as well. He has done work in curriculum development, and is a frequently published columnist, and speaker; and responds to custom requests. MASS PRESENTATIONS (a dba brand, of Dixon’s) develops a wide variety of presentations, media presentations, curriculum, and published materials, across a wide variety of audiences, and subject matter. Dixon has made presentations to the Winchester Historical Society: Religious Realities of Winchester: Houses of Worship & Communities of Faith; Schools of Winchester & Their Namesakes (including an exploration of The Lincolns of Massachusetts); Sports History of Winchester (A Virtual Event – by Zoom); and conducted Town Day Trolley Guided Tours. Interestingly, Vince was home schooled K-12, received his Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, at the Harvard University Extension School and a Master of Education Degree at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. He studied with Dr. Thomas H. O’Connor, University Historian of Boston College, the long-time Dean of Boston Historians.
Friday, December 9, 2022
Friday, December 9, 2022 Michael Cima: Intersection of Medicine and Materials
Dr. Michael J. Cima is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has an appointment at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. Professor Cima joined the MIT faculty in 1986 and has received numerous awards. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2011 and to the National Academy of Inventors in 2016. He now holds the David H. Koch Chair of Engineering at MIT. He was appointed faculty director of the Lemelson-MIT Program in 2009 which is a program to inspire youth to be inventive and has a nationwide reach. He was appointed Associate Dean of Engineering in 2018 and co-director of the MIT Innovation Initiative. Prof. Cima is author or co-author of over three hundred peer reviewed scientific publications, ninety US patents, and is a recognized expert in the field of medical devices and materials processing. Prof. Cima has been very active in the translation of new technologies into the clinic, including a new therapy for bladder cancer.
Friday, November 18, 2022
Friday, November 24th, 2022 - NO MEETING
No meeting - it's Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 7, 2022
Wednesday November 9th, 2022 Kerry Emanuel and Richard Lindzen in A Conversation on Climate Change
Friday, October 28, 2022
Friday October 28th, Emil Jacob: Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Emil is a design innovator who has focused on developing solutions that improve the human condition and restore the planet profitably. He grew up in a small town in Romania in the 70s and 80s with a strong passion for design innovations that address the most pressing problems related to climate change and human health and well-being in ways that are profitable and market driven. He earned a B.A. in Economics, Minor in English Literature at the University of Toronto and a Masters in Design for Human Health from Boston Architectural College.
The following links provide perspective on WindRays technology:
- https://www.civilengineering-digital.com/civilengineering-alt/january_2019-alt/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1457388#articleId1457388
- https://climate.mit.edu/posts/climate-colab-winners-spotlight-colab-spotlight-emil-jacob-alex-sludds-timothy-robertson
Friday, October 7, 2022
Friday October 14th, 2022 Electric Vehicles, Part 1
Walter has suggested that the following links may be of interest to our members:
- Why Hybrid Vehicles Are a Smart Choice Right Now (msn.com)
- EVs and Plug-In Hybrids That Qualify for Tax Credits - Consumer Reports
- Alternative Fuels Data Center: Electric Vehicles with Final Assembly in North America (energy.gov)
Life cycle carbon emissions: https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/electric-vehicle-myths#Myth5
Electric Grid: ISO New England (iso-ne.com)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Lithium recycling
Solving EV's Biggest Problem - Battery Recycling Explained - YouTube
How Tesla’s Battery Mastermind Is Tackling EV's Biggest Problem - YouTube
Environmental concerns
Are Electric Cars Worse For The Environment? Myth Busted - YouTube