2010 AAAS Engineering Section Meeting

 

9:00AM – 12:30PM, Friday February 19, 2010

 

San Diego Marriott and Hotel and Marina, San Diego, CA

Room: Solana

 

MINUTES

1.   Introductions: Dr. Robert Nerem, Section Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM.  He asked those present to introduce themselves. The attendance list is included in Appendix A.

 

2.      Approval of Minutes: Dr. Nerem asked for comments and possible changes to the draft minutes of the Section Business Meeting held on February 13, 2009. The draft minutes were posted on the Section website http://www.eecs.ucf.edu/aaas-m shortly after the 2009 Chicago meeting.  Copies of the draft minutes were also distributed at the meeting.  There were no comments made or changes suggested.  A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

3.      Announcements:  Marwan Simaan, Section Secretary, announced that H. Vincent Poor was elected Chair-Elect and Gary S. May was elected Member-at-Large of the Engineering Section’s Steering Group both effective February 23, 2010.  He also announced that that Richard C. Alkine and Cindy Bruckner-Lea were elected to the Engineering Section Electorate Nominating Committee.  Dr. Nerem thanked all the officers whose terms ended after this Annual Meeting: Priscilla Nelson as retiring Chair, Herbert Richardson as Member-at-Large, and Raphael Bras and Melba Crowford as members of the Electorate Nominating Committee. On February 23, 2010 Dr. Nerem will become the retiring Chair and in that capacity he will serve on the AAAS Council also he will Chair the Electorate Nominating Committee.

 

Dr. Nerem announced that the Section Steering Committee has voted unanimously to have Marwan Simaan continue serving as Section Secretary for another four year term and that Marwan has agreed to do so.

 

Dr. Nerem also announced that 48 members affiliated with the Engineering Section were elected Fellows of AAAS in November 2009.  A list of the names of the new Fellows was distributed and is attached as Appendix B.  The Newly elected Fellows were invited to attend our business meeting and 17 were able to attend. Dr. Nerem welcomed them, and thanked them for attending the meeting.  He also encouraged the new Fellows to be active in the section by contributing to the technical program of the AAAS Annual Meetings, nominating qualified members for the grade of AAAS Fellow, or serving as an officer in the section. 

 

4.      Fellow Nomination Process: Dr. Nerem asked Marwan Simaan, the section secretary to review the AAAS Fellow nomination process which is the same as in previous years. There are three ways a candidate can be nominated: By a member of the Steering Group (method 1), by a group of three Fellows (method 2), and by the AAAS Chief Executive Officer (method 3).

 

For Fellow nominations by members of the Steering Group (method 1), he mentioned that each nomination must include a completed Fellow nomination form and either a letter of recommendation by the nominator or a detailed C.V. with a list of publications (although a C.V. is an essential piece of the required documentation).  He encouraged members of the Steering Group to submit both.  Information on the nomination process by a group of three Fellows (method 2) and a copy of the nomination form can be found on the AAAS main website.  A link to that website can also be found on our section Website (http://www.eecs.ucf.edu/aaas-m).  Dr. Simaan also mentioned that the deadline for Fellow nominations by a group of three Fellows is May 14, 2010. By the end of May 2010, all members of the Steering Group will receive from the AAAS Executive Office copies of the nomination materials for all nominees, including those nominated by a group of three Fellows, and by the Chief Executive Officer.  They will also receive a voting sheet that they will need to fill and return to him by the specified deadline.  Marwan will then forward all votes to the Executive Office.   The newly elected Fellows will be notified upon formal election of the slate of all approved nominees by the AAAS Council. 

 

Dr. Simaan mentioned that the number of Fellows elected through nominations by the Steering Group is subject to a section quota which is 15 for this year (there is no quota for those elected through nominations by three Fellows or by the Chief Executive Officer).  He also mentioned that in all three methods, a successful candidate must receive no less than five yes votes and no more than two no votes.

 

  1. Planning for the 2011 Annual Meeting:  The 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting will be held in Washington, DC, February 17-21, 2011.  The theme of the meeting is “Science without Borders”.  AAAS asked our section to brainstorm at our business meeting and arrive at three or more hot topics to be discussed at the 2011 Annual Meeting planning meeting, which will be held on Sunday Feb 21.  These hot topics will form the basis for possible collaborative symposia sponsored by our section or co-sponsored with other section at the 2011 Annual meeting.   Dr. Nerem asked for ideas and suggestions.  A discussion followed with everyone present contributing ideas.

 

While the discussions were taking place, Dr. Alice Huang, AAAS President-Elect and Chair of the 2011 Program Committee joined our business meeting for a brief period of time and gave an introduction to the theme for the 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting to be held in Washington, DC February 17-21, 2011. The theme is “Science without Borders”.  Dr. Huang noted that the theme integrates the practice of science both in teaching and research that utilizes multidisciplinary approaches.  It also takes into consideration the diversity of investigators and students.  She encouraged the section to submit proposals that relate to the theme of the meeting. The deadline for submission is Tuesday April 27, 2010, 11:59pm.  Decisions will be announced in July.

 

At the end, the ideas were grouped into six important topics that would encompass many symposia that could be planned and sponsored by our section.  A summary of these topics is given below.

 

5.1 Global Health Care: Advances and Challenges

Organizer: Metin Akay (makay@uh.edu), University of Houston

 

Recent advances in medical technology have significantly improved the human health in developed countries. However, these advances remain out of touch for much of the world’s population. We still face unprecedented healthcare challenges in the 21st century. The prevalence of major diseases today, from the global AIDS pandemic to antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis, cuts across the healthcare, political, economic, social, and biomedical disciplines: These diseases will continue affecting the world unless major measures are taken to develop comprehensive prevention and treatment programs. Thus, biomedical engineers are expected to play a critical role in developing novel and affordable medical technology and drugs to solve global healthcare problems, especially in the developing countries.

 

The objectives of this special symposium are to discuss the healthcare systems, financing, delivery and management in the world, recent advances in information technologies in healthcare and their use in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases, using novel technologies to develop new drugs, technology regulation, and ethical issues surrounding the use of novel technologies. A tentative list of the speakers and topics includes:

 

a)  Smart Global Healthcare Policy, The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, US Senator.

 

b)  Global Health Challenges and Opportunities, Susan Blumenthal, MD, MPA, Former US Assistant Surgeon General, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown School of Medicine and Tufts University Medical Center.

 

c)  New Perspective on Global Health and Science, Harold Varmus, MD, President and Chief Executive, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Former Director of the NIH; Nobel Prize Recipient.

 

d)  The Role of Universities in Global Health, Elizabeth Bradley, PhD, Professor of Public Health, Division of Health Policy and Administration; Director, Health Management Program; Director, Global Health Initiatives, Yale School of Public Health.

 

e) The Coming Revolution in Global Public Health, Jeffrey Sachs, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon.

 

f)  Global Healthcare Productivity, Alan M. Garber, MD, PhD, CHP/PCOR Director; Henry J. Kaiser, Jr. Professor and Professor of Medicine and Professor, by courtesy, of Economics, of Health Research and   Policy, and of Economics in the Graduate School of Business; FSI Senior Fellow & Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Senior Fellow.

 

5.2 Panel: New Technologies for Global Healthcare

Moderator: Metin Akay (makay@uh.edu), University of Houston

 

Panel Members:

 

Low Cost Bioinstrumentation for Global Health, Robert Malkin, PhD, PE, Professor of Practice of Biomedical Engineering Director, Duke-Engineering World Health, Duke University.

 

Global Health, Distributed Diagnostics & Home Healthcare (D2H2), Paul Yager, PhD, Professor & W. Hunter & Dorothy L. Simpson Endowed Chair, University of Washington, Seattle.

 

Biomedical Engineering for Global Healthcare, Rebecca Richards-Kortum, PhD, Stanley C. Moore Professor of Bioengineering, Rice University.

 

5.3 The University of the Future
Organizer: Robert Nerem (robert.nerem@ibb.gatech.edu), Georgia Tech and Section M Chair

As we move further into the 21st century there could be profound changes in higher education in the U.S. and globally. It is in fact hard to believe that the university of the future will look like institutions today. There are many factors that will drive this change in higher education. This includes the globalization of higher education; however, there are many other factors as well. There thus are many questions. For example, as a university more and more takes on the character of a business, how do we keep a focus on education, particularly at the undergraduate level? With the continuing advances in electronic technology, how do we preserve the professor-student relationship? How do we communicate to the public what a university really is? This concept of a programmatic idea could be a single 180 minute symposium with speakers such as Jean-Lou Chameau (Cal Tech), Mary Ann Fox (UCSD), Gordon Gee) Ohio State), Susan Hockfield (MIT), Richard Levin(Yale),  James Wagner(Emory), and Mark Yudof (UC System).  There also could be the heads of institutions from other countries. This also could be a major series of sessions organized to include sessions on undergraduate education, graduate education, diversity in higher education, as well as a "big picture" session with a panel of university presidents such as described above.

 

5.4 Globalization and Sustainable Manufacturing

Organizer: Ram D. Sriram, (sriram@nist.gov), NIST

 

Manufacturing is having a significant impact on global sustainability.  According to a recent report from the University of Cambridge (http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/sis/industrial_sustainability_report.pdf) “the industrial system can account for 30 % or more of greenhouse gas generation in industrialized countries.”   This statement reflects only a part of the total impacts on the environment. Energy consumption and waste production are other major factors contributing to the sustainability problems. Engineers of successful global enterprises are confronted with the challenges of designing sustainable products, processes, and services. This can be achieved through the practice of sustainable manufacturing principles. We can view sustainable manufacturing as a systems approach for the creation and distribution (supply chain) of innovative products and services that minimizes resources (inputs such as materials, energy, water and land), maximize the use of renewable resources, eliminates toxic substances, and produces zero waste that in effect reduces carbon (including carbon equivalent) intensity across the entire lifecycle of products and services. Interlinked pathways of interaction at various levels characterize such systems. These levels span technical, economic, ecological, and societal issues. The interactions within and across these levels are critical to the fundamental understanding of sustainable design and manufacturing, because tackling any one of the issues in isolation could result in unintended consequences. The objective of this session to explore the various technical, social, and environmental issues in sustainable manufacturing within the context of a global networked economy. 


5.5 Perspectives on Employment for / from Persons with Disabilities

Organizers: Angela Forman (alfnts@rit.edu), Rochester Institute of Technology and Amy Sharma (amy.sharma@gtri.gatech.edu), Georgia Tech Research Institute.

 

This symposium will focus on the perspectives of persons, specifically engineers, with disabilities and their experiences in the engineering workforce.  We believe it is a perfect match to the theme of “Science Without Boarders” as this will promote diversity in the workforce. Engineering creates assistive technology and is a perfect potential employment field for persons with disabilities. 

 

This session will provide an opportunity to disseminate the data from a 2009 AAAS Workshop (funded by the NSF) entitled “Problem Solving” that provided an opportunity to review 1) employment issues; 2) accommodations from an engineering perspective (technical limitations); and 3) assistive technologies. Topics presented at this symposium will evolve to reflect the information and lessons learned from the workshop (which will be compiled later this spring).

 

Potential topics to be covered will include both employers’ and employees’ viewpoints: Employers’ best practices for fostering an inclusive workforce including the creation of a welcoming environment and the full incorporation of employees with disabilities into all aspects of the organization.  Employees’ perspectives will include a discussion of self-perceived limitations (such as travel) and the impact on their willingness to apply for technical positions. Additional topics include the lack of knowledge about accommodation practices and the fear of asking.

 

Potential Speakers: Representatives from Merk and Northrup Grumman. Virginia Stern, Director, Science, Technology and Disability at AAAS has offered to provide support in identifying potential speakers from companies that have successful programs and practices and also individuals with disabilities who have successful careers. 

 

            Potential audience: employers, potential employees, veterans and policy makers. 

 

            Possible joint funders: 

 - National Science Foundation (supported by Ted Conway, Program Director, Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities, Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems Engineering, Engineering Directorate). 

            - National Academy of Engineering (supported by Catherine Didion, Senior Program Officer). 

 

            Possible joint sponsors: AAAS Committee on Opportunities in Science (COOS) 

 

            5.6 Globalization of Science through the International Space Station

Organizer: Peter Bainum (pbainum@fac.howard.edu), Howard University and Eng liaison from the American Astronautical Society.

 

The International Space Station (ISS) will become operational during 2010. It is proposed to convene a 90 minute symposium to be coordinated by a key official from the NASA Space Station program office, and involve scientists from the US, Japan, and Europe who would describe various experiments planned for the ISS. Engineering, Section M proponents:

 

Dr. Nerem encouraged all those who have suggested these ideas to develop them further and submit them on the AAAS proposal submission website before the deadline of April 27, 2010.

                                                                                                                                                                              

5.7 Plenary and Topical Lectures: Dr. Nerem asked for suggestions for Plenary and Topical lectures speakers.  The following are some of the names that were suggested.

 

For Plenary Lectures the following names were suggested:

 

a) Chuck Vest, NAE President.  Topic: Grand Challenges for the 21st Century.

b) Steve Jobs, Apple CEO. Topic: Future of the Electronic World.

 

For Topical Lectures the following names were suggested:

 

a)   Steven E. Koonin, Undersecretary for Science, US DOE.  Topic: energy without borders.

b)      Bernard Amadei, University of Colorado.  Topic: Engineers without borders.

c)      Theodore W. Berger, Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California.  Topic:  Models of mammalian neural systems.

d)      Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Bioengineering Department, Rice University.  Topic: New technologies for early detection of cancer.

 

6.      Other Items:

Gail Marcus, our section’s representative on Council, asked the section to support her efforts in requesting that AAAS cover the hotel expenses for council representatives for four nights instead of two nights at the Annual Meetings.  This will allow the council representatives to be able to attend both the section business meeting which is typically on Friday morning and the council meeting which is typically on Saturday afternoon. A motion to support Dr. Marcus’ request was made, seconded and passed unanimously.

 

7.       Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 AM.  Lunch was served.

 

 

Submitted by:

Marwan A. Simaan

Section Secretary

February 23, 2010

Appendix A

Attendance List

1.        Robert Nerem, Section Chair

2.        Marwan Simaan, Section Secretary

3.        Duncan Moore, Chair-Elect

4.        Vincent Poor, Chair Elect Elect

5.        Priscilla Nelson, Retiring Chair

6.        Cristina Amon, Past Chair

7.        Christine Maziar, Member-at-Large

8.        Gail Marcus, Council Delegate

9.         Jim Merz, Council Delegate

10.  Anice Anderson, Section P Secretary

11.  Stan Bull, Section P Retiring Chair

12.  David Lubman, Representative, Acoustical Society of America

13.  Peter Bainum, Representative, American Astronautical Society

14.  Robert Gibrou, National Society of Prof. Engineers

15.  Raphael Lee

16.  Amy Sharma

17.  Angela Lee Foreman

18.  Ishwar Puri

19.  C. Chen, Newly Elected Fellow

20.  Chai Toh, Newly Elected Fellow

21.  Gang Bao, Newly Elected Fellow

22.  Ibrahim Hajj, Newly Elected Fellow

23.  Kalliat Valsaraj, Newly Elected Fellow

24.  Katherine Ferrara, Newly Elected Fellow

25.  Metin Akay, Newly Elected Fellow

26.  Moe Khaleel, Newly Elected Fellow

27.  Mubarak Shah, Newly Elected Fellow

28.  Ram Sriram, Newly Elected Fellow

29.  Roger Kamm, Newly Elected Fellow

30.  Sankar Basu, Newly Elected Fellow

31.  Seeram Ramakrishna, Newly Elected Fellow

32.  Sunil Saigal, Newly Elected Fellow

33.  Tirumalai Srivatsan, Newly Elected Fellow

34.  Viktor Prasanna, Newly Elected Fellow

35.  Walid Najjar, Newly Elected Fellow

36.  Yildiz Bayazitoglu, Newly Elected Fellow

 

 

 

 

Appendix B

New AAAS Fellows elected in November 2009

Engineering Section

Newly elected Fellows affiliated with section M (Engineering) are:

·         Metin Akay, Arizona State Univ.

·         Gang Bao, Georgia Institute of Technology

·         Sankar Basu, National Science Foundation

·         Yildiz Bayazitoglu, Rice Univ.

·         C. Philip Chen, Univ. of Texas, San Antonio

·         Gang Chen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

·         William Cluett, Univ. of Toronto

·         Narendra B. Dahotre, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville

·         Gordon W. Day, Retired

·         Nader Engheta, Univ. of Pennsylvania

·         Katherine Whittaker Ferrara, Univ. of California, Davis

·         Gary C. Gimmestad, Georgia Institute of Technology

·         Ibrahim N. Hajj, American Univ. of Beirut

·         Qing Hu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

·         Roger D. Kamm, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

·         Bryan Karney, Univ. of Toronto

·         Michael E. Kassner, Univ. of Southern California

·         Susan Kauzlarich, Univ. of California, Davis

·         Moe A. Khaleel, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

·         Rajinder P. Khosla, National Science Foundation

·         Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Pennsylvania State Univ.

·         Jerry Y.S. Lin, Arizona State Univ.

·         Vladimir Mitin, Univ. at Buffalo, SUNY

·         Javad Mostaghimi, Univ. of Toronto

·         David R. Myers, Sandia National Laboratories

·         Walid A. Najjar, Univ. of California, Riverside

·         Shrikanth Narayanan, Univ. of Southern California

·         Charles C. Nguyen, Catholic Univ. of America

·         Lukas Novotny, Univ. of Rochester

·         Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj, Stanford Univ.

·         Viktor K. Prasanna,Univ. of Southern California

·         Seeram Ramakrishna, National Univ. of Singapore

·         Ravi Ravindran, Ryerson Univ.

·         Jeffrey Allen Reimer, Univ. of California, Berkeley

·         Debra R. Reinhart, Univ. of Central Florida

·         Sunil Saigal, New Jersey Institute of Technology

·         Mohammad Samimy, Ohio State Univ.

·         Edward H. Sargent, Univ. of Toronto

·         Peter Searson, Johns Hopkins Univ.

·         Mubarak Shah, Univ. of Central Florida

·         Ram D. Sriram, National Institute of Standards and Technology

·         Tirumalai S. Srivatsan, Univ. of Akron

·         Chai Keong Toh, ALICO Inc., USA

·         Kimon P. Valavanis, Univ. of Denver

·         Kalliat T. Valsaraj, Louisiana State Univ.

·         Dionisios (Dion) G. Vlachos, Univ. of Delaware

·         Mark R. Wiesner, Duke Univ.

·         Denis Wirtz, Johns Hopkins Univ.