Northeastern University Hosts the 2012 NSF CMMI Engineering Research and Innovation Conference
Northeastern University’s College of Engineering hosted the National Science Foundation’s 2012 Engineering Research and Innovation Conference for the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) from July 9-12, 2012. Prof. Sara Wadia-Fascetti led the conference, which included a series of pre-conference events, was attended by over 1200 participants and students. The focus of this year’s conference, “Engineering Transformation through Partnerships,” stressed the importance of interdisciplinary partnerships with academia, industry, and government. The conference was held in conjunction with Quake Summit 2012, the conference of the NSF-sponsored George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). Several faculty members from COE presented on-going research projects at both conferences, highlighting several projects recently awarded to the faculty from the National Science Foundation. President Joseph Aoun delivered the keynote address at CMMI 2012 in which he discussed challenges and opportunities within academia and stressed the importance of partnerships to address complex issues and global pressures being faced by universities.
Source: News @ Northeastern
Students of all ages came together on Sunday to kick off the National Science Foundation’s annual Engineering Research and Innovation Conference, which is being hosted by Northeastern University’s College of Engineering.
The conference will focus on transforming the engineering field through the formation of robust partnerships with academia, industry and society.
Pre-conference events included K-12 STEM outreach activities; a graduate-level boot camp dedicated to helping students build their future career networks; and a future faculty workshop hosted by Northeastern ADVANCE, an NSF-funded program designed to increase the representation and advancement of women and minorities in academic science and engineering careers.
Michael Bunis, a litigator with Choate Hall and Stewart LLP, discussed intellectual-property concerns; Penn State University associate professor Michael Alley offered strategies for effectively presenting engineering research; and freelance health and science journalists Carol Morton and Karen Weintraub lead an interactive session aimed toward improving engineers’ engagement with media and the public.
Some 2000 engineers from around the country will converge at the Hynes Convention Center on Monday to present NSF-funded research through lectures and poster sessions. Ten Northeastern grantees are among the presenters, including engineering professor Constantinos Mavroidis; civil and environmental engineering professor Peter Furth; and associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering Yung Joon Jung. Both graduate and undergraduate students will present another 21 research posters.
Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun will address the attendees in a keynote speech focused on the strategies with which research universities will confront future funding and scientific challenges.
Directly following the conference, the NSF-funded George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation will host its annual Quake Summit. The organization focuses on developing the innovations necessary to reduce the impact of seismic disasters. Northeastern civil and environmental engineering professor Dionisio Bernal and associate professor Mehrdad Sasani will present their research.
Of this year’s conference theme, Stephen Director, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said “partnerships reflect one of Northeastern’s core values from partnering with industry in education through our grounding in cooperative education to partnering with industry, government and other universities that are fundamental to our many centers of excellence.”