Innovation – Response to the Gathering Storm? Dr. Hratch G. Semerjian Chief Scientist National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg , MD

The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
invites you to the Lawrence A. Kennedy Lecture.

Innovation – Response to the Gathering Storm?

Dr. Hratch G. Semerjian
Chief Scientist
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg , MD

Thursday, March 22, 2007
3:00 p.m., Lecture – 1043 Engineering Research Facility

4:45 p.m. Reception - MIE Atrium, 2 nd floor West, Engineering Research Facility

About the Lecture

Recent reports by the National Academies, the Council on Competitiveness and others have expressed serious concerns about the vitality of U.S. economy in the increasingly globalized marketplace and in an environment of international competitiveness. The U.S. economy’s vitality can only be maintained by promoting a knowledge-based economy and innovative enterprises that lead to new knowledge, discovery, and new technology. The foundation of such enterprises is well-educated people and the basic research environment that emphasizes knowledge creation and innovation, rather than short-term product development. Universities and Federal Laboratories have a critical role to play in promoting innovation, preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers, maintaining world leadership in science and technology, and assuring U.S. prosperity in the 21 st century. This will require strategic partnerships between industry, academia and government laboratories, and increased emphasis on interdisciplinary research; examples of such successful partnerships and interdisciplinary research will be discussed.

About the Speaker:

Hratch G. Semerjian is NIST's Chief Scientist. Previously, Dr. Semerjian served as both Acting NIST Director (November 2004 - July 2005), and as NIST Deputy Director (July 2003 - June 2006.)

As Chief Scientist, Dr. Semerjian assists the NIST Director and the rest of the NIST senior management in identifying specific technical opportunities for NIST, ensuring that NIST continues its technical excellence, and representing NIST at high-level technical meetings and in international matters. In addition, he is responsible for helping promote and plan science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education programs at NIST.

Dr. Semerjian received his M.Sc. (1968) and Ph.D. (1972) degrees in engineering from Brown University in Providence, RI. He served as a lecturer and postdoctoral research fellow in the Chemistry Department at the University of Toronto. He then joined the research staff of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division of United Technologies Corp. in East Hartford, CT. In 1977, Dr. Semerjian joined the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST), where he served as Director of the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL) from April 1992 through July 2003. Awards he has received include the Fulbright Fellowship, the C.B. Keen Fellowship at Brown, the U.S. Department of Commerce Meritorious Federal Service (Silver Medal) Award in 1984, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Distinguished Achievement in Federal Service (Gold Medal) Award in 1995. In 1996, he was elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1997, he received the Brown University Engineering Alumni Medal. Dr. Semerjian was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2000.

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