Technology: Boon or Bane?
The Challenges of Employing Technology for the Greater Good
Which is the greater driver of technological advancement? The “how” or the “why”?
In a world where technology intimately connects and affects populations across the globe, those who drive technological advancement must acknowledge their role in its impact on human development. Our panelists will discuss their thoughts on Caritas in Veritate and how it relates to their work as scientists and their responsibility as human beings.
Discussion
Moderator
Robert L. Alworth
Bob Alworth is the Associate Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the colleges of Science and Engineering and the director of the Integrated Engineering and Business Practices Program in the College of Engineering. Alworth joined Notre Dame after more than 34 years in industry at S&C Electric Company and General Electric. Over his career Alworth led teams focused on customer service, manufacturing, marketing, product development, sales, and venture business development. He graduated magna cum laude from Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1972 and earned a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from Cornell University in 1974.
Panelists
Gregory P. Crawford
Greg Crawford is the William K. Warren II Foundation Dean of the College of Science and professor of physics at the Univ. of Notre Dame. He holds degrees in physics and mathematics, as well as 15 U.S. patents. Crawford’s areas of research include liquid crystal and polymer physics, with implications in photonics, displays, nanoscience, and biomedical devices. His experimental expertise includes optics and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance for study of basic properties of materials on the nano- and meso-length scales. An award-winning educator, Crawford is deeply committed to creative approaches to learning at all levels—K–12, undergraduate, and graduate. Notre Dame’s College of Science is home for some 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Peter Kilpatrick
Peter Kilpatrick is the McCloskey Dean of Engineering and Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Univ. of Notre Dame. He holds degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, and 14 U.S. patents (issued and pending). Kilpatrick’s research focuses on the interfacial and molecular properties of asphaltenes, biological membranes, and other surface-active materials. The ends of his research are energy efficiency and environmental care. He has been recognized with teaching and research awards and is committed to research and educational excellence. He was the founding director of the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center at North Carolina State Univ., in an effort to educate students about pilot-scale protein manufacturing. The College of Engineering is home to 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students.
Harindra “Joe” Fernando
The Wayne and Diana Murdy Professor of Engineering and Geosciences, Fernando has a Ph.D. in fluid mechanics from Johns Hopkins University. His research interests involve fluid mechanics, specifically turbulence in homogeneous, stratified, and rotating flow, double-diffusive phenomena, multiphase flows, oceanic flows, industrial fluid mechanics, urban air pollution, and sustainability engineering.
Wolfgang Porod
Wolfgang Porod is the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Electrical Engineering and director of the Center for Nano Science and Technology. He is a Hans Fischer Senior Fellow at the Technische Universität München. He holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. An expert in nanoelectronics and quantum devices, Porod is co-inventor of the Quantum-dot-Celluar Automata (QCA), a transistorless approach to computing. His research examines solid-state physics and its application to electronics; reliability, degradation, and breakdown; quantum devices and architectures for nanoelectronics; and limits by the laws of physics on computation. Porod is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has authored numerous publications and presentations.