Engineering Academy Seeks Grand Challenges

In September, the National Academy of Engineering will announce 20 Grand Challenges in Engineering for the 21st century. The challenges will be identified by a distinguished panel, chaired by former Defense Secretary William Perry. Says NAE President William Wulf, “we hope that the outcomes of this project will provide a guide toward the future for engineers, a tangible motivation for young people who want to make a difference, and a better public understanding about how engineering shapes our world.”

The Academy and the committee are asking for community input, which can be given at the Grand Challenge web site, www.engineeringchallenges.org. According to Wulf, those nominating grand challenges should consider particularly the areas of their expertise, and include pertinent back-up materials.

Among the other committee members are former NIH Director Bernadine Healy, “Applied Minds” Chairman and former Disney Imagineer Danny Hillis, Google co-founder Larry Page, APS Fellow and Princeton professor Robert Socolow, and human genome sequencer J. Craig Venter.