I just love the annual meeting of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).. It is the biggest nerd-fest you could imagine. Each year we get together to welcome new members and see old friends. THere are great talks.. and super great networking.
I started the day with a run down to the mall.. I ran by the National Academies Building just to be sure I could find it.
The NAE shares the building with the National Academy of Science )NAS) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). The combined organization National Academy organization was created by President Lincoln in 1863 Its mission is to ” advance the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent advice on matters involving engineering and technology,” ..What I love about the NAE is that it brings together engineers of all sorts pf disciplines.. civil engineers , mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, chemical engineers, environmental engieers, computer engineers, power system engineers, ., aerospace engineners.. you name it .. from all walks of life.. from academia, from industry and from the government and military. .Its full of inventors, professors, CEO’s , Generals and many other interesting and fun people. Most of the oidy is from the US.. but we also have many international members..
I ran back to the hotel and tool a shower.. .. Is it just me or does this shower control look sad ?
at 10 we all lined up and caught a bus to the venue. THe fun conversations staerted as soon as I got on the bus. I sat next to a a very interesting Material Sceince Prof from RPI.. it was going to be a fun day of interactions like this.. My first meetign was a group of us that are workign to increase the diversity of the NAE… Its a predominantly male and white organization. thought its gotten much more diversi in recent years. I’m part of a committee to hep find a more diverse set of candidates to stand for election. I’m looking forward to helping if I can.
AFter that meetign and a little more mingline, we all filed in to the great ha;; to meet the new members elected this year. I had several freinds elected this year including my friends Anirudh,. Neil. Kerrie, Adalio and Bill. I was super happy fr all of them .
We rhten had an excellent talk from MIT prof Sandy Pentland on the importance of using sociology data to improve AI data analysis on everything from the spread of diseases to the planning of cities. He made a complelign cad how Large Language Models liek GPT might be used to help middle wage workers advance by allowing them to leverage the expertise captured in thos e models to broaden their thinking and improve their productivity.
THen more mingling ( i love the wingling) . I ran into Rod P.. a freind of my brothers.. He staretd tellign a freind about Billys magic tricks.. that was fun !
AFter luch there was a very moving tribute to one of the former NAe presidents Bill Wulf. I didn’t knwo bill.. but it was really great to hear so many tributes.. and fun stories abotu a guy who hlped build the NAE into the org it now is. He was a brilliant, humble ad funny man.. I was moved by all I heard of him.. I particually loved hearng from Bills daughters who gave a warm and funny trbute to their famous dad.. callign him the ‘inventor of the dad joke’.. .. eg. “Dad.. are you alright ?! .. No… I’m, not.. I’m half left”.. groan.. now thats a real leader.. a guy who can argue with the president of the usa .. and still tell a good dad joke !
THere was a great reception..t hen we all headed out to section dinners. I’m in section 7.. (ELectroica, communiocatiosn and information systems ) dinner. I’d never been to one of the section dinners.. and I really enjoyed it. I got to speak more with our new Sec 7 president Bernd G .. and talk to other members. I sat next to Tsu-Jae King Liu, the Dean of Engineering at UC Berkley.. It was great speaking with her and the other folks at our table..
From there we all walked hoem to the hotel.. .. Its’ great walkign aroudn DC at night. We saw a ‘birthday cake’ on the lawn of the white house celibrating immy Carters 99th birthday ! Happy birthday Jimmy !
On my way up to my room I ran into my friend Neil and his wife Laura.. Neil is a propf at mit who is the fatehr o the fablab movement.. he teaches a class called how to make just about everythign that is famous on campus. I love talign to neil.. he’s so funny and so smart.. really one of my heros. He came up to see me at BETA last year. we’re plannign another meet up in Vermont later this year. Here’ is Neil usine Lara to illustrate a robotic mechanism one of his students had worked on..
Great day ! More tomorrow
nite all,. nite sam
-me