Gordon England '61, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, gave the first Whiting-Turner Business & Entrepreneurial Lecture Series of the Fall 2008 semester. (Photo by Al Santos.) Did You Miss This Lecture? Read the news item. Whiting-Turner Lecture Series Home

A Whiting-Turner Lecture — October 16

Abstract

Secretary England will give his perspectives on what the future will hold for Clark School of Engineering students based on his own experiences as a student here and more than 40 years of experience as an engineer, industry executive and an official at the highest level of the federal government.

Biography

Gordon England is the 29th Deputy Secretary of Defense. He previously served as the 72nd and 73rd Secretary of the Navy and as the first Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Prior to joining the administration of President George W. Bush, Mr. England served as President of the General Dynamics Fort Worth Aircraft Company (later Lockheed), President of the General Dynamics Land Systems Company and as corporate Executive Vice President of General Dynamics Information Systems and Technology Sector, Ground Combat Systems Sector and the International Sector. His business career spanned over 40 years as an engineer and senior executive.

A native of Baltimore, Mr. England graduated from the University of Maryland in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. In 1975 he earned a master's degree in business administration from the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University and was a member of business, engineering and leadership honor societies.

Mr. England has served in a variety of civic, charitable and government organizations, including serving as a city councilman; Vice Chair, national Board of Goodwill, International; the USO's Board of Governors; the Defense Science Board; the Board of Visitors at Texas Christian University; and many others.

He has been recognized for numerous professional and service contributions by multiple universities and organizations.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture — April 2, 2009

Abstract

Social media is dead. Long live social media. That's the theme of the CEO of the web's largest-reaching social distribution company, Clearspring Technologies. Social networking and publishing platforms like Facebook, Wordpress, and MySpace are taking the world by storm. The web is no longer a mechanism for simple publishing. It has become the platform for delivering users services via APIs, widgets, and applications. Social media is not a new category of media. All media online is swiftly becoming social. Hooman Radfar will discuss the changing media landscape, the forces driving the changes, and how Internet companies can succeed in this brave new world.

Biography

Hooman Radfar, 28, is founder & CEO of Clearspring Technologies. Radfar co-founded Clearspring in 2004 after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with an M.S. in Electrical Engineering. At Clearspring, he drives platform and strategy initiatives, where he helps major media companies and marketers, such as NBC Universal, NBA, Time, Turner, and Disney efficiently distribute and track their content across the web.

Radfar has been working in the social media space for more than five years. During this period he has been dedicated to defining the standards, economic models, and innovation that define the next phase of the web, loosely termed as Web 2.0/3.0. At Clearspring, he aims to create the platform and business models for the distributed web and allow its participants to share in the huge upside of this new ecosystem.

BusinessWeek.com featured Radfar as one of "The Wizards of Widgets" and named him one of "Technology's Best Young Entrepreneurs" most likely to shape the world's digital future. He was also nominated for Ernst & Young’s "Entrepreneur of the Year." He is a frequent speaker at technology conferences including Widgets Live, Web 2.0 Expo, and WidgetCon. He is often quoted in major media, including The Washington Post, BusinessWeek and Red Herring. When he is not busy building a better Web, you can find him writing his blog Widgify.

Radfar graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in economics and computer science. He also received an M.S. from Carnegie Mellon University, where he researched social networks and distributed systems.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture — April 21, 2009

Abstract

One of America's strengths has been a robust research and development enterprise in advancing medical technology that can save live and improve the quality of life. At the same time, many economic analyses ascribe a high share of the rising costs of health care to increasing use of medical technology. This talk will explore the following question: Is it possible to promote and realize the benefits of new science and technology for health and at the same time to maintain an affordable health system? Special emphasis will be placed on the role of comparative-effectiveness research and other policy tools to achieve these dual goals.

Biography

Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. He served as provost of Harvard University from 1997 to 2001, following thirteen years as dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. He has devoted most of his academic career to the fields of health policy and medical decision making. His past research has focused on the process of policy development and implementation, assessment of medical technology, evaluation and use of vaccines and dissemination of medical innovations.

Dr. Fineberg helped found and served as president of the Society for Medical Decision Making and also served as consultant to the World Health Organization. At the Institute of Medicine, he has chaired and served on a number of panels dealing with health policy issues, ranging from AIDS to new medical technology. He also served as a member of the Public Health Council of Massachusetts (1976-1979), as chairman of the Health Care Technology Study Section of the National Center for Health Services Research (1982-1985), and as president of the Association of Schools of Public Health (1995-1996).

Dr. Fineberg is co-author of the books Clinical Decision Analysis, Innovators in Physician Education, and The Epidemic that Never Was, an analysis of the controversial federal immunization program against swine flu in 1976. He has co-edited several books on such diverse topics as AIDS prevention, vaccine safety and understanding risk in society. He has also authored numerous articles published in professional journals. Dr. Fineberg is the recipient of several honorary degrees and the Joseph W. Mountin Prize from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. He earned his bachelor's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture — November 19, 2009

Abstract

Serial entrepreneur and private investor S .Tien Wong will present his thoughts on what it will take to succeed in the new economy. The business and economic climates have radically changed in the past 18 months. Business is as challenging and competitive as ever, capital is scarce, and customers are more demanding. What does this mean for entrepreneurs and future leaders? Wong will draw on his experience as Founder and CEO of one of the world's largest customer relationship management (CRM) companies, as well as his experience in investing in and acquiring business services and technology companies. Topics will include the changing nature of customer service, private equity, IT and the emergence of China as a powerhouse, and how these trends may alter the way we need to conduct business and train our future business leaders.

Biography

S. Tien Wong is chairman and CEO of Opus8, Inc., a Maryland-based private investment firm specializing in middle market buyouts, private equity and venture capital investment. The firm seeks to acquire North American call center, customer relationship management and outsourced marketing services and technology companies. Opus8 also makes venture capital investments in emerging outsourcing companies in China.

In 2008, Wong acquired a majority interest in and became chairman and CEO of Lore Systems, Inc., an advanced IT services company in the Washington, D.C., area. Lore provides world-class managed datacenter hosting and colocation services, consulting and support to a diverse base of over 300 clients.

Wong co-founded and served as CEO of CyberRep, Inc., until its acquisition in 2003 by Affiliated Computer Services. Prior to co-founding CyberRep, he worked for ten years in commercial real estate finance and investments.

In 2001 Wong won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Greater Washington. He is an "Entrepreneur in Residence" at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, and frequently lectures at major universities.

Wong is a current or former member or trustee of numerous boards. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he majored in government.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture  — November 5, 2009

Abstract

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 set the stage for the renaissance of nuclear energy in the United States. A small group of companies have emerged as the front runners on the leading edge of what will be some of the largest and most complex projects in recent U.S. history.

UniStar Nuclear Energy is driving forward with its business model of building a fleet of advanced nuclear technology facilities while managing the ever-changing risks of doing business in 2009. The obstacles and opportunities of being on the leading edge of the nuclear curve will be illustrated as well as the benefits of new nuclear in the United States.

Biography

As president and chief executive officer of UniStar Nuclear Energy (UNE), a Constellation Energy and EDF company, George Vanderheyden is responsible for leading UNE’s efforts to develop and deploy the first new generation of nuclear power plants in North America in more than 30 years.

Vanderheyden also serves as senior vice president of Constellation Energy's Nuclear Group, overseeing Constellation’s new nuclear interests, and president of UniStar Nuclear, LLC, a joint venture with AREVA, NP, to market a version of AREVA’s evolutionary power reactor technology, adapted specifically for the United States. He joined Constellation Energy in 2003 as Constellation Generation Group’s vice president of asset optimization. Within a few months, he became vice president at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.

Vanderheyden holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University in nuclear engineering technology. He is a member of the Engineering / Engineering Technology / Electronics Programs Advisory Council for the College of Southern Maryland, and a board member for the USS Constellation Museum. He was a member of IBEW Local 15 for five years.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture — April 8, 2010

Abstract

With the advent of commercial digital satellite communication services in the '60s, operated by Intelsat and pioneered by various companies including Hughes, the industry has had explosive growth worldwide. Over the decades, the industry has been led by Hughes, in the design, manufacturing and operations of satellite based digital communication networks servicing many different markets. Initially, commercial digital satellite communications was being used primarily for international telephony trunking purposes. Today it is still used for telephony but the uses have transitioned to television broadcast, broadband Internet access data services and mobile phone services as well. Initially the customer base was only Intelsat member countries; today it includes the entire spectrum of telecom users from consumers, enterprises, cable operators, cellular companies to traditional phone companies. Further, with the introduction of GPS, navigation services have become an essential part of everyday life.

Hughes has been a dominant force in the global digital satellite communications market throughout these times and has typically has enjoyed approximately +60 percent market share over the years in the markets they have chosen to address. This lecture will present some of the markets Hughes serves, the market and technology evolution that allowed successful entry points, and the associated strategies and the technological challenges that needed to be overcome. In closing, Kaul also will address the future market opportunities for digital satellite communications and associated challenges.

Biography

Pradeep Kaul is currently the president and CEO of Hughes Systique Corporation (HSC), a telecom consulting and software engineering organization. HSC is headquartered in Rockville, Md., and has its development center in Delhi, India. HSC was formed in 2005 by Kaul and three other founders. Overall, Kaul has had 35 years of broad digital telecommunication experiences.

Prior to launching HSC, Kaul shared in the general management of Hughes Network Systems (HNS) as an executive vice president of the company. Kaul also was a member of the Office of the Chairman. In growing HNS from a $100 million acquisition to the $1.5 billion level, Kaul served as the head of various functional groups, at different points of time, including engineering and global marketing and sales.

During his career at Hughes, he led the packet switching group during the ‘80s and the digital cellular businesses during the ‘90s. Among several key initiatives during this period, Kaul led HNS in creating the successful GM OnStar emergency and entertainment services via a joint venture with Delco Electronics and EDS. OnStar subsequently was acquired by GM.

Kaul has published several telecom related articles, served on public and private company boards and has contributed to many key patents in the telecom field. More recently, Kaul has been active in the venture capital world as both an investor and an advisor. Over the last 15 years he has participated in creating over 20 companies.

Robert E. Fischell, chairman and president of Fischell Biomedical, LLC, will give the second Whiting-Turner lecture of the spring semester on April 29 at 5 p.m. This lecture is part of 2010 Fischell Festival of Bioengineering. Date: April 29 Time: 5 p.m. Location: 1110 Kim Engineering Building Students Welcome! Whiting-Turner Lecture Series Home Missed the Lecture? This lecture was webcast live.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture — April 29, 2010

Abstract

At this time in history, there is a great deal of interest in improving U.S. health care while decreasing medical costs and creating jobs. Medical costs are rising much faster than inflation in part because new medical therapies have become available that can prolong life. These new drugs, devices and medical procedures have a significant associated cost. However, biomedical engineers can create new medical devices that can actually decrease the cost for patient care while improving the care that those patients receive. For example, a new medical device that is in clinical trials has the capability to essentially eliminate congestive heart failure—the single greatest medical expense category in the United States. There are new stents in clinical trials that can significantly decrease the cost of stenting. There is a new medical device that can cure migraine headaches without requiring expensive drugs. These three devices are just a very short list of what biomedical engineers have already created and there are many more to come. Each new medical device creates new jobs, which helps to offset the high unemployment rate that the United States is experiencing.

Biography

Robert E. Fischell received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Duke University in 1951 and an M.S. in Physics from the University of Maryland in 1953. In 1996 he received the honorary Sc.D. degree from the University of Maryland and in 2008 he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the Johns Hopkins University in recognition of his many contributions to the betterment of mankind. He serves on many non-profit boards including the University of Maryland, College Park Foundation, the Clark School of Engineering, the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Fischell was employed at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory full-time for 25 years and part-time for an additional 13 years. He was the Chief Engineer of the Space Department where he developed more than 50 spacecraft. His interests at Johns Hopkins then turned to the invention of new medical devices such as pacemakers and implantable heart defibrillators. Starting in 1969, Dr. Fischell began the formation of 14 private companies that licensed his patents on medical devices. Dr. Fischell is a prolific inventor with more than 200 issued U.S. and foreign patents, many of which have started new medical device companies. Dr. Fischell is working on several new medical devices that will lead to better patient care at considerably reduced cost to the health care system.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture — November 11, 2010

Biography

Sen. Ted Kaufman was sworn into office on Jan. 16, 2009, taking the seat of Sen. Joe Biden, who was elected vice president of the United States. He will serve until November 2010.

As the Senate's only member to have worked as an engineer, Sen. Kaufman has been especially active in promoting the expansion of "STEM"—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—education. He was able to secure $400,000 to fund research and extension grants for women and minorities in STEM fields in a spending bill signed into law on October 16, 2009. In April 2010, Ted received the American Society of Mechanical Engineering's prestigious President's Award, presented to companies and individuals who have made significant contributions to the engineering profession.

Sen. Kaufman arrived to the U.S. Senate with significant experience, having served as chief of staff to Sen. Biden from 1976 to 1995. Initially appointed to two committees - the Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee - he received two more assignments earlier this year: the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Kaufman graduated from Duke University with a BS in mechanical engineering. He later earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has taught at the Duke University's School of Law, Sanford School of Public Policy and Fuqua Graduate School of Business.

He has served as a board member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the independent, autonomous, federal entity responsible for all U.S. government and government-sponsored non-military international broadcasting. He was appointed to the BBG by the Presidents Clinton and Bush and was confirmed by the Senate for four terms.

Sen. Kaufman and his wife, Lynne, reside in Wilmington. They have three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Abstract

Today, the most pressing issue we face is economic recovery, chiefly job creation. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—or STEM—fields will be essential to long-term job growth. As the only sitting senator in the 111th Congress who worked as an engineer, I felt it was my duty to encourage federal investment in STEM education. My background both provided me with a unique perspective on how to address our nation’s challenges and also gave me a sense of responsibility to speak out about the importance of recruiting a new generation of engineers. While surveys continue to show that young people today want to "make a difference" with their lives, often they do not see engineering as a way to do that. During my term in office, I have stressed the need to make students and policymakers more aware that engineers have always been the world's problem solvers. To achieve this, students need better preparation in STEM subjects at the K-12 level. If we can attract more students into engineering fields, we can increase our capacity for high-tech innovation and entrepreneurship, which will lead to the kind of job creation that can fuel our economy for a generation.

A Whiting-Turner Lecture: — November 4, 2010

Biography

From September 1998 until August 31, 2010, C. D. (Dan) Mote, Jr. served as president of the University of Maryland and Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering. He was recruited to lead the University of Maryland to national eminence under a mandate by the state. Since assuming the presidency, he has encouraged an environment of excellence across the university and given new impetus to the momentum generated by a talented faculty and student body. Under his leadership, academic programs flourished. In 2005, the University was ranked 18th among public research universities, up from 30th in 1998. President Mote has emphasized broad access to the university's model, enriched undergraduate curriculum programs and launched the Baltimore Incentive Awards Program to recruit and provide full support to high school students of outstanding potential who have overcome extraordinary adversity during their lives.

Prior to assuming the presidency at UM, Dr. Mote served on the University of California, Berkeley, faculty for 31 years. From 1991 to 1998, he was vice chancellor at Berkeley, held an endowed chair in mechanical systems and was president of the UC Berkeley Foundation. He led a comprehensive capital campaign for Berkeley that raised $1.4 billion. He earlier served as chair of Berkeley's Department of Mechanical Engineering and led the department to its number one ranking in the National Research Council review of graduate program effectiveness.

Dr. Mote received the B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He has produced more than 300 publications, holds patents in the U.S., Norway, Finland and Sweden, and has mentored 56 Ph.D. students. Dr. Mote's research lies in dynamic systems and biomechanics. Dr. Mote is recognized for his research on the dynamics of gyroscopic systems and the biomechanics of snow skiing.

Abstract

Innovation is a change in thinking, products, ideas, processes, or organizations that leads to a better implementation. Successful implementation is innovation. The scale of innovative implementations range from tiny to enormous, and their substances span from conceptual to pragmatic.

Innovation occupies our attention because it has become the solution of almost every major, as well as minor problem today. How will we raise the quality of life for every citizen? How will we sustain a competitive national economy? How will we increase the safety of foods, develop alternative energy, combat global warming, ensure national security, fight poverty, reduce health care costs, fight pandemics, and so on? The answer is always the same—through innovation.

While much is known about particular innovators and innovative companies, less attention has been paid to the cultures that nurture innovation and how those cultures might position innovation to take on the great global problems that are apparently relying on it.

We will discuss nurturing innovation in a connected world that is experiencing accelerating scientific and engineering changes and expanding market demands. We will review the history that has led to the current state of innovation and the global connectivity that has expanded both the pace of innovative development and the scale of problems seeking innovative solutions. We will view innovation in societal layers that will help us see the issues to be tackled for innovation to ultimately fulfill its promise.

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