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New
Frontiers |
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Conference
2009 |
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Session 4: Engineering with a Global Perspective
Description
Technology is available to help improve the quality of life for
individuals, communities and the environment. However, getting the technology
to the communities and individuals that need it is still a great challenge.
This talk will discuss some of the global issues at hand, namely clean air
and energy and access to quality healthcare. Successful approaches that are
helping to disseminate technology to improve healthcare and education for
international populations will be presented. This talk will show that local
level engineering and science efforts can have major impacts on benefiting
humanity.
Speaker
Karen Panetta is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at
Tufts University and Director of the Simulation Research Laboratory at Tufts
University. She is also the co-founder of BA Logix Inc. and serves as the
company’s Chief Research Scientist. Dr. Panetta received the B.S. in Computer
Engineering from Boston University, and the M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical
Engineering from Northeastern University. She was the first female electrical
engineer given tenure in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.
Before joining the faculty at Tufts, Dr. Panetta was employed as a
computer engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation. Her research in
Simulation and Modeling has won her research team five awards from NASA for
“Outstanding Contributions to NASA Research” and “Excellence in
Research”. She is a NASA Langley
Research Scientist “JOVE” Fellow, is a recipient of the NSF Career Award and
won the 2003 Madeline and Henry Fischer Best Engineering Teacher Award. Dr.
Panetta was also awarded a Mass High Tech All-Star by Mass High Tech
Magazine. She is the recipient of the 2006 Boston University Outstanding
Alumni Award and was a recipient of the “Be The Change” award from the
Massachusetts Conference for Women and awarded the 2008 Science Club for
Girls, “Galaxy Award”.
Karen is an IEEE Fellow and is the Worldwide Director of the IEEE Women
In Engineering. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the award winning IEEE WIE
Magazine and Editor-In-Chief of the IEEE Boston Reflector newspaper. Karen is
also the advisor for the Society of Women Engineers student chapter at Tufts
University. She is the Chair for the IEEE Educational Society, Central New
England Section and has been the advisor for the Tufts IEEE Student Chapter
for 14 years. As the IEEE advisor, Karen has helped her students organize
IEEE SPAC (Student Professional Awareness Conferences), participate in; interdisciplinary
engineering competitions, IEEE student paper and design competitions and the
IEEE Micromouse robotics competition. Her students have won awards in all
categories, including a silver medal for their IEEE student chapter website.
She is the IEEE Boston Section Student Activities director and is the IEEE
Boston Section Treasurer.
Dr. Panetta serves on the Boston University Engineering Alumni Board
and is a board member for the Center for Balance by Design. She is also a
member of the ACM, SWE, SPHE, AWIS, ASEE and the Society for Computer
Simulation.
Dr. Panetta is dedicated to promoting women in engineering and has
created the nationally acclaimed “Nerd Girls” program, where undergraduate
engineers research renewable energy topics and serve as role models for
younger students. This program is aimed at breaking down the barriers that
prevent women from entering the engineering disciplines and bridging the gap
between attracting girls into engineering and sustaining them through their
engineering curriculum. It strives to help undergraduate students build
confidence in their skills, while preparing them for professional careers.
The Nerd Girl program has successfully promoted engineering to students,
educators and government officials. Dr. Panetta and her team have presented
their work to over 10,000 school children and educators. The team is also the
recipient of the Alt-Wheels Festival “Best Exhibit” for their renewable
energy research in transportation.
Believing that real world experience is critical for engineering
education, Dr. Panetta maintains consulting positions in industry and brings
her experience back to the classroom. She is a Design Consultant for
Tycoelectronics,M/A-Com Inc. and
advises the National Academy of Engineering,
Massachusetts school systems and Science Museums across the United
States to inspire engineering and technology education to youth.
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