Technology and Policy Program
3rd Annual Symposium

About the Symposium:
Since the events of September 11th, the prospect of continued terrorism in the US and abroad and the issues related to homeland security have been of paramount importance to policy makers and the public. Technologies originally developed for other purposes are now being explored for counter-terrorism, as in the application of optical spectroscopy to the detection chemical weapons. New technologies, such as face recognition software, are also being created. Moreover, new technologies developed outside of the arena of terrorism concerns, such as wireless computing, present a new set of security issues. Pervading the development of these technologies are policy issues related to privacy, freedom of movement, openness of university research, and conflicts with other constitutional rights.

This symposium will address homeland security science and technology, with an emphasis on the role of the university. The program will highlight university contributions to the development of science and technology for homeland security, as well as the inherent constraints. Lewis Branscomb, Co-chair for the National Research Council Committee on Science and Technology for Countering Terrorism, will open the symposium with an overview of the role of science and technology in areas of homeland security. MIT President Charles Vest will introduce the afternoon panels by addressing broader issues at the intersection of higher education, university research, and homeland security. John Marburger, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, will be the keynote speaker at lunch. Panels will be organized around crosscutting technologies (eg. risk assessment, information technology and data mining) and issues related to specific sector threats (eg. bio-terrorism, cyber-terrorism). MIT’s areas of expertise will be highlighted, including cyber-security, risk assessment, and history related to the role of the university in areas of national and international security.

About the Technology and Policy Symposium Series:
The mission of the Technology and Policy Program (TPP) is to provide an integrative education to scientists and engineers who wish to lead in developing and implementing responsible strategies and policies for exploiting technology for the benefit of their communities. In support of this mission, TPP sponsors a variety of forums that bring students, faculty, and outside speakers together to discuss technology and policy issues. As our major event, each Annual Symposium focuses on a different major theme at the interface of technology and policy.

In May of 2001, TPP inaugurated the Annual Symposium Series by hosting a major event, funded in part by the Sloan Foundation, marking the 25th anniversary of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The speakers who participated in the day's activities included an impressive roster of former presidential science advisors who spoke from a historical perspective, prominent MIT faculty, and other nationally regarded figures who made presentations on current issues in science and technology policy.

In May of 2002, the 2nd Annual TPP Symposium, "Sustainable Mobility: Global Challenges for the 21st Century," drew many highly distinguished individuals, both as speakers and participants, who have played prominent roles in transportation technology and policy.

About the Speakers:

Dr. John H. Marburger, III, is Science Adviser to the President of the United States and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Before his appointment in the Executive Office of the President, he served as Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory from 1998, and as the third President of the State University of New York at Stony Brook (1980-1994). He came to Long Island in 1980 from the University of Southern California where he had been a Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering, serving as Physics Department Chairman and Dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in the 1970s. Marburger's presidency at Stony Brook coincided with the opening and growth of University Hospital and the development of the biological sciences as a major strength of the university. During the 1980's, federally sponsored scientific research at Stony Brook grew to exceed that of any other public university in the northeastern United States. While president, Marburger served on numerous boards and committees, including chairmanship of the governor's commission on the Shoreham Nuclear Power facility and chairmanship of the 80 campus "Universities Research Association," which operates Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago. While on leave from Stony Brook, Marburger carried out the mandates of the Department of Energy to improve management practice at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Marburger attended Princeton University (B.A., Physics 1962) and Stanford University (Ph.D. Applied Physics 1967).

Lewis M. Branscomb recently served as Co-chair for the National Research Council Committee on Science and Technology for Countering Terrorism. Consisting of 24 experts supported by 95 others on specialized panels, the Committee produced a 400-page report entitled "Making America Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism." He is Aetna Professor of Public Policy and Corporate Management (emeritus) at Harvard University in addition to being emeritus director of Harvard's Science Technology and Public Policy Program in the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and a member of the Center's Board of Directors.

MIT President Charles M. Vest serves as a member of the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). In recognition of the increasing interdependence of economic, technological, environmental, and political systems, both in the US and throughout the world, his priorities as president of MIT include building a stronger international dimension into education and research programs, developing stronger relations with industry, enhancing racial and cultural diversity within MIT, and rebuilding public understanding and support of higher education and research. In 2000, Dr. Vest received the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) prestigious annual Arthur M. Bueche Award for statesmanship in science and technology. He was honored by NAE for his "outstanding university leadership, commitment and effectiveness in helping mold government policy in support of research, and forging linkages between academia and industry."

Register for the Symposium:
Print the Registration Form from (PDF) or (MSWord). Registration deadline Wednesday, April 23rd.

Symposium Agenda:
Click here to view agenda (PDF).