Public Policy Symposium Highlights Energy and Manufacturing Policy Priorities

Tom Kalil, Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, discussed the importance of investing in technology innovation and R&D as well as promoting a "maker culture" in the United States during his keynote speech at the 2014 Engineering Public Policy Symposium. Photos by Bill Petros.

The 2014 Engineering Public Policy Symposium was recently convened in Washington, D.C., to highlight energy and manufacturing public policy issues. The annual event brought together more than 100 leaders — presidents, presidents-elect and executive directors — from 43 national engineering societies, representing more than two million engineers.ASME served as the chair and lead organizer of the Symposium, which was made possible by a grant from the United Engineering Foundation.

The daylong Symposium featured key speakers from the Obama administration and Congress, who discussed their strategies to encourage a resurgence in the U.S. manufacturing sector and the challenges and opportunities facing the energy industry. Tom Kalil, Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, served as the event’s keynote speaker, and discussed the administration’s strong emphasis on investing in technology innovation and R&D, and in promoting a “maker culture” in the United States. Kalil asked the engineering community for support for the president’s vision for creating a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), and for assistance in promoting manufacturing events around the country — such as the upcoming White House Maker Faire — to promote the maker movement and a culture that celebrates engineering and science. 

Switching to energy issues, the Honorable Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary of Energy, highlighted some of the Department of Energy’s priority initiatives, including the president’s Climate Action Plan. Poneman’s comments underscored how severe weather events like Hurricane Sandy serve as a reminder of the vulnerability of the U.S. electric grid, and the key role that engineers must play in developing strategies for adapting to and mitigating the effects of both natural and man-made threats to critical infrastructure.

ASME President Madiha El Mehelmy Kotb (left) and ASME President-Elect J. Robert Sims (right) presented the ASME President's Award to Patrick Gallagher, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, during a meeting at the Department of Commerce following the Public Policy Symposium.

Providing perspectives from the 113th Congress, the Hon. Chris Collins, one of a handful of engineers in Congress, spoke about his efforts to bring engineering perspectives to public policy. The Hon. Tom Reed and the Hon. Tim Ryan were honored for their leadership in manufacturing policy as co-chairs of the House Manufacturing Caucus and their work in advancing manufacturing in Congress. In closing, congressional staff from the office of Sen. Christopher Coons (D-DE) discussed legislative action being taken in the Senate to improve the manufacturing base in the United States.

ASME President Madiha El Mehelmy Kotb presented an award on behalf of the Symposium’s co-sponsoring organizations to the Hon. Patrick Gallagher, Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce, recognizing Dr. Gallagher’s leadership in promoting industrial innovation and competitiveness and advancing policies to promote U.S. leadership in science, standards and technology. Gallagher has played an important role in promoting the NNMI, which will be supported through a mixture of public and private stakeholders and will focus on research related to manufacturing competitiveness.

Following the conclusion of the Symposium, outreach to congressional leaders continued as attendees met with their congressional representatives in the House and Senate to discuss engineering and science budget priorities, urge sustained federal funding to support to energy and R&D, and support the implementation of the NNMI. 

The following day, ASME President Kotb presented a second award — the ASME President’s Award — to Patrick Gallagher at a meeting at the Department of Commerce. Established in 1998, the ASME President's Award is presented to individuals and companies who have demonstrated significant contributions to the engineering profession. Gallagher joins a distinguished group of past recipients, including former NASA administrator Daniel S. Goldin; Dean Kaman, the founder of For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST); Westinghouse Electric Co.; the U.S. Naval Academy; and the Apollo 11 astronauts, among others.

Roy Chrobocinski, ASME Government Relations