2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture Series

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Erich Sommerfeldt

November 9, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

"Information is Spam, Networking is Strategic": Building and Measuring Meaningful Networks in Public Diplomacy

In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in the notion of networks and network analysis within the public diplomacy and international development community. Despite this interest, there is confusion on how best to build and measure networks and their contribution towards strategic goal attainment. The purpose of this lecture is to position network approaches as valuable for public diplomacy explaining how the concept: (1) helps to create a realistic plan for strengthening a community, (2) identifies strategically placed actors that can influence others in their home communities, and (3) can serve as a tool to assess a strategic operating environment and contributions towards strategic goal attainment.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Timothy Masterlark

September 28, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Cracking the Code of Satellite Imagery: Exposing Restless Magma and Underground Structures

The migration of magma within an active volcano produces deformation of the Earth's surface that may be captured by satellite imagery. Analyzing –decoding– this imagery, based on the physics of how restless magma translates to deformation, provides a means to observe the magma at depth with satellites. Machine Learning allows us to characterize how uncertainties in this system influence predictions. We can extend these methods to identify underground excavations based on satellite imagery. An excavation at depth causes the surrounding rock to contract, resulting in subsidence of the Earth's surface.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Robert Johnson

September 14, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Space Policy, Diplomacy, and Challenges

A look at recent U.S. space policy and diplomacy. A glance at some history, space activities, and challenges ahead. With the explosive growth of activities in space by countries and the commercial sector, there are more questions than answers. However, space diplomacy must play an essential role for both civil and commercial space.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Joshua Otaigbe

August 10, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Materials Science Innovations for a Better World in Retrospect and Prospect

Plastics and their composites with other materials have made the objects in our lives lighter, more durable, and much easier to produce for many applications like computers, nanotechnology, and robotic engineering. In this distinguished lecture, I will discuss the historical evolution of the modern science of engineered materials using a few representative examples of new materials and highlight a basic multidisciplinary method to new materials innovations in passports and other impactful technological developments that improve the quality of life of humankind.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Scott Wicker

July 27, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Data Diplomacy and Raising Awareness to Potential Policy Strategies for e-Waste Management in the Mekong Region: An Environmental Toxicologist Perspective

This lecture series will explore policy recommendations for enhancing Data Diplomacy and raise awareness of gaps in strategic planning for e-waste management, such as solar panels and energy storage devices in the Mekong region. The data diplomacy section will review and recommend ways to align scientific principles to use data as a tool for diplomacy, explore data collection and analysis methods, and highlight how to reference limitations in reporting. The e-waste management section will explore Mekong countries' climate action strategies shift to utility-scale solar and energy storage facilities development. Gaps in regional policies suggest a need for environmental incentives to integrate e-waste management facilities in the supply chain and develop approaches to promote reuse, repurpose, reengineering, recycling, and recovery of materials from spent Silicon (Si) solar panel modules and Lithium (Li) ion energy storage devices. By 2050, the potential USD 15 billion in material recovery and environmental benefit motivate robust recycling methods to develop a circular source of raw materials. The Southeast Asian economy is currently the fourth largest export market for the United States, supporting hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Brian Gran

July 13, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Rights and Reintegration of Family Members of Foreign Terrorist Fighters

A human rights puzzle is that numerous Islamic State (IS) recruits and their family members departed from liberal democracies that appear committed to human rights. When it comes to returning to home societies, are human rights important to reintegration of IS family members? Al-Hol is a Syrian camp sheltering women and children associated with IS former terrorist fighters (FTF). About 43,000 people – including 27,500 youth – from sixty countries, reside in Al-Hol. Experts have expressed concerns that camp conditions may promote radicalization. While efforts are under way to rehabilitate FTF family members, less attention has been devoted to their reintegration. This lecture asks whether and how human rights are essential to reintegration of FTF family members in their home societies.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Robert Richardson

June 29, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Global Food Security: The Synergistic Nature of Climate, Conflict, and Crisis

After decades of declining hunger and malnutrition, global food insecurity has increased in recent years. These deteriorating conditions can be attributed to a greater number of conflicts, climate-related events, and economic shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these pre-existing drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition. This lecture suggests that the convergence of multiple crises has produced a syndemic, an aggregation of multiple concurrent epidemics or disease clusters with social-biological interactions that exacerbate the prognosis and burden of disease. Trends in increasing global food insecurity have multiple implications for foreign policy at the U.S. Department of State and for development programs at the United States Agency for International Development in terms of humanitarian assistance, migration, displacement, geopolitics, and counterterrorism, among other issues.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Warren Jasper

June 22, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

The Sessile Droplet Catastrophe: When Theory Fails to Predict Experimental Results

For the past two hundred years, it has been assumed that the geometry of small liquid droplets was completely described by surface tensions as first proposed by Thomas Young in 1805. As measurement techniques improved, deviations have appeared between theory and experiment. Efforts to fix the theory to align with experiment have only resulted in models which are not compatible with the first law of thermodynamics and which do not correctly predict the sign and magnitude of physical quantities resulting in "The Sessile Droplet Catastrophe."

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Surajit Sen

June 15, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Can We Empower the 3 Billion Youth of the Developing World? Importance of Locally-Led Initiatives and Acknowledging Hidden Unpredictable Parameters

A broad definition of youth reveals that nearly half of the world’s population belongs to this category. The majority of the youth are among the underprivileged in poor rural areas and in urban slums. India’s population, which is some 66% rural, makes it a young nation. Many of the populated, developing nations are no different. The talk will focus on a highly populated rural district of eastern India and drill down to the challenges of life in this region, make broad observations, and explore ways to give these youth a chance to dream and aspire. I will highlight the inherent challenges in ambitious top-down approaches and illustrate some of the successes of longer-term and locally-led initiatives. In conclusion, I will suggest a mix of bottom-up and top-down approaches to realize the potential of the youth.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Christopher Woolverton

June 8, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Lessons Learned and Policy Recommendations Gleaned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Effective pandemic planning is ultimately judged by the lessons learned from plan operationalization. As we dare to begin pandemic recovery operations, we can look back at our response efforts to assess plan utility. This talk will superficially review the epidemiology, virology, and laboratory testing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to reflect upon learned lessons that can be used to direct new pandemic policy considerations. Several policy considerations immediately surface: stronger education and risk communication strategies, in addition to developing pandemic response “coaches” to assist diplomatic posts, are a few examples of positive, low-cost solutions.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: John LoSecco

May 25, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Innovations at the U.S. Agency for International Development: A Physicist’s Adventure at USAID

This talk is a brief survey of my time at USAID. I have applied quantitative analysis techniques to try to quantify the effectiveness of several programs within the Agency. These include, countering malign influences, surveying field reports on non-permissive environments, summarizing reports, comparing the journey to self-reliance metrics and 5G communications infrastructure. These have helped to identify highlights in USAID’s programs and places where innovations may be effective.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Vincent Harris

April 27, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Rare Earth Element-Based Magnets: Science, Supply and Sustainability in 2021 and Beyond

Rare earth elements (REEs) and their supply chain have become topics of great interest to the U.S. diplomatic and national security communities. Presently, China dominates REE markets in all facets of processing from earth extraction to metals as well as value and commercialization verticals. Beijing has shown no hesitancy in using its position of market dominance to advance its broader political goals and agendas.

In this presentation, we focus on REE-based magnets and associated challenges faced in 2021. We explore REE science and applications, supply and policy, and sustainability and environmental impact. We examine what the future holds in terms of alternative sources, recycling, and the practice of designing components around the need to employ REEs. Finally, we report on steps taken by the global community to offset China’s monopoly on rare earths.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Edmund Prater

April 13, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

A Layperson’s Guide to Long Range Forecasting: Or How to See a Few Years into the Future

Would you like to know the future? While it is impossible to have a detailed knowledge of the future, general trends can be accurately determined to allow for informed decision making.

Often, individuals in the State Department must peer multiple years into the future and make decisions on activities and events with limited data. While there are numerous, highly quantitative ways to forecast, field personnel do not necessarily have the training or the time to conduct the required analysis. However, there are straight forward techniques that are not math heavy and can provide accurate forecasts for events multiple years in the future. These techniques have been used in industry for years and are easy to grasp.

Dr. Prater has taught quantitative forecasting methods for decades. Before becoming an academic he conducted long range forecasting for BellSouth (now AT&T) as well as for his own business in Russia in the 1990s.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Lecture

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Supriyo Bandyopadhyay

March 16, 2021

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

Energy Efficiency in Information Processing in Our Information-Hungry World

The human brain uses about 20% of the calories a human consumes in order to function. Computing hardware in the US uses 5-10% of the total energy produced in the nation today and this figure will increase as information processors become faster and more pervasive. There are data centers whose energy consumption exceeds that of the city of Athens in Greece! Information processing and computing carry a huge energy cost which has obvious implications for both the energy and the information infrastructures. There are also implications for cybersecurity, 5G/6G networks and societal well-being. This talk will discuss some recently emerging ideas about energy-efficient computing and information processing.

Contact

Leah Probst

(202) 334-2652
lprobst@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Log In

Sign in to access your saved publications, downloads, and email preferences.

Former MyNAP users: You'll need to reset your password on your first login to MyAcademies. Click "Forgot password" below to receive a reset link via email. Having trouble? Visit our FAQ page to contact support.

Members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, or National Academy of Medicine should log in through their respective Academy portals.

Email (required)
Password (required)

Don't have an account?

Register

Email (required)
New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters
I accept the terms of use
terms of use

Thank You

Thank you for creating a MyAcademies account!

Enjoy free access to thousands of National Academies' publications, a 10% discount off every purchase, and build your personal library.

Forgot Password

Enter the email address for your MyAcademies (formerly MyNAP) account to receive password reset instructions.

Reset Requested

We sent password reset instructions to your email . Follow the link in that email to create a new password. Didn't receive it? Check your spam folder or contact us for assistance.

Reset Password

New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters

Reset Password

Your password has been reset.

Log In

Verify email

Verify Your Email Address

We sent a verification link to your email. Please check your inbox (and spam folder) and follow the link to verify your email address. If you did not receive the email, you can request a new verification link below

Subscribe

First Name
Last Name
Email (required)
I agree to receive emails from the National Academies (required)

We respect your privacy and will never share your information.

My Academies

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture Series

Dropdown items

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Erich Sommerfeldt

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Timothy Masterlark

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Robert Johnson

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Joshua Otaigbe

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Scott Wicker

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Brian Gran

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Robert Richardson

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Warren Jasper

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Surajit Sen

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Christopher Woolverton

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: John LoSecco

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Vincent Harris

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Edmund Prater

2020-2021 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture: Supriyo Bandyopadhyay