Conference Schedule

9:00–10:15 a.m.

Keynote Address: “Eco-Nano: Can an Emerging Technology Develop Without the Yuck Factor?”

Speaker:		Vicki Colvin, Director, Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Chemical Engineering, Rice University
Description:		Nanoscientists have a unique opportunity to create the first technology that introduces a culture of social sensitivity and environmental awareness early in its life cycle. This can be accomplished if scientists and social scientists work together to continually query the ultimate value of nanotechnologies while actively collecting hard data on the impacts of nanomaterials.

10:30 a.m.–11:45 a.m.

Panel One: Risk and Risk Perception

Panelists:		Jaydee Hanson, Program Director, International Center for Technology Assessment
		Evan Michelson, Research Associate, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
		Clark Miller, Coprincipal Investigator, Center for Nanotechnology in Society, Arizona State University
		Vladimir Murashov, Special Assistant to the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
		John Trumpbour, Research Director, Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School
Description:		Toxicological risks from nanoparticles—and the public’s perceptions of those risks—are usually cited as the issue most likely to stir public resistance to nanotechnology. Yet we know little about the underlying politics and economics that shape public perceptions of nanotech risks.

12:00–1:15 p.m.

Lunch

1:30–2:45 p.m.

Panel Two: Interaction and Communication

Panelists:		Ivan Amato, Managing Editor, Chemical & Engineering News
		Barbara Karn, Office of Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency
		Frederick Klaessig, Technical Director, Aerosil and Silanes, Degussa USA
		Matthew Nisbet, Assistant Professor, Communication, American University
		Chris Toumey, Research Associate Professor, University of South Carolina NanoCenter
Description:		National and corporate policy makers are increasingly realizing that better, more transparent dialogue among government, industry, and the public is essential for building trust and inspiring a new generation of scientists and engineers. Can social scientists facilitate that dialogue?

 

3:00-4:15 p.m.

Panel Three: Funding and Economic Development

Panelists:		Martha J. Collins, Director, New Applications Research, Materials Research Center, Air Products and Chemicals
		Roger Geiger, Distinguished Professor of Education, The Pennsylvania State University
		Anthony Green, Vice President of Regional Technology Initiatives, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
		James Murday, Associate Director for Physical Sciences, Washington Office of Research Advancement, University of Southern California
		Jan Youtie, Director, Program in Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, and Principal Research Associate, Georgia Institute of Technology
Description:		Hopes run high that nanotechnology can create new economic opportunities. What can social scientists tell us about the national and regional benefits of past high-tech industries, and what lessons can they offer for nanotechnology?