Listening Session: ProActively Impacting National Priorities through the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance

February 9, 2022
12:00 pm
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Description

Partner Series

The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA) empowers the engineering community to identify nascent opportunities and priorities for engineering-led innovative, high-impact, cross-domain research that addresses national, global and societal needs. As a National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported initiative, ERVA is committed to obtaining continuous input and feedback on contemporary engineering research priorities and future directions; through our engaged partnership, ERVA and WEPAN seek to enable your voice. This session provided an overview of ERVA and facilitated discussion to gather insights into emerging and long-term fundamental research opportunities.

Resources

Resources

Available to WEPAN members only. Log-in required.
Available to WEPAN members only. Log-in required.

Presenters

Jennifer Carinci

Jennifer Carinci brings experience launching new research initiatives and leading diverse partnerships, in addressing gaps in the field and ultimately improving stakeholder outcomes, to her work as ERVA executive director. She most recently served as program director for STEM Education Research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, leading efforts to improve instruction and broaden participation. 


As principal investigator of National Science Foundation grants, Carinci spearheaded the development of two new communities: Advancing Research & Innovation in the STEM Education of Preservice Teachers in High-Need School Districts (ARISE) and AAAS-IUSE around Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE). Her project portfolio also included managing the L'Oréal USA Fellowships for Women in Science program – a national award that recognizes researchers at the beginning of their careers – and advising on the AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors program to create a culture shift around the perceptions of women in STEM.


Previously, Carinci was the inaugural director of research, innovation, and data strategy at the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. She holds a bachelor in fine arts degree from Maryland Institute College of Art, as well as a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in teacher development and leadership from Johns Hopkins University.

Mary Juhas

Mary Juhas most recently served as the Associate Vice President in the Office of Research at The Ohio State University and is a former Program Director in the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation. Juhas directed the development of REACH for Commercialization™, an innovation ecosystem for women faculty, staff, and postdoctoral inventors. Her initiatives focus on catalyzing innovation and the development of interdisciplinary women-led research teams.  

Juhas co-chairs the Government Engagement Working Group of the NSF-funded Engineering Research Visioning Alliance, is a fellow of ASM International, and has served as a member of the ABET board and the Advisory Committees of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Directorate and the SBIR/STTR Subcommittee. Her scholarly interests focused on improving performance of metallic-based structural materials.  

Juhas earned a B.A. in Chemistry from Seton Hill University, a master’s degree in Metallurgy & Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from The Ohio State University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Paris and has previously held research and leadership positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Edison Welding Institute.

Sonya Smith

Sonya Smith  earned her doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia and was the first African American woman to do so. She joined the Howard University faculty in 1995 and has established an interdisciplinary theoretical and computational research laboratory, the Applied Fluids-Thermal Research Laboratory. She has received research support from NSF, NIH, NASA, DOD, and industry, and currently serves as WEPAN president.

Smith is president of Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society and serves on the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance’s Standing Council. She is also a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Her memberships in other professional societies include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, the American Society of Engineering Education, the Society of Women Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers.

Smith is one of the co-PIs for the Engineering Research Center for Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems and leads its packaging and integration thrust. She is also PI for the Howard University ADVANCE-IT award, committed to solving problems of Advancement and Leadership of Women in STEM. Smith’s personal goal is to be a mentor and resource to all students and young faculty/professionals, but especially to those underrepresented in STEM.

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