Invited speakers

Charles L. Cooney

Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering is also the Faculty Director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania (1966), Master’s (1967) and Ph.D. (1970) degrees in Biochemical Engineering from MIT. After a short post-doctoral time at the Squibb Institute for Medical Research in 1970, he joined the MIT faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1970 and became a full Professor in 1982.

He received the 1989 Gold Medal of the Institute of Biotechnological Studies (London), the Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the James Van Lanen Distinguished Service Award from the American Chemical Society’s Division of Microbial and Biochemical Technology and was elected to the American Institute of Medical and Biochemical Engineers. He serves as a consultant to a number of biotech and pharmaceutical companies, is on multiple editorial boards of professional journals, sits on the Boards of Directors of Genzyme, Polypore International, Inc., LS9, Inc., Microbia, Inc. and Biocon, Ltd (India), He chaired the FDA Advisory Committee for Pharmaceutical Science from 2004-2006. Prof. Cooney’s research and teaching interests span a range of topics in biochemical engineering and pharmaceutical manufacturing. He has published over 250 research papers, over 25 patents and co-authored or edited 5 books including Development of Sustainable Bioprocesses: Modeling and Assessment, Wiley Press 2006.

He research interest include manufacturing in the pharmaceutical, biotech and biofuels industries, as well as bioprocess design, operation and control, and processing of pharmaceutical powders and technological innovation strategy. His teaching has focused on bioprocessing, drug development and technological innovation. As founding faculty director of the Deshpande Center he is interested in the process of stimulating technological innovation and translating innovation into new company creation. In addition to his professional interests, Prof. Cooney is a Trustee Emeriti of Boston Ballet, an Overseer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and a board member of MIT’s Community Service Fund. Other interests include rock climbing, skiing, high altitude mountaineering (with assents of Denali, Ama Dablam, Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, Huascaran), scuba diving and antique map collecting.
 

Frank Levy

Frank Levy is Daniel Rose Professor of Urban Economics in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Urban Studies and Planning.
His current research focuses on health care reform, specifically on radiology and restraining unnecessary medical imaging, which he began when he was in residence at the Harvard Medical School Department of Healthcare Policy. Levy also does research on computer technology and offshoring reshaping of the labor market, U.S. income inequality and living standards and the economics of education.
Levy’s research has focused on the ways that computer technology and offshoring are reshaping opportunities in the labor market. He has also done research on U.S. income inequality and living standards and the economics of education. Much of Professor Levy’s recent work is summarized in his 2004 book, The New Division of Labor (co-authored with Richard Murnane).
Levy received his bachelor’s degree from MIT and his doctorate from Yale, both in economics. Levi is topic leader of the EPRN Wages/Compensation research cluster.
 

Hod Lipson

Professor of Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and a co-author of the recent book “Fabricated: The New World of 3D printing”. His work on self-aware and self-replicating robots, food printing, and bio-printing has received widespread media coverage including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, CNN, and the National Public Radio. Lipson has co-authored over 200 technical papers and speaks frequently at high-profile venues such as TED and the US National Academies. Hod directs the Creative Machines Lab, which pioneers new ways to make machines that create, and machines that are creative.