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Campaign kick-off:
Five-year fundraising effort supports ‘Engineering and a Sustainable Society’
Princeton University launched a five-year, $1.75 billion fundraising campaign Nov. 9, including a goal of $325 million to support initiatives under the category of Engineering and a Sustainable Society.
Among the day-long series of kick-off events, two panels of experts led vigorous discussions of major societal issues related to engineering: What is the future of the Internet and its role in society, and what are our prospects and responsibilities for dealing with global climate change?
Google chief executive Eric Schmidt ’76 moderated the first panel, titled “The Future of the Internet.” It included Princeton computer scientists Larry Peterson, Edward Felten and Jennifer Rexford ’91. The second panel, “Climate Change: Science and Solutions,” was moderated by Dean of Engineering H. Vincent Poor *77 and included Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and public affairs, and Stephen Pacala, director of the Princeton Environmental Institute.
For more information on the campaign and its goals, visit: http://aspire.princeton.edu.
“The big question is: How are we going to effect change?” said Larry Peterson, chair of the Department of Computer Science, in response to a question from Google CEO Eric Schmidt (left) about the biggest challenge facing the Internet. “Clearly we’re going to have to do things we haven’t done before, so how do you evolve a system that is so embedded in the fabric of society? And how do you change very fundamental things so we can protect you from the (malicious software) and highjackings? That’s where I see the challenge.” Photo by Jon Roemer
In response to a question about electronic voting, computer scientist Edward Felten, director of the Center for Information Technology Policy, said: “These systems are not nearly transparent enough. If you click a box that says I want to vote for this candidate rather than that one, there’s no way you can tell what’s happening behind the scenes, what’s happening inside the computer, what messages are being sent across the Internet, what information is being recorded at the county clerk or state office.” Members of the panel were (from left) Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Princeton computer scientists Larry Peterson, Edward Felten and Jennifer Rexford. Photo by Jon Roemer
“I like big problems,” said Michael Oppenheimer, one of the world’s leading climate experts, in response to a question from engineering dean H. Vincent Poor about his personal motivations. “Early in my career, I was attracted to the combination of science and political advocacy, and I always thought as a scientist that I had a responsibility to give back to society.” Oppenheimer (left) shared the stage with Poor and ecologist Stephen Pacala, who directs the Princeton Environmental Institute. The three are part of a major initiative to integrate science, technology and policy to develop lasting solutions to global warming. Photo by Jon Roemer
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