Members of the College of Engineering community – alumni, faculty, students and staff – gathered on Oct. 23 for the College’s second annual Future of Engineering Symposium, which focused on engineering’s role in clean energy solutions and helped kick off Boston University’s Alumni Weekend.

The symposium, “Amplifying the Societal Impact of Engineering Research: A Case Study in Clean Technology,” was hosted by College of Engineering Dean Kenneth R. Lutchen, and featured a keynote address from Yet-Ming Chiang, Kyocera professor of ceramics in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT.

“Right now, we’re in a golden age of engineering,” Lutchen said. “We’re facing many problems that need to be solved through engineering. And these problems need an engineering education, which will lead to real-world engineering solutions.”

Chiang’s talk focused on the extensive engineering research in the Boston-Cambridge area, clean energy storage, the critical emergence of the battery industry as long-term energy solution, and the quest for an affordable and clean electric vehicle.

“There’s never been a better time for engineering research to have an impact on technology and society,” Chiang said. “Research breakthroughs are still needed in many areas, but with so many factors – global warming, supply and demand, energy independence – driving our research, we continue to push the envelope to achieve these solutions in the future.”

A founding scientist of American Superconductor, a leading manufacturer of high-temperature, super-conducting wire for energy and power applications, and A123Systems, one of the world's leading suppliers of high-power lithium ion batteries, Chiang’s research in new battery technology earned him a R&D Magazine “R&D 100” and “R&D Editor’s Choice Award” in 2006.

“On a worldwide scale, the battery industry is as small as a lug nut,” Chiang said. “But it’s also critical, because without the lug nut, you lose the wheel. With renewable energy becoming widespread, increased storage will be needed. As an old colleague once said, ‘He who cannot store, will have no power after four.’”

While costs remain prohibitive, Chiang said advances are being made in the field of clean, electric automobiles, which was highlighted by a video demonstration of a “killacycle” electric motorcycle going from zero to 60 miles per hour in under a second. New battery research is playing a critical role, particularly through advancements in nanotechnology and materials science engineering.

“Materials science engineering is critical to the life of the battery, and energizing nanoscale batteries is critical to battery performance,” he said. “New breakthroughs will lead to new models and different ways to look at research. And as research grows, the rate of adoption continues, and engineering metrics continue to advance.”

Following the symposium, clean energy discussions continued throughout alumni weekend. On Oct. 24, Professor Michael Caramanis (ME) co-hosted the alumni college class, “The Future of Clean Energy: Challenges to Sustainable Energy Technology.” The interactive discussion focused on the future of the electric “SmartGrid” and the importance of consumer information in efficiently managing energy consumption.

Also on Oct. 24, Boston University President Robert A. Brown hosted the Inaugural President’s Panel on Energy, which featured a panel of industry experts, including representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, and DuPont, Inc., and explored alternative sources for creating ethanol.