Public Session | Keynote Speakers
Keith Bowman
University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 10:15-11:45 AM
Abstract: “Professing A Leadership Orientation”
We cannot fully know or understand what others experience. There is always more to learn. And more to do. And people who need allies. And work we can do together to improve the world for more people, more often. And I, like many folks, do not always live up to my aspirations. Striving for success should not just be a box to check or fodder for a news release. It is important to ensure that the stories we tell have meaning and impact for all and are co-authored by those with different viewpoints. When I was a kid, I got to know special rural places like Haxtun, Colorado (981 residents in 2020), where my great-uncle and great-aunt served as religious leaders for a tiny congregation. Their openness to visitors who lacked a place to stay, enough food, or a reliable compass to guide their lives always made a positive impression on us when we stayed with them. That was despite significant gaps in our perspectives on many aspects of society. But I also learned then that what I know may differ from what others know through their experiences. STEM disciplines are often given ready-made excuses for failing to align our accomplishments with our values. Becoming a professor involves exhibiting leadership to your students, colleagues, and discipline, with greater autonomy than in almost any other job. Like all elements of leadership, you can either settle for relying on ready-made excuses or, with intention, choose to lead ethically and with empathy.
Biography: Dr. Keith J. Bowman is the former Dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) and the Constellation Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UMBC, the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He received BS and MS degrees from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and a PhD in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan. While at Purdue University, where he began his faculty career, he received Purdue's highest teaching award, the Charles Murphy Undergraduate Teaching Award, became a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society, and later served as Head of the School of Materials Engineering. In 2007, he received the Purdue College of Engineering Mentoring Award. In 2012, he was named the first Duchossois Leadership Professor in the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Armour College of Engineering, soon after joining as chair of Mechanical (ME), Materials, and Aerospace (AE) Engineering. He served as the Dean of Science and Engineering at San Francisco State University from 2015 to 2017. In Spring 2018, he received the third University of Michigan Materials Science and Engineering Distinguished Alumni Lecture Award.
Sharon Wood
Professor Emeritus, Cockrell Family Chair in Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 12:30-2:00 PM
Abstract: “Thoughts on Planning a Career as an Engineering Faculty Member”
One of the most appealing aspects of a faculty position in engineering is that it provides considerable flexibility for each faculty member to pursue their own goals and follow the path that they find most impactful. My remarks are aimed at helping prospective faculty members understand university expectations to assist in planning their careers. Among the topics discussed will be impact, trajectory, and resilience.
Biography: Dr. Sharon L. Wood recently retired after a 40-yr career as a faculty member and university administrator. She served as the chair of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering; dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering; and Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her BS from the University of Virginia, and her MS and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and an honorary member of American Concrete Institute and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
Closed Session | Guest Speaker
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Trailblazers in Engineering: Celebration Dinner and Reception
Yuehwern Yih
Tompkins Professor, Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University
Dr. Yuehwern Yih is the Tompkins Professor in Purdue University's Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. An internationally recognized leader in systems engineering, her research focuses on designing and optimizing complex systems to improve healthcare, humanitarian relief, supply chains, and global development. She directs Purdue's Smart Operations and Systems Laboratory and has led transformative initiatives through the USAID LASER PULSE consortium, applying engineering solutions to improve lives around the world. A Fellow of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), Dr. Yih is widely recognized for her pioneering contributions to humanitarian supply chain management, healthcare systems engineering, and engineering leadership, making her an inspiring trailblazer for the next generation of engineers.
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Closed Session | Program Managers
Early Career Research Funding
Ronald Joslin
Program Director, Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport (CBET) System, National Science Foundation
John Vetrano
Program Manager, Material Sciences and Engineering Division, U.S. Department of Energy
Ellen M. Robinson
Ellen M. Robinson, Program Manager at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) – her picture and information from last year can be used unless we hear otherwise.