The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
April 2016 Luncheon
At our April luncheon, the evolution of technologies and ways of doing business in the electric energy industry were addressed by Professor S. Massoud Amin, Honeywell/Harold W. Sweatt Chair in Technological Leadership, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and director of the Technological Leadership Institute (TLI) at the University of Minnesota.
April 2016 Luncheon Speaker
Tue, April 26 2016, 11:30am
Campus Club ABC
In a recent book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth, Robert Gordon argues that the pace of real transformative innovation has slowed since the 1970s and that over history, there have been only a handful of fundamental technological changes. They are: electricity, telephone, combustion engine, mass production, indoor plumbing, and the conquest of infectious diseases.
It is hard to imagine a world without electricity but there are new, disruptive technologies within the energy sector that will change the way we receive our electric power. Smart-grids are coming. Renewable sources of energy are cropping up in our fields and on our rooftops. Minnesota law requires that 25 percent of the retail electric energy sold in the state must be generated or procured from eligible renewable sources by the end of 2025.
How can this be done? What new technologies will this take? What does it mean for reliability and the cost of our electricity?
At our April luncheon, the evolution of technologies and ways of doing business in the electric energy industry will be addressed by Professor S. Massoud Amin, Honeywell/Harold W. Sweatt Chair in Technological Leadership, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and director of the Technological Leadership Institute (TLI) at the University of Minnesota. He is chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Smart Grid, a fellow of IEEE and ASME, and a leader on the board of directors of two utility industry regional entities that oversee reliability.
Dr. Amin received his D.Sc. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and served there on the faculty for 12 years. Prior to coming the U of M in 2003 he was at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto, California. In the aftermath of 9/11, he directed all security-related research and development at EPRI as well as grid operations and planning, energy markets, and risk and policy assessments.
A recent book, A Foundation of Electricity, authored by Robert A. Dent and published by the IEEE, credits Dr. Amin with articulating the vision of a “smart self-healing grid” back in January 1998. Subsequently, he led the largest R&D consortia in U.S. history focused on the reliability and security of the North American interdependent critical infrastructures. Massoud is a member of numerous professional associations and has served on boards at the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Science.
In addition to being ahead of his time with intellectual leadership in electrical engineering and designing of critical infrastructure, Dr. Amin has been a leader in developing and delivering new graduate degree programs in Security Technologies and Medical Device Innovation. He has served as the director of Graduate Studies for the flagship M.S. in Management of Technology (MOT) program in TLI, founded in 1987. TLI is a self-sustaining interdisciplinary center endowed by the Honeywell Foundation and housed in the U of M’s College of Science and Engineering.
Massoud will provide an overview of the current state of energy and power at both macro- and micro- (consumer) levels. He will discuss challenges and opportunities for the development of energy and smart-grid technologies in Minnesota. Minnesota is sixth in the nation for smart-grid patents. Massoud argues, “We have the capability to be a leader in this area.”
Connecting and engaging people of all ages and backgrounds to improve the understanding of the technology and the benefits of smart-grid development will move smart grid technology and smarter cities forward in Minnesota and beyond to the global market.
— Jean Kinsey, UMRA President
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.