ng: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1996 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Enginee http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5576.html Preface advances? What is the theoretical, commercial, societal, and long-term sig- nificance of the work? Despite the varied backgrounds of the participants--or perhaps because of it-lively exchange followed each presentation and carried beyond the formal sessions. Often, the discussions focused on specific techni- cal aspects of the presentation; at other times it covered broader, more policy oriented issues On the first night of the symposium, John A. Armstrong, retired Vice President for Science and Technology of IBM Corporation, gave an insightful and provocative talk, urging the audience of relatively early-career engineers to keep in mind the importance of achieving their individual career goals within, and sometimes in spite of, the institutional cultures in which they work. His paper is included in this volume as well Participants'responses to this second Frontiers of Engineering sympo- ium confirmed the value of these meetings. Many attendees appreciated that e symposium drew together engineers at a relatively early point in their careers from a range of engineering fields and sectors and that the meeting focused on the spectrum of activities and concerns of engineers. Several participants were particularly grateful for the chance to interact with engineers from other sectors, noting that it allowed them to meet engineers and potential collaborators they would not have met at their institutions or in their usual rounds of professional meetings. Many said that because of the quality of the presentations and the caliber of the participants, they felt a renewed sense of pride in their profession and respect for the activities of other engineers Funding for the Second Annual Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering as provided by the National Science Foundation, the U.s. Department of Defense, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Engi- leering Foundation. The National Academy of Engineering would like to express its appreciation to these groups for sponsoring this activity as well as to the members of the Symposium Organizing Committee for their work in planning and organizing this event. A special expression of gratitude is due Robert A Brown, Dean of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology, who contributed greatly to this activity by chairing the organizing committees of the first and second Frontiers of Engineering symposia. Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reservedPreface vii advances? What is the theoretical, commercial, societal, and long-term sig￾nificance of the work? Despite the varied backgrounds of the participants—or perhaps because of it—lively exchange followed each presentation and carried beyond the formal sessions. Often, the discussions focused on specific techni￾cal aspects of the presentation; at other times it covered broader, more policy￾oriented issues. On the first night of the symposium, John A. Armstrong, retired Vice President for Science and Technology of IBM Corporation, gave an insightful and provocative talk, urging the audience of relatively early-career engineers to keep in mind the importance of achieving their individual career goals within, and sometimes in spite of, the institutional cultures in which they work. His paper is included in this volume as well. Participants’ responses to this second Frontiers of Engineering sympo￾sium confirmed the value of these meetings. Many attendees appreciated that the symposium drew together engineers at a relatively early point in their careers from a range of engineering fields and sectors and that the meeting focused on the spectrum of activities and concerns of engineers. Several participants were particularly grateful for the chance to interact with engineers from other sectors, noting that it allowed them to meet engineers and potential collaborators they would not have met at their institutions or in their usual rounds of professional meetings. Many said that because of the quality of the presentations and the caliber of the participants, they felt a renewed sense of pride in their profession and respect for the activities of other engineers. Funding for the Second Annual Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering was provided by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Engi￾neering Foundation. The National Academy of Engineering would like to express its appreciation to these groups for sponsoring this activity as well as to the members of the Symposium Organizing Committee for their work in planning and organizing this event. A special expression of gratitude is due Robert A. Brown, Dean of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech￾nology, who contributed greatly to this activity by chairing the organizing committees of the first and second Frontiers of Engineering symposia. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1996 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5576.html