Eighty-four highly accomplished early-career engineers have been selected to take part in the National Academy of Engineering’s The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2022 U.S.-based symposium. Engineers who are performing exceptional research and technical work in a variety of disciplines will come together for the two-and-a-half day event. The participants — from industry, academia, and government — were nominated by fellow engineers or organizations.

The symposium will be hosted by Amazon Sept. 21–23, 2022, in Seattle, Washington and will explore:

•          Microbes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

•          Conversational AI

•          Technology and Racial Justice and Equity

•          Hydrogen: A New “Universal” Energy Carrier for the Carbon-Free Future

“The ability to envision what is not yet possible, to create solutions to today’s problems that benefit all of society in the future, and to be open, inclusive, and diverse in our thinking and the abilities of ourselves and others — these are the hallmarks of outstanding engineers,” says NAE President John L. Anderson. “The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering symposium helps foster this collaborative spirit in young U.S.-based engineers by bringing a diverse group together from different technical areas and work sectors to spark innovation, broaden their perspectives on new approaches to engineering problems, and develop long-term relationships that are critical in advancing our nation’s future.”

Since the program’s inception in 1995, nearly 5,000 early-career engineers have participated in previous symposia, many of whom have gone on to become national leaders in the engineering community. In addition to The Grainger Foundation, sponsors for the 2022 U.S.-based symposium are Amazon, National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and Cummins.

The mission of the NAE is to advance the welfare and prosperity of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. The NAE is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an independent, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress to provide objective analysis and advice to the nation on matters of science, technology, and health.