47th Henry M. Shaw Lecture

Dr. G. Wayne Clough
Former Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
President Emeritus-Georgia Institute of Technology

Climate Change – An Engineering Grand Challenge for our Age
Thursday, February 16, 2017@ 3:00 PM – Mann 216

Abstract:

We live in a world whose population has grown by 6.5 billion people since 1800, with the majority living near the coasts of their respective countries. People have concentrated in great cities with fixed infrastructure based on the assumption that we could address issues as they arose. As society grew and developed, reliance on carbon-based energy increased, resulting in the escalation of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. Earth’s natural systems have reacted by changing at a pace and on scale that raise the question of our ability to respond. Engineering comprises many disciplines, but climate change involves them all. The threat posed by climate change requires engineers who can mitigate its effects as well as help society adapt to consequences that cannot be forestalled. Dr. Clough reflects on the role of engineers in addressing climate change through the lens of his own experiences, including his four year service as chair of the National Research Council Committee on New Orleans Regional Hurricane Protection Projects, his work with hundreds of Smithsonian scientists on matters related to climate change, and his commitment to conservation world-wide.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Wayne Clough served as the 10th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1994 to 2008 and as the 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian from 2008 to 2014.  A native of Georgia, he earned his BS and MS degrees from Georgia Tech and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley.  He has taught at Duke, Stanford, and Virginia Tech, where he served as Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Dean of the College of Engineering.  In 1992 he was named Provost at the University of Washington.  Clough was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1990 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010.  He was appointed to the National Science Board and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology by President George W. Bush.  He has received honorary doctorates from twelve universities.

During his tenure at Georgia Tech the university rose into the top ten among public universities, hosted the 1996 Olympics, extended the campus into Midtown Atlanta, expanded overseas, initiated the Tech Promise program for financially disadvantaged students, and improved student retention and graduation rates.

His tenure at the Smithsonian was marked by improved relations with Congress, a growth in museum visitation from 25 million to 32 million, a commitment to digital outreach and education, a focus on sustainability and interdisciplinary activities, and enhanced private support.  The new $570 million National Museum of African American History and Culture was funded and major renovations were completed at seven of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and galleries.

Dr. Clough has returned to Georgia and is active as a lecturer and author.  He is teaching part-time at Georgia Tech with a focus on leadership, climate change, and working to create access to a university education for students from low-income families.