Leaders in the areas of science and technology will convene a one-day conference at DePaul University Sept. 19 to discuss what may be the most important topics of the next century in their fields. “Summit on the National Challenges in Science and Technology in the 21st Century,” runs from 11:45 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120.

The four hot-button issues to be explored are: Biotechnology and Ethics, Global Environmental Change, Space Exploration and Aviation. The conference opens with a welcome from DePaul president, the Rev. John P. Minogue, C.M.

Panel discussion schedules, topics and presenters are as follows:

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Aviation and Air System Capacity: How can we assure continued growth and leadership in the field? What is the role of government?

Moderator: Michael L. Mezey, Dean, DePaul College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, DePaul University and professor of political science.

Panelists: David Swain, Senior Vice-President, Engineering and Technology, Boeing

Jeremiah Creedon, Associate Administrator for Aerospace Technology, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Washington, D.C.

Frank Berardino, President, GRA Inc., Pennsylvania

Thomas R. Walker, Aviation Commissioner, Chicago

Edward Paesel, Executive Director, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Assocication, Illinois

1:45 – 3:15 p.m.

Biotechnology: Are ethical considerations and government regulations limiting progress?

Moderator: Jon D. Miller, Ph.D., Director, Center for Biomedical Communications, Northwestern University

Panelists:

Eric Meslin, Ph.D., Director, Indiana University Center for Bioethics

Laurie Zoloth, Ph.D., Professor of Ethics, San Francisco State University

C. Ben Mitchell, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, Trinity International University, Bannockburn, Ill.

Gillian Woollett, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Biologics and Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing of America, Washington, D.C.

3:15 – 4:45 p.m.

Global Environmental Change: Is it as critical a problem as environmentalists believe? How should the public and private sectors respond to this potential crisis?

Moderator: Paul Knappenberger, Ph.D., President, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago

Panelists:

W. Henry Lambright, Ph.D., Director, Center for Environmental Policy and Administration, Syracuse University

Patrick Michaels, Ph.D., Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies, Cato Institute, Washington, D.C. Daniel Lashof, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.

Thomas Karl, Director, the National Climate Data Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, North Carolina

6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Space Exploration: What is the new frontier for the next 25 years? Where is there life beyond Earth? Is the future of space exploration behind us?

Moderator: Roger Launius, Chief Historian, NASA

Panelists:

Robert Zubrin, President, Mars Society, Boulder, Colo.

James Garvin, Ph.D., Chief Mars Scientist, NASA

Mary-Ellen Weber, Ph.D., NASA astronaut, Houston

Neil de Grasse Tyson, Ph.D., Director, Hayden Planetarium, New York

Howard McCurdy, Ph.D., Professor of Public Administration, American University

8:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Wrap-up

Neil de Grasse Tyson, Director, Hayden Planetarium

Tyson, a noted astrophysicist, is the author of “The Sky is not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist,” “One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos” (co-authored with Charles Liu and Robert Irion), and “Just Visiting This Planet,” a playful book on the universe aimed at a general audience. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos were recently recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their naming of an asteroid after Tyson. He is the first Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium and a visiting research scientist at Princeton University, where he also teaches. He also serves on the President’s Commission on the Future of the American Aerospace Industry.

The summit is free and open to the public. More information, including biographies of the presenters, is available at http://condor.depaul.edu/~dpulas/summit.html . Reservations for the evening space panel and keynote address are appreciated, and can be made by calling 773/325-2577. Garage parking is available on Sheffield Avenue, just south of Dominick’s grocery store.