Print page

SEL Conference Drives Future Innovation

03/18/2013

By Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Source: SEL

Electric power systems manufacturer Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) announced its second annual Modern Solutions Power Systems Conference will take place June 5–7 in Chicago.

The conference brings together professionals from a variety of industries and disciplines to explore common challenges, learn from successes and generate new ideas that will drive future innovation.

"We want to bust silos," says Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, president and CEO of SEL. "And, we want to get ourselves and others thinking about where our industry has been, where we are going, and whether we are on the right track."

This year's event features three dynamic keynote speakers: Ed Schweitzer, Michael Schellenberger and Dr. Marvin Roush.

Schweitzer, founder and president of SEL will open the conference with a talk about creativity and innovation. He invented the first microprocessor-based protective relay, holds more than 70 patents and is the recipient of the 2012 Medal in Power Engineering — the highest award given by IEEE — for his leadership in revolutionizing the performance of electric power systems with computer-based protection and control equipment. 

Schellenberger, noted author and president of the Breakthrough Institute, will present  "Breakthrough Environmentalism: Why Technological Innovation Is the Key to Sustainability." He gained notoriety in 2004 when the essay he co-authored with Ted Nordaus, "The Death of Environmentalism," was featured on the front page of the Sunday New York Times. The piece sparked a national debate and inspired a generation of young environmentalists.

Roush, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, senior reliability engineer at the Goddard Space Flight Center and noted reliability expert, will present "Corporate Value Gained Through Reliability Engineering." While working as a professor of physics and nuclear engineering at the University of Maryland, he initiated their degree program in reliability engineering. The program’s academic and research focus is based on recognizing that the performance of a complex system is affected by engineering inputs that begin at its conception and extend throughout its lifetime.