Washington calling

May 1, 2012

This article appeared in Berkeley Engineer magazine, Spring 2012

The White House has tapped two of Berkeley Engineering’s own for leadership on critical presidential initiatives.

With design and manufacturing increasingly moving offshore, the White House launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) to regain U.S. competitiveness through investments in R&D and shared infrastructure. David Dornfeld, chair of mechanical engineering, served as host for AMP’s regional meeting on campus last December—bringing government officials and industry leaders together with the brightest minds in science and technology.

The President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future recently released a set of recommendations designed to break the impasse in the U.S. nuclear waste management program. Among the commission’s 15 distinguished members was Per Peterson, chair of nuclear engineering, who also chaired the subcommittee on reactor and fuel cycle technology. The Department of Energy is now studying how to implement the commission’s recommendations.

“We have the opportunity and the responsibility to use our technical skills in ways that can have broader impact,” says Peterson.