Standing-room-only audience turns out for two-part “Future of Energy”

On March 11, the Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies hosted the first of two events for the Spring 2010 Science and the Public series "The Future of Energy."

More than 140 students, faculty and community members crammed in to the Pyle Center's VandeBerg Auditorium to hear wind-energy entrepreneur and award-winning inventor Saul Griffith give a talk, "Power to Choose: How the Energy Choices People Make Will Change Their Lives."

Griffith argued that technological innovation will not be enough to deal with global climate change, calling for equally dynamic innovation in conservation and reduced energy consumption.

The talk was well received and spawned a lively question-and-answer session that carried on well past the scheduled ending time.

The following week, the Holtz Center screened the documentary Who Killed The Electric Car?

Again, the auditorium was filled, and after the movie, the audience engaged in a lively discussion with a panel of environment, energy and engineering experts including: Bill Brown, a documentarian, UW Professor Gregg Mitman, an environmental historian, documentary filmmaker, and interim director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, John S. Nelson, professional engineer and Adjunct Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering; and History of Science Professor Eric Schatzberg.

The Holtz Center would like to thank all of our panelists and the Alliant Energy Foundation and Brittingham Trust for their support. They look forward to next year’s round of Science and the Public.

Category: Humanities & the Arts
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Save the date: 'Science and the Public Series' 3/11, 3/18

The Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies will host their second-annual "Science and the Public Series" on the evenings of March 11th and 18th.

Entitled "The Future of Energy," the March 11th event will bring Saul Griffith, an energy entrepreneur, award-winning inventor and MacArthur Fellow to campus for a talk on the role of invention and innovation in meeting our future energy needs.

On the 18th, we will hold a screening of the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" followed by Q&A with a distinguished panel of energy, environment and engineering experts.

"The Future of Energy" is made possible by grants from the Alliant Energy Foundation and Brittingham Trust.

Category: Social Sciences
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Holtz Center receives $5,000 award from Alliant Energy Foundation

The Robert F. and Jean E. Holtz Center received a $5,000 award from the Alliant Energy Foundation to help fund its second-annual “Science and the Public” series. This year the topic will be the “Future of Energy.”

Category: Social Sciences
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New undergrad certificate: "Integrated Studies in Science, Engineering and Society"

The Robert F. and Jean E. Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, in collaboration with the College of Engineering, announced a new undergraduate certificate entitled Integrated Studies in Science, Engineering and Society (ISSuES).

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Category: Social Sciences
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