The annual Technology Day celebration, sponsored by the MIT Association of Alumni and Alumnae, will focus on "Creating Wealth: Knowledge, Skills, Capital, Resources." The program will take place on Saturday, June 6, the day after Commencement.
William J. Hecht, executive vice president and CEO of the Association, promises "an engaging program with MIT graduates from as far away as Singapore and as near as the Infinite Corridor."
The morning sessions will begin at 9am in Kresge Auditorium with President Charles M. Vest's welcome. Four speakers will focus on specific aspects of the overall topic. In order of appearance, they are:
- Tony K. Tan, deputy prime minister and minister of defense for Singapore. Mr. Tan received the SM in operations research in 1964 after doing his undergraduate work at the University of Singapore. His topic is "Creating Wealth: A National Perspective."
- Judith C. Lewent (SM '72), senior vice president and chief financial officer of Merck & Co., Inc. Ms. Lewent is a member of the MIT Corporation and a trustee of the Rockefeller Family Trust. Her topic is "Building National Wealth Through Investment and Innovation/The Pharmaceutical Industry: A Case Study."
- ������������������David H. Marks, the Crafts Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Center for Environmental Initiatives (CEI). He joined the MIT faculty in 1969 and was founding member of the Program for Environmental Education and Research (which evolved into CEI) and the Technology, Management and Policy Program. He will speak on "Wealth, Creation and Global Sustainability: Important Opportunities, Increased Vulnerability."
- Lester C. Thurow, the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Professor of Management and Economics at the Sloan School. Professor Thurow, who has been on the MIT faculty for 30 years, was dean of the Sloan School from 1987-93. His talk on "Building Economic Wealth in the 21st Century" will be followed by the annual Technology Day luncheon in the Johnson Athletic Center.
After lunch, three panel discussions will be conducted simultaneously from 3-5pm. The topics, panelists and sites are:
- "Return on Philanthropic Investment." Moderator: Karen W. Arenson, (SB '70), higher education reporter for The New York Times. Panelists: Pendred Noyce, staff internist, Boston Neighborhood Health Center; Elizabeth B. Smith, executive director, the Hyams Foundation; Richard S. Steinberg (SB '77), professor of economics, philanthropic studies and public affairs, University of Indiana; Emily W. Wade (SB '45), president, Museum Institute for Teaching Science. Mezzanine Lounge, Stratton Student Center.
- "Creating New Organizations: Maximizing Human Capital." Moderator: Lotte Bailyn, the T. Wilson '53 Professor of Management at the Sloan School. Panelists: Alex d'Arbeloff (SB '49), chair of the MIT Corporation; Thomas W. Malone, the Patrick J. McGovern Professor of Information Systems and director of the MIT Center for Coordination Science; Hollie K. Schmidt (SB '87, two SMs), director of marketing, Midnight Networks. Twenty Chimneys, Stratton Student Center.
- "Entrepreneurial Wealth Creation." Moderator: Robert W. Metcalfe (two SBs, 1968), vice president of technology for IDG Corp. and president of the Association of Alumni and Alumnae. Panelists: Isy Goldwasser (SB '93), president and COO, Symyx; Bernard M. Gordon (SB '48, SM), general partner, St. Paul Venture Capital; Steven T. Kirsch (SB '78, SM), chair and director, Infoseek; Richard P. Simmons, president and CEO, Allegheny Teledyne. Rm 10-250.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on June 3, 1998.
