WHAT: Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute will provide an introduction to Wayne State University's groundbreaking new program in Science, Technology, Peace and Public Policy. The lecture is sponsored by the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Center for Peace & Conflict Studies. Dr. Gopalaswamy is the initial candidate for the position of assistant professor in Technology Policy.
WHEN: Thursday, May 13, 2010, at 1:30-3:30 p.m.
WHERE: College of Engineering Building, Room 1200, 5050 Anthony Wayne Dr., Detroit, MI 48202
MORE INFO:
Changes at the state and national level highlight a growing need for scientists and engineers who understand public policy and its impact on homeland security and national defense. April's Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., to discuss decreasing the threat of nuclear terrorism and Michigan's growing presence as a hub for military vehicle manufacturing are proof points that directly underscore the relevance and importance of Wayne State's new program in Science, Technology, Peace and Public Policy.
The program, which places WSU among an elite group of American universities, establishes an interdisciplinary center for research, education, and dissemination of new and existing information in that gray area where science, technology and public policy intersect.
Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has been announced as the initial candidate for the position of assistant professor in Technology Policy. He has done research in the U.S., India, France, Germany, Ireland and Sweden on technical and policy issues related to space weapons, missiles and verifying test bans.
Dr. Gopalaswamy's lecture, "The Role of Infrasound Detection in Verifying the CTBT [Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty]," explores the difficulties that the international community has faced in bringing the CTBT into force since it was signed in 1996 by 71 countries, including five nuclear weapon states. He will present his analysis of the capabilities of the CTBT's International Monitoring System to monitor rocket launches, which potentially could be used for verifying other non-proliferation agreements.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the new program or the May 13 visit, contact:
Dr. Yang Zhao, Electrical and Computer Engineering department chair, yzhao@eng.wayne.edu; 313-577-3920
Dr. Fred Pearson, Center for Peace & Conflict Studies director, ab3440@wayne.edu; 313-577-3453
Dr. Alvin M. Saperstein, professor of Physics ams@physics.wayne.edu; 313-577-2733
Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.