About the TAMEST 2025 Annual Conference: Transformational Breakthroughs
The TAMEST 2025 Annual Conference: Transformational Breakthroughs took place February 4–6, 2025, at the Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas.
The conference explored some of the most disruptive breakthroughs in science and technology set to change our way of life in the coming years.
Speakers examined game-changing advancements in the fields of materials science and nanotechnology, space exploration, regeneration and synthetic biology, energy transition and more.
Conference Statistics
Download Presentation Slides from the TAMEST 2025 Annual Conference
Opening Reception | Slides
Day 1: Wednesday Morning Sessions
SCIENCE SESSION:
Emcee: Walter E. Voit, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Dallas
Julia R. Greer, Ph.D., Ph.D., Caltech
Matthew McDowell, Ph.D., Georgia Tech | Slides
Richard G. Baraniuk, Ph.D. (NAE), Rice University, OpenStax and SafeInsights | Slides
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Biological Sciences:
Ilya J. Finkelstein, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin | Slides
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Physical Sciences:
Caitlin M. Casey, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin | Slides
Mary Beth Maddox Award Ceremony and Recipient Presentation:
Gerta Hoxhaj, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center | Slides
Day 1: Wednesday Afternoon Sessions
LUNCH SESSION:
John L. Anderson, Ph.D. (NAE), National Academy of Engineering | Slides
TECHNOLOGY SESSION:
Emcee: Nicholas Skytland, NASA Johnson Space Center
A.C. Charania, NASA
Jason P. Rolland, Ph.D., Carbon, Inc. | Slides
Timothy P. Crain, Ph.D., Intuitive Machines | Slides
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Technology Innovation:
Faye Liu, Ph.D., RevoChem LLC | Slides
Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards Ceremony and Dinner Slides | Video
Day 2: Thursday Morning Sessions
MEDICINE SESSION:
Emcee: Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D. (NAM), UT Southwestern Medical Center
Clive Svendsen, Ph.D., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Slides
Jun Wu, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center | Slides
James F. Martin, M.D., Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine | Slides
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Medicine:
Lauren Averett Byers, M.D., The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | Slides
ENGINEERING SESSION:
Emcee: Jane Stricker, Greater Houston Partnership
Robert Kester, Ph.D., Veriten | Slides
Leah Ellis, Ph.D., Sublime Systems
Trevor Best, Syzygy Plasmonics, and Naomi Halas, Ph.D. D.Sc. (NAE, NAS), Rice University | Slides
Day 2: Thursday Afternoon Sessions
Lunch Speakers: TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge Presentations and Prize Ceremony
Grand Prize Winner: Engineering: Teja Guda, Ph.D., The University of Texas at San Antonio | Slides
Other Finalists:
Science: Blair Benham-Pyle, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine | Slides
Medicine: Nicholas Tran, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine | Slides
Technology: Punith V. Shivaprasad, Ph.D., Shell | Slides
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Engineering:
Yan Yao, Ph.D., University of Houston | Slides
John L. Anderson, Ph.D. (NAE)
President
National Academy of Engineering
Richard Baraniuk, Ph.D. (NAE)
C. Sidney Burrus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University
Founding Director, OpenStax and SafeInsights
Trevor Best
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Syzygy Plasmonics
A.C. Charania
Agency Chief Technologist
NASA
Timothy P. Crain, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder
Intuitive Machines
Leah Ellis, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Sublime Systems
Julia R. Greer, Ph.D.
Ruben F. and Donna Mettler Professor of Materials Science, Medical Engineering, and Mechanics
Fletcher Jones Foundation Director, Kavli Nanoscience Institute
Caltech
Naomi Halas, Ph.D., D.Sc. (NAE, NAS)
University Professor and Stanley C. Moore Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rice University
Robert Kester, Ph.D.
Partner, Technology & Innovation
Veriten
James F. Martin, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Vivian L. Smith Chair in Regenerative Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
Director, Cardiomyocyte Renewal Lab
Texas Heart Institute
Matthew McDowell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Carter N. Paden, Jr. Distinguished Chair
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Materials Science and Engineering
Georgia Tech
Jason P. Rolland, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President of Materials
Carbon, Inc.
Clive Svendsen, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Regenerative Medicine Institute
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Jun Wu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Molecular Biology
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Program Committee
Program Committee Co-Chairs
Walter E. Voit, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering
Director, Center for Engineering Innovation
The University of Texas at Dallas
Technology
Nicholas Skytland
Chief Technologist
Director, Business Development & Technology Integration Office
NASA Johnson Space Center
Medicine
Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D. (NAM)
Professor and Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Engineering
Jane Stricker
Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Houston Energy Transition Initiative
Greater Houston Partnership
Honorary Chair: Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE)
Vice President, TAMEST
Distinguished Professor of Petroleum Engineering and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Director of UH Energy Industrial Partnerships
University of Houston
Sponsors
