The TAMEST 2025 Annual Conference: Transformational Breakthroughs will take place February 4–6, 2025, at the Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. Learn more about our conference sessions and speakers by viewing the agenda below.
Tuesday, February 4 | 6:30–10:00 p.m.
Opening Reception
The opening reception will take place the evening of Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in the Harmony Ballroom at the Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. Programming begins at 7:00 p.m.
- Welcome from TAMEST Board President Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), University of Houston
- Kay Bailey Hutchison Distinguished Service Award Presentation
- Hill Prizes Ceremony
- TAMEST Welcomes New Members
Wednesday, February 5 | 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Conference Programming
Harmony Ballroom, The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 400 W Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, Texas
(subject to change)
Wednesday Morning Sessions
8:00–9:00 a.m.
Conference Breakfast
9:00–9:05 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), TAMEST Board President
SCIENCE SESSION
Emcee: 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
9:05–9:35 a.m.
Speaker: Julia R. Greer, Ph.D. (NAE), Ruben F. and Donna Mettler Professor of Materials Science, Mechanics and Medical Engineering; Fletcher Jones Foundation Director of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute, Caltech
9:35–10:05 a.m.
Speaker: Matthew T. McDowell, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Carter N. Paden, Jr. Distinguished Chair, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
10:05–10:35 a.m.
Speaker: Richard G. Baraniuk, Ph.D. (NAE), C. Sidney Burrus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University; Founding Director, OpenStax and SafeInsights
10:35–10:50 a.m.
Break
10:50–11:20 a.m.
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Biological Sciences
11:20–11:45 a.m.
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Physical Sciences
11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Mary Beth Maddox Award Ceremony and Research Presentation
Wednesday Afternoon Sessions
12:15–1:30 p.m.
Lunch and Special Remarks: John L. Anderson, Ph.D. (NAE), President, National Academy of Engineering
TECHNOLOGY SESSION
Emcee: Nicholas Skytland, Chief Technologist and Director, Business Development & Technology Integration Office, NASA Johnson Space Center
1:30–2:00 p.m.
Speaker: A.C. Charania, Agency Chief Technologist, NASA
Interviewed by Nicholas Skytland, Chief Technologist, NASA Johnson Space Center
2:00–2:30 p.m.
Speaker: Jason Rolland, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Materials, Carbon®
2:30–3:00 p.m.
Speaker: Timothy P. Crain, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Intuitive Machines
3:00–3:25 p.m.
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Technology
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Break
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Protégé Poster Challenge: Judges’ Viewing
4:30–6:30 p.m.
Protégé Poster Challenge: Audience Viewing and Cocktail Reception
6:30–10:00 p.m.
2025 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards Ceremony and Dinner
Thursday, February 6 | 7:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m.
Conference Programming
Harmony Ballroom, The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 400 W Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, Texas
(subject to change)
Thursday Morning Sessions
7:30–9:00 a.m.
Conference Breakfast
MEDICINE SESSION
Emcee: Samuel Achilefu, Ph.D. (NAM), Lyda Hill Distinguished University Chair in Biomedical Engineering, UT Southwestern Medical Center
8:30–9:00 a.m.
Breakfast/Speaker: Clive Svendsen, Ph.D., Chair and Executive Director, Board of Governors, Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
9:00–9:30 a.m.
Speaker: Jun Wu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center
9:30–10:00 a.m.
Speaker: Ryan Spitler, Ph.D., Program Manager, Health Science Futures, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
10:00–10:20 a.m.
Break
10:20–10:45 a.m.
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Medicine
ENGINEERING SESSION
Emcee: Jane Stricker, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, Houston Energy Transition Initiative, Greater Houston Partnership
10:45–11:15 a.m.
Speaker: Rita Baranwal, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, AP300™ Small Modular Reactor, Westinghouse Electric Company
11:15–11:45 a.m.
Speaker: Engineering
11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Speakers:
Trevor Best, Founder and CEO, Syzygy Plasmonics
Naomi J. Halas, Ph.D., D.Sc. (NAE, NAS), Stanley C. Moore Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy; Director, Smalley-Curl Institute and Director, Laboratory for Nanophotonics, Rice University
Thursday Afternoon Sessions
12:15–1:15 p.m.
Lunch Session: TAMEST Protégé Poster Challenge Finalist Presentations
1:15–1:40 p.m.
2025 O’Donnell Award Presentation: Engineering
1:40–1:45 p.m.
Closing Remarks and 2026 Conference Preview
Ganesh C. Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), TAMEST Board President
Sponsors
