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Knowing how to manage complex undertakings—invention of new science, development of new products, stand up of new systems, operation of sprawling operations—such that new knowledge and skills are developed at incredible speed is a source of sustainable competitive advantage. But how does this advantage translate? We undertake projects, programs, and the like because there is a problem for which no solution exists. It has to be invented, and the faster and easier we discover our way to the right answers, the better for all of our stakeholders. Do that repeatedly and consistently, and competitors cannot keep up. Existing opportunities to build knowledge and skills will be identified during planning, practice, and performance with examples from drug development, software design, social services, and military applications.

 

SAFFRON is a risk modeling and data analytics tool that allows energy delivery OT operators to better understand the risks associated with cyber threats. At present they do not have the capability to fully understand the risks associated with the cyber threats of today and tomorrow – risks that will continue to grow as Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) networks increasingly integrate. It is important to have a better understanding of these risks, costs, and potential consequences. This aggregation of risk data will inform EDS OT operators in understanding how risk changes as the software deployed changes, and support actions (i.e., identify corrective actions that reduce the risk.) Similarly, risk computation will support operators in equipment replacement and procurement by quantifying device risk and impact on the network. SAFFRON has developed a risk model and data analytics tool, along with the necessary algorithms that identify risk tolerance and strategy for assessing, responding to, and monitoring cyber security risks. Foundational validated research is presingly neededed to develop risk models and visual analytics that are understandable to OT operators and leads to or even suggests corrective action. The tool uses a simulation model of the physical/IT system and acts as a proxy for the physical infrastructure.

 

An undergraduate student in heat transfer (or similar engineering science continuum discipline) maps a non-prescriptive problem statement in natural language to a relatively simple mathematical model to a closed-form approximate solution. This classical approach remains relevant even today: to develop design tools which serve to narrow the parameter domain; to provide transparent reference solutions which serve to verify the results of simulation. "Artie" is software which replicates the undergraduate student procedure and further expands the analysis capability to incorporate numerical solution of partial differential equations. Artie may ultimately be capable of an A+ in an MIT heat transfer subject. The latter, in turn, has important implications for education and professional practice: we must adapt our undergraduate curriculum, and we must revisit the roles of engineers. However, many technical challenges remain, in particular related to geometry and image processing, natural language understanding, incorporation of (heat transfer) empirical data and correlations, and assessment of model and approximation error.

 

Although a range of materials can now be fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques, these usually involve assembly of a series of stacked layers, which restricts three-dimensional (3D) geometry. Oran et al. developed a method to print a range of materials, including metals and semiconductors, inside a gel scaffold (see the Perspective by Long and Williams). When the hydrogels were dehydrated, they shrunk 10-fold, which pushed the feature sizes down to the nanoscale.

Lithographic nanofabrication is often limited to successive fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) layers. We present a strategy for the direct assembly of 3D nanomaterials consisting of metals, semiconductors, and biomolecules arranged in virtually any 3D geometry. We used hydrogels as scaffolds for volumetric deposition of materials at defined points in space. We then optically patterned these scaffolds in three dimensions, attached one or more functional materials, and then shrank and dehydrated them in a controlled way to achieve nanoscale feature sizes in a solid substrate. We demonstrate that our process, Implosion Fabrication (ImpFab), can directly write highly conductive, 3D silver nanostructures within an acrylic scaffold via volumetric silver deposition. Using ImpFab, we achieve resolutions in the tens of nanometers and complex, non–self-supporting 3D geometries of interest for optical metamaterials.

 

Developing privacy-preserving identity systems and safe distributed computation, enabling an Internet of Trusted Data. The Trust::Data Consortium addresses the growing tension between societal data proliferation and data security by developing specifications, software, tools and documentation that help organizations adopt a holistic approach to cyber protection. Trust::Data is building new models for digital identity, data provenance, universal access, and secure privacy-preserving transactions to harness the future potential of global data sharing.

 

Knowing how to manage complex undertakings—invention of new science, development of new products, stand up of new systems, operation of sprawling operations—such that new knowledge and skills are developed at incredible speed is a source of sustainable competitive advantage. But how does this advantage translate? We undertake projects, programs, and the like because there is a problem for which no solution exists. It has to be invented, and the faster and easier we discover our way to the right answers, the better for all of our stakeholders. Do that repeatedly and consistently, and competitors cannot keep up. Existing opportunities to build knowledge and skills will be identified during planning, practice, and performance with examples from drug development, software design, social services, and military applications.

 

Jobcase, an MIT CSAIL-affiliated startup, empowers 100 million of the US working class. Applying data analysis and optimized outreach, they connect workers to jobs in trucking, warehouse, customer care, and more. The average worker today holds much anxiety surrounding economic conditions and technological changes, e.g. AI and automation. They need more than just job opportunities, and now seek knowledge and advice from an online community of like-minded workers in our increasing gig economy to succeed. Blue- and pink-collar workers often do not know how to address their concerns within the workplace or how to transition into different positions without having to start from the bottom again. Having tools that can reach workers from the top-down and that allow them to connect with each other is essential to empowering the worker and ultimately fuel an ambitious future workforce.

 

The key to driving innovation lies in inspiring and motivating your workforce. But how does this apply to today as employers must engage an entire lifespan of workers? Each generation holds their own language, expectations, and life challenges, and addressing these individually is expensive and offers no guarantee of success. Instead, we should consider what these groups have in common. This talk introduces us to the greater “Gen S” – that is, Generation Stressed – whose most in-demand commodity is attention. Employees are constantly juggling an ever-increasing volume, velocity, and complexity of issues that vie for their attention and engagement, and employers must actively compete to both gain and sustain their attention. Drawing upon research in psychology, marketing, and cognitive engineering, this talk will describe the dynamics of Gen S and how employers can attain agenda status for employees across the lifespan.