Graphic of computer screen showing artificial intelligence and robots
 

LPE Events

Upcoming Events 

There are no future events scheduled at this time.


Past Events

October 20, 2023

Symposium Towards Responsible Biomedical AI

National experts convened at Penn State on October 20, 2023, to share insights and discuss ethical, legal, and social issues involved with the use of artificial intelligence in biomedical research and care. The symposium included a keynote address by Neil Richards, Koch Distinguished Professor in Law and Co-Director of the Cordell Institute for Policy in Medicine & Law at Washington University in St. Louis. The symposium continued with an extraordinary line-up of scholars from around the United States for short talks and moderated discussion. Learn more »

A video recording of the symposium will be made available soon.

  • Hosts
    • Dr. Laura Y. Cabrera, Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, and Philosophy; Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Neuroethics, Penn State
    • Prof. Sara Gerke, Assistant Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law
    • Dr. Daniel Susser, Associate Professor of Information Science, Cornell University
    • Dr. Jennifer K. Wagner, Assistant Professor of Law, Policy, and Engineering & Anthropology, Penn State

April 11, 2023

LPE Seminar Series: The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology

Nita Farahany, Professor of Law, Duke University

Host: Jennifer Wagner, Assistant Professor of Law, Policy, and Engineering


March 16, 2023

LPE Seminar Series: Regulating Space in a Commercial Era

Matthew Schaefer, Professor of Law, University of Nebraska College of Law

Host: Jennifer Wagner, Assistant Professor of Law, Policy, and Engineering


February 8, 2023

LPE Seminar Series: Water Law & Policy

David Strifling, Director of the Water Law & Policy Initiative, Marquette University Law School


January 24, 2023

LPE Seminar Series: Privacy Law

Danielle Citron, Professor of Law, University of Virginia


September 28, 2022

LPE Workshop: From Research to Policy


Master of Engineering in Engineering, Law, and Policy Graduate Series: Paving Your Professional Career Paths 

May 4, 2022

Sascha Meinrath, at Penn State Palmer Chair in Telecommunications


Master of Engineering in Engineering, Law, and Policy Graduate Series: Paving Your Professional Career Paths 

April 13, 2022

May Lee, senior regulatory affairs specialist at Philips Remote Diagnostic and current Penn State Law student, discusses regulatory affairs 

April 1, 2022

Sandra Allain, director of the Law, Policy, and Engineering initiative; director of MELP; professor of practice; lecturer in law


February 3, 2023

REsponsiBle nEurotech Lab (REBEL)’s Community Engagement Panel—Neurotechnology Governance: From Frameworks to Standards and Policies

Panelists:

  • Dr. Sandra Allain, Director of the LPE Initiative 
  • Dr. Andrea M. Matwyshyn, associate dean for Innovation and Technology
  • Dr. Wanda Knight, Assistant Dean for DEI
  • Dr. Glenn Sterner, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice

Moderator: Dr. Laura Y. Cabrera, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Neuroethics


December 2, 2021

Innovative Leadership: Education, Technology, and Empowerment

Seasoned leaders Paul Marca and Dee Byrnes will discuss traits of leaders who innovate, and how to lead in such way that others join you. They will discuss technology as a platform for education and collaboration across disciplines and the need for an interdisciplinary approach for technology implementation and adoption. The session will end with a showcase of two student projects developed in ENGR 497: Design4Justice, a course led by Director of Law, Policy, and Engineering and Professor of Practice Sandra Allain.

Location: Hybrid | Zoom and at the Nuclear Innovation Commons, Hallowell Building

Time: Noon

Download flyer

View recording


November 10, November 17, and December 9 

Master of Engineering in Engineering, Law, and Policy Graduate Series: Paving Your Professional Career Paths 

Advance your career potential in government, industry, and non-profits through a professional graduate degree in Engineering, Law, and Policy at Penn State. At the MELP Graduate Series: Paving Your Professional Career Path you will learn about the M.Eng. in Engineering, Law, and Policy (MELP) and meet faculty who will share their successful career paths and impact across law, policy, and engineering in the STEM workforce. Meet the program director and learn more about this new interdisciplinary graduate program and in-demand technical and professional skills needed to accelerate your career in the public and private sector and stand out in the job market.

November 10: Jennifer Wagner, assistant professor of law, policy, and engineering

November 17: Caitlin Grady, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering

December 9: Wei Peng, assistant professor of international affairs and civil and environmental engineering

Location: Hybrid | Kunkle Lounge and Zoom

View recording: November 11, November 17, December 9

Time: Noon

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April 8, 2021

Next Generation Nuclear Reactors - The Role of Nuclear Energy in Our Future Energy Systems

This seminar will discuss developments in energy policy and nuclear energy technology. John Kotek will explain how nuclear energy fits into the decarbonization plans of the United States. Utilities, provide an overview of the types and status of next-generation reactors, discuss ongoing efforts to demonstrate commercial-scale production of hydrogen and opportunities for nuclear as a source of industrial heat, explore the business and policy drivers that are raising interest in next-generation nuclear energy systems.

Location: online | Zoom link

Time: 4:00 p.m.


April 1, 2021

Next Generation Nuclear Reactors - Advanced Reactors: The Future is Now!

Advanced reactors are increasingly viewed as part of the future energy mix, and the level of interest in these new technologies is growing in the United States. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been preparing to license these technologies through establishing a modern, risk-informed, technology-inclusive regulatory framework. The NRC is working closely with other federal agencies, engaging with the public and industry stakeholders, and collaborating with international organizations to build tools and expertise, address policy and technical questions, and transform the regulatory process to make the safe use of advanced reactor technologies possible. This talk will highlight NRC readiness and regulatory framework activities.

Location: online | Zoom link

Time: 4:00 p.m.


April 2, 2021

Decoding Big Tech 

Tackling issues in technology requires robust solutions that prioritize people’s interest. To initiate productive conversations, the Penn State Law, Policy, and Engineering initiative has collaborated with the Penn State Science Policy Society student organization to host Decoding Big Tech, a Law, Policy, and Engineering Colloquium.

Location: online | bit.ly/LPE-Big-Tech

Time: Noon

More Information

View Panel Recording


November 13, 2020

Nonprofits, AI and the Greater Good

Join us for an evening of exploration as we engage an expert panel in a discussion of the current challenges facing nonprofits and how AI could be used to address those challenges. You will hear from subject matter experts who have a deep understanding of nonprofits as well as AI experts who will talk about how this technology might be applied to address those challenges. There will also be plenty of time for Q&A during this event.

Location: online | nittanyai.psu.edu/events/nonprofits-ai-and-the-greater-good

Time: 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

More Information


October 7, 2020

Election Security in the 2020 Election 

Speakers: Margaret Hu, associate dean for non-JD programs at Penn State Law at University Park and professor of law and international affairs; Andrea Matwyshyn, associate dean for innovation and technology and professor of law and engineering policy at Penn State Law at University Park and professor in the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs; Patrick McDaniel, distinguished professor of computer science and engineering and William L. Weiss Chair in Information and Communications Technology; and John Gastil, distinguished professor in communications arts and sciences and political science and senior scholar at the McCourtney Institute for Democracy

Location: via Zoom | bit.ly/LPE-election-security

Time: 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

More Information

View Panel Recording Here


May 21, 2020

Technology, Policy and Law during COVID-19: Session 6

The Internet of Suspect Bodies: Technology, Privacy, and the Future of Surveillance

Speaker: Andrea Matwyshyn, Ph.D., J.D., Associate Dean for Innovation and Technology; Professor of Law and Engineering Policy, Penn State Law; Professor School of Engineering Design, Technology and Professional Programs, Penn State; Founding Director PSU PILOT Lab, Digital Studies Fellow Kluge Center Library of Congress

Location: via Zoom | psu.zoom.us/j/93086230698  Password: 376281

Time: 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

More Information

View Session Recording Here


May 19, 2020

Technology, Policy and Law during COVID-19: Session 5

The Pandemic and Sports: Old Solutions, New Challenges

Speaker: Steve Ross, Lewis H. Vovakis Distinguished Faculty Scholar; Professor of Law; Director of Penn State Institute for Sports Law, Policy and Research, Penn State Law

Location: via Zoom | psu.zoom.us/j/93086230698  Password: 376281

Time: 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

More Information

View Session Recording Here


May 14, 2020

Technology, Policy and Law during COVID-19: Session 4

SARS-CoV-2 and the Teletravel Imperative

Speaker: Martin Pietrucha, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE., F.ITE, Professor of Civil Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Faculty Research Associate, The Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute; Faculty Affiliate, The Rock Ethics Institute, Penn State

Location: via Zoom | psu.zoom.us/j/93086230698  Password: 376281

Time: 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

More Information

View Session Recording Here


May 11, 2020

Technology, Policy and Law during COVID-19: Session 3

Immigration in the Time of COVID-19

Speaker: Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Esq., Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar and Clinical Professor of Law, Penn State Law; Founder and Director, Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic

Location: via Zoom | psu.zoom.us/j/93086230698  Password: 376281

Time: 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

More Information

View Session Recording Here


May 7, 2020

Technology, Policy and Law during COVID-19: Session 2

Reflections on sustainable energy transition in the age of COVID-19

Speaker: Wei Peng, Ph.D., Assistant Professor School of International Affairs and Civil and Environmental Engineering, Penn State; Associate with the Belfer Center for Science and International affairs at the J.F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Fellow with the Initiative for Sustainable Energy Policy in the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Location: via Zoom | psu.zoom.us/j/93086230698  Password: 376281

Time: 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.

More Information

View Session Recording Here


May 5, 2020

Technology, Policy and Law during COVID-19: Session 1

Rapid Innovation and Agile Manufacturing in the Age of COVID‑19

Speakers: Tim Simpson, Ph.D., Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing, Center for Innovative Manufacturing Processing-3D; Kevin Harter, Associate Dean for Medical Innovation, Penn State College of Medicine; Michael Brignati, Associate General Counsel, Penn State

Location: via Zoom | psu.zoom.us/j/93086230698  Password: 376281

Time: 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.

More Information

View Session Recording Here


March 2, 2020

All Hands on Deck! Multi-disciplinary Research to Solve Complex Energy Problems

Architectural Engineering Distinguished Series Speaker: Christopher Payne

Location: Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library

Time: 3:00 p.m.

In collaboration with the Law, Policy and Engineering (LPE) Initiative.


December 5, 2019

Aviation Policy, Law, and Engineering in the Context of the Policy-Law Engineering Loop

Speaker: John-Paul Clarke, vice president for strategic technologies at United Technologies Corporation

Location: 350 HHD Building

Time: 12:00 p.m.

Learn more


 
 

About

The Law, Policy, and Engineering (LPE) initiative is an interdisciplinary academic and research initiative between Penn State's College of Engineering, Penn State Law, and Penn State's School of International Affairs. The initiative will provide a transformative educational experience for students by actively integrating components of all three disciplines into the curriculum to prepare students for the competitive, interdisciplinary, global workplaces of the future. 

Law, Policy, and Engineering Initiative

The Pennsylvania State University

Engineering Design and Innovation Building

University Park, PA 16802