Arden L. Bement, director of the Global Policy Research Institute at Purdue University, visited the QESST Solar Power Lab in conjunction with a visit to Arizona State University to deliver a Rhodes Lecture.
Prior to his current position, Bement was director of the National Science Foundation from 2004-2010. He served as a member of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO and as the vice-chair of the Commission’s National Sciences and Engineering Committee. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
In his lecture, Bement discussed his views on future developments at American public universities and how these will be an extension of developments that have been underway for some time: interdisciplinary research, global engagement, high-end computing and multi-university partnerships.