The University co-hosted the Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2026 Symposium from Sept. 21-24. The three-day symposium brought together engineers from various disciplines to discuss topics like challenges in AI and bioengineering.
The symposium, co-hosted with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., a semiconductor company, was a selective event that invited early-career engineers from industry, universities and federal labs, said Stephanie Houser, Director of the Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering program. Session topics addressed innovation in engineered materials, computing challenges for artificial intelligence, agricultural engineering and hypersonics.
“Some of the biggest advances we’ve seen in engineering and technology in recent history have come from collaborative efforts,” Houser said. “That’s what we’re trying to foster here.”
Around 70 engineers within 10 years of starting their careers were invited to attend the symposium, three of whom came from the University, said Karen Willcox, the symposium’s co-chair and the director for the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences.
One of the three UT attendees was David Fridovich-Keil, who directs the Control and Learning for Autonomous Robotics Laboratory and is a member of Texas Robotics and the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. He said the symposium was a successful opportunity to hear from people far outside his area of expertise.
“The talks have been quite high quality, I would say,” Fridovich-Keil said. “On the other hand, I’m usually not one that gets much out of talks. I get more out of talking to people one-on-one about their work, see where we can connect, and that’s been the highlight here.”
One of the guest speakers was Anthony Dudo, an associate professor in the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations and program director of science communication in the Center for Media Engagement. Dudo hosted a Skills Workshop on Engineering Communication.
“(The attendees) are really the cream of the crop when it comes to the next generation of people who are going to be doing amazing things in engineering,” Dudo said.
During his presentation, Dudo encouraged the engineers to think intentionally about their goals, audiences and communication strategies rather than simply informing the public.
“If they left that meeting yesterday and they now understand that there’s a difference between communication and effective communication — that is the core learning objective of that talk,” Dudo said. “Anything they learn beyond that is icing on the cake.”
Beyond effective communication, Willcox encouraged engineers to embrace leadership and public service in their careers.
“Make the most of this call to leadership, this call to service,” Willcox said. “Because if there were ever a time that the world needs engineers to come together to give good advice to the government, to give good advice and explanations to society, it’s now.”
