Santa Clara University

Public Engagement

As a Santa Clara University Center of Distinction, the Center for Science, Technology, and Society is responsible for promoting the use of science and technology for the common good through education, research, and public engagement. The Center advances the University's mission and competencies; engages faculty and students from all academic areas as well as experts and leaders from the community; forms partnerships to provide leadership in addressing significant public issues; enhances student learning and faculty scholarship; sustains itself through external funding; and contributes to Santa Clara's overall excellence, Jesuit character, and national recognition. As such, the Center serves as a major point of interaction between the University and society, and through its various programs and projects serves multiple constituencies with multiple interests and needs.

A core function of the Center is to engage external audiences in meaningful conversations and activities around scientific and technological issues affecting contemporary society, with an emphasis on Silicon Valley. To fulfill this aspect of our mission, the Center organizes a variety of events on campus, including:

• Symposia presentations by distinguished speakers
• Panel sessions that bring together leading figures to address specific topics
• A bi-annual major international conference [add hyperlink to "Past Events" page]
• An annual conference that coincides with the Tech Awards presentation (November)
• A "Biotechnology and Society" program that brings to campus major players in this growing field
• The "Values in Design of Information Systems and Technology" biannual graduate student conference
• The "IT Forum Series" presented in collaboration with the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and the High Tech Law Institute

The Center also focuses on new ways of engaging the public in discussions and policy-making around pressing socio-technical issues such as the October 2006 conference "Broadband for All? A Consensus Conference on  Municipal Broadband," co-organized by SCU faculty members Allen Hammond (Law) and Chad Raphael (Communication).

The Public Engagement area of the Center is led by Katie Vann, and is tasked to identify, generate revenue for, and nurture fruitful collaborative events that cross-cut and integrate our relations with various constituencies. Public Engagement organizes events and creates broad visibility for emerging topics and collaborations that have potential to enhance the Center's impact through public events, campus events, and multi-media. These targeted activities will require the commitment of social and financial support, and the Center's staff looks forward to collaborating with those who wish to back these initiatives as substantive partners. In the coming months, Public Engagement is involved in fostering sustainable collaborations that will focus upon two timely fields of scientific, technological, and social practice:

• A collaboration with the university's de Saisset Museum on a public discussion forum will serve to highlight the scientific, technological, and social dimensions of specific de Saisett exhibitions. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming events in Spring quarter.

• A collaboration with SoundVision on public broadcasts addressing the topic of alternative energy, focusing on the scientific, technological, and social dimensions of emerging energy regimes.