Alan Alda to Open SC15 Conference

“High performance computing has a transformational impact on science in our society,” says SC15 general chair Jackie Kern, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. “For decades scientists and engineers have relied on high performance computing to advance the state of the art in diverse fields ranging from healthcare and automotive safety to renewable energy. Computing is now fully integrated into the scientific discovery process, an equal partner with theory and experiment in improving the quality of life for all members of our global society. Mr. Alda’s focus on communicating the benefits of science to the public — and how we can all do this more effectively — makes him uniquely positioned to help SC continue to bridge the gaps in science understanding and highlight our role in the discovery process.”

Alda, an actor, writer, science advocate and Visiting Professor at Stony Brook University, will share his passion for science communication and its importance, drawing on his personal experiences including 11 years hosting the TV series Scientific American Frontiers. Throughout his 40-year career, he has won seven Emmys, six Golden Globes and three Directors Guild of America awards for directing. Alda also hosted the 2010 PBS mini-series The Human Spark and wrote Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie, a play about the personal life of the great scientist who discovered radium. He teamed up with PBS again in 2013 for Brains on Trial, a neurological look at brains in the court room.

A recipient of the National Science Board’s Public Service Award, Alda is a visiting professor at — and founding member of — Stony Brook University’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, where he helps develop programs on how scientists communicate with the public. He is also on the Board of Directors of the World Science Festival.

For more information, visit the SC15 site.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.