Engineering Summit Agenda

The session explores the emerging vision for the PNW Leadership Institute. The Institute will develop purpose-driven leaders grounded in Pacific Northwest values, innovation, and impact. The discussion will focus on how the Institute could shape future leaders and strengthen connections between the College, industry, and the region.

Engineers and scientists are widely recognized for their strong orientation towards the arts, reflecting the deep connection between creativity and technological innovation. Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph, was also one of the great fine arts painters of his era. The lead guitarist of Queen, Dr. Brian May, pursues advanced research in astrophysics. Here at OSU, nearly half of the marching band students are from the COE. Using examples from the contemporary art world and from OSU, this session explores the deep connections among art, AI, and engineering. The goal is to set a vision for launching Every Student Creates, a prospective partnership between PRAx, the School of the Arts, and the COE.

Oregon stands at an energy crossroads. Surging demand from semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, forest products, and data centers requires abundant, reliable, and affordable power delivery. This roundtable session explores next-generation electricity generation, storage, and delivery technologies being developed in Oregon – from small modular reactors and wave energy to enhanced geothermal – alongside grid solutions like microgrids, advanced power markets, and AI-informed demand-load matching.

Explore a showcase of student projects, research innovations, and hands-on engineering demonstrations. Attendees are invited to visit exhibits at their own pace or join a guided walking tour to meet student teams, see cutting-edge work across disciplines, and experience the creativity and impact of engineering in action.

Oregon stands at a pivotal moment to compete and lead in an AI-driven economy. Join industry and public sector leaders to explore how AI can accelerate high-tech growth by partnering with Oregon companies and attracting firms expanding in the state. Anchored by the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex and in partnership with the Technology Association of Oregon, this session will focus on public-private collaboration that drives industry growth, high-wage jobs, and long-term economic strength.

The session will honor the lives and lasting contributions of Hal Pritchett, whose leadership helped establish and shape Oregon State’s Construction Engineering Management program, and Fred Merryfield, whose vision and mentorship, alongside students Holly Cornell, Jim Howland, and Burke Hayes, laid foundations that influenced generations of engineers and leaders, including the early roots of what became CH2M HILL. Through stories, reflections, and shared memories, we will celebrate their enduring impact on students, industry, and the broader engineering community, and recognize the legacy they built that continues to shape the College today.

The session explores frontier technologies shaping the future of energy, space, and human health: from fusion energy and electric propulsion to plasma medicine and advanced thermal systems. The talk will highlight Oregon State’s plans for growth in aerospace, energy, extreme materials, and advanced manufacturing, including how we will serve as a hub for innovation and economic impact in Oregon. Faculty speakers will showcase how OSU is applying plasma science, cutting-edge materials, and advanced manufacturing to drive breakthroughs in deep space exploration, high-performance data centers, extreme-environment applications, and next-generation medical therapies.

Explore a showcase of student projects, research innovations, and hands-on engineering demonstrations. Attendees are invited to visit exhibits at their own pace or join a guided walking tour to meet student teams, see cutting-edge work across disciplines, and experience the creativity and impact of engineering in action.

This interactive session brings together faculty, students, and industry advisors to explore innovation and entrepreneurship emerging from the College of Engineering. Participants will engage in a discussion focused on technology translation, venture development, and pathways from discovery to real-world impact. The session is designed to highlight opportunities and identify ways industry leaders can help accelerate commercialization and venture success at OSU.

Join us in setting a vision for building the nation’s most innovative collaboration between engineering and athletics. The talk will link football, advanced research, and Oregon’s outdoor industry to discuss how to achieve competitive excellence, research growth, and economic impact. In this session, attendees will help shape a vision for how performance analytics, wearable sensing, advanced materials, and AI-driven systems convert on-field advantage into commercial and technological impact.

In this session, we will discuss how the rapidly advancing fields of biomedical engineering and artificial intelligence are transforming personalized health care. The talk will focus on how Oregon State University, across its Corvallis and Bend campuses, can work in partnership with Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Oregon to collaborate with industry to develop the next generation of precision health care technologies.

The Industry Choice Awards are a signature highlight of the 2026 Engineering Expo, celebrating the collaborative spirit between Oregon State University’s College of Engineering and its broad network of industry partners. Each award recognizes one outstanding senior design team, selected directly by engineering professionals who engage with student innovators throughout the Expo.