2012 Symposium on Preventing Catastrophic Threats and Awards Ceremony

Start:: November 9, 2012
Cost:: 250

Venue:: National Press Club Ballroom
Address:: 429 14th Street, NW, Washington, 20045

Hosted by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS)

Friday, November 9, 2012

9:30 am- 5:30 pm (reception to follow)

National Press Club Ballroom
429 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045

The next President of the United States and his national security team will need to make urgent decisions about protecting the nation from catastrophic threats. To advise the next administration, just three days after the election, FAS will host a symposium featuring distinguished experts on policy and technological aspects of conventional, nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, biotechnology, nuclear safety, electricity generation, distribution, and storage, and cyber security. At the symposium, these experts will present their recommendations for preventing and reducing risks from catastrophic threats and for developing an effective energy policy.

The event will also feature an awards ceremony luncheon to honor outstanding people who have made a distinctive contribution to national security. Dr. John Ahearne will be honored with the 2012 Richard L. Garwin Award, Dr. Sidney Drell will be honored with the 2012 Public Service Award and Dr. Rosa Ovshinsky will accept the 2012 Hans Bethe Award on behalf of the late Dr. Stanford Ovshinsky. Dr. Drell will share the honor of the Public Service Award with Dr. Henry Kissinger, Senator Sam Nunn, Dr. William J. Perry, and Mr. George P. Shultz.

Schedule:

9:00 a.m. Coffee, Continental Breakfast and Registration

9:30 a.m. Nuclear Weapons Panel

MODERATOR: Mr. David Hoffman, Contributing Editor,Washington Post

Dr. Robert Stan Norris, Senior Fellow for Nuclear Policy, Federation of American Scientists
Dr. Richard Garwin, IBM Fellow Emeritus, Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Mr. Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project, Federation of American Scientists
Mr. Charles Blair, Senior Fellow on State and Non- State Threats, Federation of American Scientists
Dr. Sid Drell, Deputy Director Emeritus, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

11:30 a.m. Break

12:00 p.m. FAS Awards Luncheon

Master of Ceremonies: Mr. Joe Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund

Dr. John Ahearne, Richard L. Garwin Award
Dr. Rosa Ovshinsky, accepting Hans Bethe Award on behalf of Dr. Stanford Ovshinsky
Dr. Sidney Drell, FAS Public Service Award

2:00 p.m. Biological, Chemical, Conventional and Cyber Threats Panel

MODERATOR: Ms. Siobhan Gorman, Intelligence Reporter, Wall Street Journal

Dr. Kennette Benedict, Executive Director, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Mr. Matt Schroeder, Director of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project, Federation of American Scientists
Ms. Marina Voronova-Abrams, Program Associate, Global Green USA
Dr. David Franz, Senior Advisor (Biosecurity Engagement) to the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs

3:30 p.m. Break

3:45 p.m. Energy and Infrastructure Panel

MODERATOR: Mr. Miles O’Brien, Science Correspondent, PBS Newshour

Dr. John Ahearne, Former NRC Commissioner, Adjunct Scholar for Resources for the Future and Adjunct Professor of Engineering at Duke University
Dr. Steve Koonin, Former Undersecretary for Science and Technology, Department of Energy, Director of New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress
Dr. Charles Ferguson, President, Federation of American Scientists

5:30 p.m. Symposium Concludes

6:00-7:30 p.m. Reception

Questions: Please contact Katie Colten at kcolten@fas.org or via phone at 202-454-4694.