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New England's Leading Innovators to Speak at IDEAS Boston 2008 Conference

BOSTON-(Business Wire)-July 22, 2008 - IDEAS Boston is proud to announce the speakers for its 2008 conference to be held on Thursday, October 30th from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. This day-long conference celebrates the depth and breadth of innovation in this region. The program consists of sixteen speaker presentations on topics ranging from photojournalism to astrophysics, interspersed with artistic breaks and time for networking. The presentations at this year's IDEAS Boston conference promise to be among the most exciting and inspiring yet. Moderated by award winning journalist and host of NPR/WBUR's groundbreaking news-talk show "On Point", Tom Ashbrook, the full list of speakers includes:

Susan C. Athey - Economic Theorist

Harvard Professor of Economics and the first woman to win the prestigious American Economic Association's John Bates Clark medal, awarded to the most accomplished American economist under age 40, for her contributions to industrial organization, econometrics, microeconomic theory and auctions.

Joseph Ayers - Biomimetic Roboticist

Professor of Biology and former Director of Northeastern University's Marine Science Center best known for his RoboLobster, whose recent research using technology to mimic biological organisms and processes may someday help rehabilitate people with traumatic brain injuries.

Robin Bowman - Photojournalist

A photojournalist devoted to documenting social and political issues at home and abroad, whose 2007 book, "It's Complicated: The American Teenager" chronicles her 5-year journey across America to explore the shape of this generation and the country that formed them.

David A. Edwards - Art/Science Innovator

Founder of Le Laboratoire, an artscience center in Paris dedicated to experimental collaboration between artists and scientists, author and Harvard Professor of Biomedical Engineering interested in developing new cultural and educational environments for innovation.

Noah Feldman - Constitutional Law Scholar

Harvard Law professor, author and lecturer who specializes in constitutional studies with particular emphasis on the relationship between law and religion, constitutional design and history of legal theory, whose book, "The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State" was published in April 2008.

Paul Goodnight - African Cultural Artist

A world renowned painter, known for his colorful realism that captures the extraordinary in the lives of ordinary people around the world, and whose recent commissions include a triathlon triptych for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Sheila Kennedy - Architect and Inventor

Principal of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, an inter-disciplinary practice that explores relationships between architecture, technology and emerging public needs. Kennedy creates design concepts and building projects that accelerate the implementation of energy harvesting nano-materials in architecture, textiles and building materials.

Vikram Sheel Kumar - Healthcare Technology Entrepreneur

Co-Founder of Dimagi, a healthcare informatics consultancy, and a pioneer in the field of community-based chronic disease management, who focuses on creating technologies specially customized for the conditions encountered in the developing world.

John E. Lester - Pathfinder Linden - Second Life Avatar

Boston Operations Director for Linden Lab, creator of the online world Second Life, where he leads the company's efforts supporting use of Second Life as a platform for education and academic research, focusing on strategies for success.

John Maeda - Designer, Creative Innovator and Academic

President of the Rhode Island School of Design and a world-renowned designer, visual artist, computer scientist and author known for his philosophy of humanizing technology.

Dava J. Newman - 21ST Century Space Suit Designer

MIT Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, whose BioSuit(TM) advanced spacesuit research was named by "Time" Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of 2007 and was part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2008 "Superheroes" exhibit.

David W. Rattner - Trailblazing Surgeon

David Rattner believes an innovative natural orifice approach to surgery is imminent. Chief of General and GI Surgery at MGH, Dr. Rattner serves as co-chair of the national organization, NOSCAR, a research consortium of world-renowned surgeons and endoscopists who are working together on perfecting surgical approaches that will hasten recovery and be less painful for the patient.

Sara Seager - Astrophysicist

MIT Associate Professor of Planetary Science, known for her research of Earth-like extrasolar planets, and winner of the 2007 American Astronomical Society's Warner Prize for significant contributions to observational or theoretical astronomy by an astronomer under age 36.

Paul Y. Watanabe - Political Science/Race and Immigration Specialist

Director of the UMass Boston Institute for Asian American Studies and Professor of political, cultural, and socioeconomic implications of the nation's growing diversity shaped largely by immigration.

Martin Wattenberg - New Media Artist- Information Visualization

An IBM mathematician whose work focuses on information visualization and its application to collaborative computing, journalism, bioinformatics and art.

Advance registration is required for attendance. Visit the event website at www.ideasboston.com to register online and see additional conference information.

IDEAS Boston is a non-profit organization, and its 2008 conference is made possible, in large part, by partners and supporters including: Presenting Sponsors: The Boston Foundation and an anonymous foundation; Gold Sponsor: Boston World Partnerships; Silver Sponsors: IBM and State Street Corporation; Supporting Sponsors: CIMIT, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Partners Healthcare, Plymouth Rock Assurance and UMASS Boston; In-Kind Sponsors: Business Wire, Conventures, Conversion Associates and McDermott Ventures; Fiscal Agent: MassINC. Media Partners include The Boston Globe, WBUR and WCVB TV5.

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