University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza will lead a key discussion at a national conference on the supply chain for strategic materials used in the military and defense industries.
Proenza will moderate a panel discussion titled "A Preview of Strategic Materials and the Obama Administration" at the Strategic Materials Conference to be held April 6-7 at the InterContinental Hotel/Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.
Hosted by the Defense Metals Technology Center, the summit will be attended by members of the U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Defense and Government Accountability Office staff members, and academic and industry leaders from throughout "America's Metals Heartland."
Strategic materials issues discussed at the two-day event will include a comprehensive, objective discussion of the nation's defense supply-chain vulnerability and ways to strengthen its security.
The panel led by Proenza - taking place at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7 - will include:
- Gary Powell, assistant deputy undersecretary for industrial policy, U.S. Department of Defense;
- Mark Smith, CEO, Molycorp Minerals LLC; and
- Jack W. Schilling, chairman, Specialty Steel Industry of North America.
"At The University of Akron we have a saying: Our expertise creates the new materials for the new economy," Proenza says. "It is most fitting that our university is working with the Defense Metals Technology Center to assist the federal government in discussing vital issues in the field of strategic materials."
See more information about the event.
As chief executive officer of The University of Akron and through his leadership positions with numerous national and state organizations, Proenza has been a strong advocate for regional unity and identity, and boosting economic development throughout the State of Ohio and beyond.
Recognized as one of the most influential leaders in the region, Proenza's acknowledgements include the 2008 Visionary Award, the 2006 Northeast Ohio Regional Vision Award and the 2005 CASE V Chief Executive Leadership Award.
Nationally, Proenza is a member of the Council on Competitiveness, where he serves on the Executive Committee and the National Innovation Initiative Leadership Council, and co-chairs the Regional Leadership Institute Steering Committee. Proenza also was appointed to serve on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the nation's highest-level policy-advisory group for science and technology. Proenza is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a board member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and the States Science and Technology Institute, and chair of NASULGC's Commission on the Urban Agenda.