The 25th annual Cornell Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA) Conference will focus on alternative energy research and economics.

"Sustainable Energy Systems: Investing in Our Future" will be held March 28-29 and is open to the public.

"Energy issues are perhaps the most challenging of our time. Energy drives the global economy, shifts the balance of political power and impacts the environment," said conference chair Gus Noojin '69, retired president and CEO of Shell U.S. Gas and Power LLC.

Cornell faculty and international energy experts will lead discussions on creating sufficient alternative energy sources. Lectures on March 28 will focus on the challenges of meeting global energy demand and strategies for investing in alternative energy research. Concurrent afternoon sessions will focus on specific energy sources.

On March 29, Francis J. DiSalvo, director of Cornell's Center for a Sustainable Future, and Jeff Tester, B.S. '66, M.S. '67, professor of chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, will speak on the importance of alternative energy. Interactive panels will address each energy source and its potential.

"Sustainable energy systems are a strategic priority for the College of Engineering," said W. Kent Fuchs, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. "This conference will serve as a catalyst for engaging and involving our alumni and friends in this critical area."

The conference is sponsored by the CEAA and Cornell's College of Engineering. For more information contact the CEAA at (607) 255-9920 or ceaa@cornell.edu. Participants can register online for the conference at http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/conference until March 7.