Larry Burns-Distinguished Lecture This Thurs.
Carolyn A Patterson
2000-2001 Seminar Series Host, Prof. Tsuhan Chen
ECE DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES
Thursday, November 9, 2000
Scaife Hall Auditorium
Room 125
4:00 PM
Refreshments 3:30 PM
``VISION FOR AUTOMOBILITY: UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITY''
Dr. Larry Burns, Vice President
Research & Development and Planning
General Motors
Warren, MI
ABSTRACT
The population of the world is currently six billion people and is projected to
approach 7.5 billion in 20 years. As the population increases, the demand
for automobility is also expected to grow exponentially. At the current rate
of vehicle growth, the earth could have as many as a billion vehicles by
2020. In order to sustain this number of vehicles, the automotive industry
must address important challenges in five key areas: energy, emissions,
safety, congestion, and affordability. This talk will detail General Motors'
current thinking on how to address these challenges. Sustainability is a
goal that the automotive industry cannot reach on its own. Because
technology will play a primary role in the achievement of truly sustainable
mobility, the industry will need to partner extensively with academia,
government, and other industries. Cooperative arrangements, such as the
establishment of satellite laboratories at leading universities, will be
essential to develop the advanced technologies that the future requires.
But given the industry's technical track record, GM is very optimistic that
substantial progress will be made toward meeting all five challenges by
2020. This will enable the industry to extend the significant benefits of
automobility to people around the globe and simultaneously realize its
tremendous growth potential.
BIO
Larry Burns was named General Motors Vice President in charge of
Research and Development and Planning in May, 1998. In this post, he
oversees the Corporation's global R&D programs and has responsibility for
its product portfolio, capacity, technology, process, and business plans. He
also is a member of the Automotive Strategy Board, GM Automotive's
highest-level management team.
Burns first joined General Motors in 1969 as a college student in training.
He began his career as a member of the research staff and subsequently
held a number of leadership assignments at various GM units, where he
directed activities in areas ranging from product operations and business
planning to product program management, industrial engineering, production
control, and quality. Burns has twice been the recipient of the GM
Chairman's Honors Award, the Corporation's highest employee recognition.
He also has received three Charles L. McCuen Achievement Awards,
presented to members of the R&D staff for extraordinary technical
accomplishment.
Burns has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from General
Motors Institute (now Kettering University). He holds a master's in
engineering/public policy from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in civil
engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of
the University of Michigan (U-M) School of Engineering National Advisory
Council and serves on the board of directors of U-M's Center for
Communication Disorders. He has authored one book, Transportation,
Temporal, and Spatial Components of Accessibility, and numerous
technical articles. He recently was selected to receive Kettering
University's 2000 Engineering Alumni Achievement Award.