Policy@Tech speaker series with Amy Pritchett, "The Intersection of Technology and Policy in Aviation Safety".

Amy Pritchett is a David S. Lewis Associate Professor of Cognitive Engineering, Aerospace Engineering Joint Associate Professor Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Former Director of NASA's Aviation Safety Program.

Abstract: The Director of NASA's Aviation Safety Program acts not just as the program's executive, but also serves several policy functions. One is co-chairing the 'Aviation Safety' Interagency Working Group of the Aeronautics Science and Technology Subcommittee within the Committee of Technology convened by the National Science and Technology Council, and thus authoring the chapter on Aviation Safety within the Office of Science and Technology Policy's National Aeronautics R & D Plan. Another is serving on the executive committee or advisory board of several public-private partnerships, including the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) and the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) initiative. In this talk, Amy Pritchett will discuss her experiences in these capacities while on an IPA to NASA. Of note, several interesting intersections of technology and policy will be explored, including the role of aviation safety research as an enabler of the aviation industry, and trade-offs between various public and private mechanisms for analyzing proprietary flight data for emerging safety concerns.

Future speakers in the series
o January, 2012, Rob Butera (ECE) and Maggie Kosal (INTA) on biosecurity policy
o February, 2012, Christine Ries, (ECON) on setting state tax policy
o March, 2012, Mark Myer (CEE) on transportation policy

Policy@Tech is a consortium of Georgia Tech's five policy research centers, working together to increase Georgia Tech's impact in public policy.