A Chat with Guru Madhavan: Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar; senior director of programs of the National Academy of Engineering; founding director of the Forum on Complex Unifiable Systems (FOCUS)

This week, Stephen Ibaraki has an exclusive interview with Guru Madhavan.

Guru Madhavan is the Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and senior director of programs of the National Academy of Engineering, where he is also founding director of the Forum on Complex Unifiable Systems (FOCUS). He has served as a technical advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the European Union Malaria Fund. Earlier in the medical device industry, he has contributed to the research and development of surgical catheters for cardiac ablation and neuromuscular stimulators for improving blood circulation.

A systems engineer by background, he received his M.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and an M.B.A. from the State University of New York that awarded him the Edward Weisband Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service or Contribution to Public Affairs.

His recent awards include the: IEEE Norbert Wiener Award (for social and professional responsibility), ASME Henry Laurence Gantt Medal (for business leadership), AAMI Laufman-Greatbatch Award (for contributions to health technology), IEEE Alfred Goldsmith Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Communication, and IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Literary Contributions Furthering Public Understanding and the Advancement of the Engineering Profession. He is an elected fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (UK), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is a Companion of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. His books include "Applied Minds: How Engineers Think" and "Wicked Problems: How to Engineer a Better World," both from W.W. Norton.