About the Lecture
Established in 2015, the Dana M. Dourdeville Lecture on Engineering in Service to Society aims to bring high-profile speakers to campus whose career and impact embody the spirit of engineering in service to society. The speakers should inspire students to see the engineering discipline as one having an impact on society that is both profound and transformative.
2026 Lecture: Tsu-Jae King Liu
Engineering Leadership in a World of Accelerating Change
November 9, 2026
5:30 p.m.
Engineering bridges science and technology, driving innovation for the benefit of people and society. Today we live in an increasingly technology-dependent world shaped by engineers - and the pace of change is increasing exponentially, thanks to microelectronics advances. This lecture will provide a perspective on microelectronics technology innovation, highlighting the importance of collaboration across national, disciplinary and organizational boundaries. This calls for a reexamination of how we educate and empower engineers to advance technology for the long-term welfare of humanity and the planet. Ideas for transforming engineering education, taken from relevant publications of the National Academies, will be discussed to promote collaboration in building an engineering workforce that is fit to shape a brighter future for all.
About the Speaker
Tsu-Jae King Liu earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. She joined the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center as a Member of Research Staff in 1992, to research and develop thin-film transistor technologies for high-performance flat-panel display and imaging applications. In 1996 she joined the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley where she has served in various administrative leadership positions, most recently as Dean of the College of Engineering from July 2018 through June 2025. In July 2025 she started serving as President of the National Academy of Engineering.
Liu is renowned for her contributions in the field of microelectronics, which include co-developing the FinFET transistor design that is used in all leading-edge computer chips and smartphones today. She has authored over 550 publications and holds 97 U.S. patents. Her recognitions include a DARPA Significant Technical Achievement Award, IEEE Electron Devices Society Education Award, IEEE Electron Devices Society Distinguished Service Award, and the IEEE Founder’s Medal.
Liu is a Fellow of the IEEE and the National Academy of Inventors, and she was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2017. She has served on the Boards of Directors for Intel Corporation and MaxLinear Inc., and has contributed nationally as an advocate for U.S. microelectronics workforce development and as a member of advisory committees for NSF, NIST, and PCAST.