Apr 23, 2025
Alan speaks with Dr. Guru Madhavan at the National Academy of
Sciences in Washington, DC, as we continue our series marking 250
years of American innovation. Guru, a leader at the National
Academy of Engineering, explores the Academy’s Civil War origins,
its lasting role in advising the U.S. government, and its influence
on everything from compass design to pandemic response. He
discusses how innovation must balance bold ideas with long-term
systems like sanitation and maintenance. Calling for a “deep time”
perspective, Guru urges us to value resilience, inclusivity, and
the often-unseen foundations that truly sustain progress.
Guest Bio
Dr. Guru Madhavan is the Norman Augustine Senior Scholar and
Senior Director of Programs at the National Academy of Engineering.
With a background in biomedical engineering (MS, PhD) and an MBA
from the State University of New York, he previously led
innovations in the medical device industry before turning his focus
to national science and engineering policy. He is the acclaimed
author of Applied Minds: How Engineers Think and Wicked Problems:
How to Engineer a Better World. A valued member of AMSE’s National
Advisory Committee, Guru was honored with the 2024 AMSE Foundation
National Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions.
Show Highlights
- (1:54) An introduction to the National Academy of Sciences
- (7:59) Lincoln’s impact on the sciences in the United States
- (11:06) How Vannevar Bush’s principles from Science: The Endless Frontier are implemented
- (19:30) The impact the arts are having on STEM
- (20:13) How the National Academies have supported and encouraged innovation
- (24:10) Guru’s list of most important American innovations
- (30:23) The frameworks and institutions that have supported America’s innovations
- (37:51) The United States and the ideology of innovation
- (43:27) Using deep time to gain perspective on innovation
Links Referenced
- Applied Minds: How Engineers Think: https://www.amazon.com/Applied-Minds-how-Engineers-Think/dp/039335301X
- Wicked Problems: How to Engineer a Better World: https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Problems-Engineer-Better-World/dp/0393651460