Legends of Engineering Speaker Series – Event Recap

 

The inaugural Legends of Engineering event, hosted by the Silicon Valley Engineering Council (SVEC) and the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame, brought together pioneers whose work has defined—and continues to shape—the foundation of Silicon Valley.

           “The Legends were fascinating — each offered deep reflections on how engineering, AI, and sustainability intersect with humanity’s future.”    

Held at Santa Clara University, the evening featured a panel discussion titled “Hype to Humanity: Engineering, Social Transformation, and Survival,” with three engineering luminaries:
Ronjon Nag, PhD – 2024 Hall of Fame inductee, AI and biotech innovator, and founder. Stanford Genetics and VC Support for numerous companies, AI at the intersection with Biotech.

Chandrakant Patel, PE – 2014 Hall of Fame inductee, HP Chief Engineer, National Academy of Engineering member, and sustainability visionary in data centers and cyber-physical systems.

Suhas Patil, ScD – Founder of Cirrus Logic and cofounder of TiE, credited with pioneering the fabless semiconductor model.

T. Kim Parnell, PhD, PE – Legends Moderator, SVEC Vice President, ASME – SCVS Secretary, Principal and Founder of Parnell Expert Consulting (PEC).

Together, they explored critical questions about the future of innovation:
🔹 How can AI be used to address global challenges responsibly?
🔹 How can the U.S. sustain technological leadership as manufacturing evolves?
🔹 What balance of skills—breadth or depth—should the next generation of engineers pursue?

 “I loved the event!  It was such a great mix of people, very interactive, delicious food, beautiful location, and a most worthwhile educational program with variety.”
“The SVEC event was incredibly fascinating. I truly appreciated hearing from the legends themselves sharing their story and especially the approach they took to achieving their goals.

The event, organized by T. Kim Parnell, Marziya Hasan, Merve Isler, and Todd Mosher, opened with a networking reception followed by an inspiring roundtable that blended personal reflections, technical insights, and a shared vision for shaping the next 40 years of engineering innovation.

The SVEC Legends committee thanks our premier event sponsor: ASME Santa Clara Valley Section, Lexie Cheng and Melissa Ma for their financial underwriting. Ranked among the top ASME sections nationwide, their members are primarily early- to mid-career professionals who are committed to making a meaningful impact within the engineering community.

🤝 Special shout out to Peter Woytowitz and Kendra Sharp, SCU Dean of Engineering for making this event a success.
👏 Hats off to the organizers and panelists for reigniting the spirit of collaboration, mentorship, and first-principles thinking that made Silicon Valley a global hub for innovation.

Join Us!

Be part of these exciting conversations, broaden your knowledge, and expand your
network. Stay tuned for our upcoming speaker announcements and topics for the 2026 event dates. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be at the forefront of engineering and technological advancements.

🔗 Learn more about the Legends of Engineering series and future events: https://svec.org/legends-of-engineering/

Todd Mosher, HoF@svec.org
Marziya Hasan, dir-marziya.hasan@svec.org
Kim Parnell, Vice-President@svec.org

Sponsor: ASME Santa Clara Valley Section

Ranked among the top ASME sections nationwide, ASME Santa Clara Valley Section (SCVS) is powered by a dedicated team of volunteers passionate about advancing mechanical engineering in Silicon Valley. Our members are primarily early- to mid-career professionals who are committed to making a meaningful impact within the engineering community. We take pride in fostering personal and professional growth for our volunteers while cultivating a strong network of industry leaders. Serving a broad geographic area, our section supports over 2,000 members across multiple counties, including Santa Clara, San Francisco, Fresno, Monterey, and beyond.