Tom was an invited speaker in the Mitigating the Risk of Thermal Runaway symposia conducted at the 8th Annual Battery Safety 2017 conference (Arlington, VA, USA) on Nov. 3rd. Tom's talk titled, "Battery Design Impacts on Thermal Runaway Severity under Worst-Case Test Conditions", addressed a number of key industry interest areas in proper battery safety test protocols and safety risk management. The presentation was well-received by conference attendees representing a diverse set of academic, government, and industry organizations from around the world. In collaboration with conference organizers, Tom also coordinated and moderated a breakout discussion session on lithium-ion battery thermal runaway trigger techniques. A lively discussion on novel experimental trigger (implantable vs. conventional) methods, energetic cell failure signatures, and new industry regulatory requirements highlighted the interactive brainstorming session.