2014 Colloidal, Macromolecular & Polyelectrolyte Solutions Gordon Research Conference and Seminar, February 16-21, 2014, Ventura, CA

1405713

Velegol

Intellectual Merit

This award will help support a technical conference entitled 2014 Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions: Toward Active Materials Gordon Research Conference and Seminar. The conference, which will be held February 16-21, 2014 in Ventura, California, will bring together about 180 leading academic, industrial, and governmental researchers, postdoctoral students and graduate students to present their research in colloid and polymer science. The theme of the conference this year is active matter, which is a relatively new field in soft matter physics and engineering. Active matter refers to particles, colloids, polymers, and other objects that can generate movement, which makes them especially interesting to the research community.

Broader Impact

The theme of the conference is timely. Active matter includes materials are important in naturally occurring systems such as certain biological cells and other biological structures, as well as in the design of new products such as encapsulated drugs, gels, surfactants, and polymer composites. Researchers from a wide variety of disciplines and institutions will benefit by participating in the conference. The conference will be preceded by a special one-day seminar that will provide training and mentoring for students conducting research into these interesting materials. Throughout the seminar and conference, poster sessions, panels, and other events will give students opportunities to present their work, interact with leaders in the field, and receive insight and guidance to advance their career development. The organizers are making special efforts to attract participants from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering.