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Welcome Letter from the MRS President

• 2011 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit

• November 28 - December 2, 2011
• Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA
• Meeting Chairs: Cammy R. Abernathy, Paul V. Braun, Masashi Kawasaki, Kathryn J. Wahl

James J. De Yoreo - 2011 MRS President

Welcome to the 2011 Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society.  The Meeting Chairs—Cammy Abernathy, Paul Braun, Masashi Kawasaki, and  Kathryn Wahl—have worked with their symposium organizers, numerous volunteers, and MRS staff to create a great meeting with a diverse set of outstanding technical symposia and special events. 

One of the events that I’d like to encourage you to attend is a special town hall meeting, open to all attendees, on Tuesday, November 29, to discuss the Board’s Strategic Initiative on Meetings.  In the November MRS Bulletin, I explained that the impetus for this initiative was the growth of interdisciplinary materials science and the nontechnical activities of MRS, the increasing interconnectedness of the global materials community, and the dramatic way in which technology has changed global communication.   To reach this growing research community, not just those who are able to attend our two major U.S. meeting, we need to make smart choices about content, methods for content delivery, and possible partnerships—in other words, we need a strategic plan for meetings.  We need to understand how to best serve the materials community through our flagship meetings, and other conferences and workshops.  That means that we need to hear from YOU!  This town hall meeting presents the opportunity for us to hear your ideas. 

As you’ve most likely observed over the last decade, MRS’s desire to serve the community has resulted in an evolution of activity in public outreach, advocacy, and professional development services.   Our meetings now offer many interesting and enriching nontechnical sessions.  We need to appreciate where these various new services fit within our meetings portfolio and how you view and value them.

Web communication has revolutionized the way tech-savvy companies meet and network.  It has greatly expanded their audience and impact, and it can do the same for us.  This is one of the most exciting aspects of this initiative, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on the technology that you’d like to see in our meetings, as well as your experiences with it in other meetings. 

Having a clear and comprehensive portfolio of meetings will ensure that the Society advances its Mission and serves the worldwide research community.  MRS Planning Committee Chair Duane Dimos will moderate the session on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 6:30 pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

And finally, when you arrive, check the Daily Schedule of Events to learn of the wide variety of activities at this meeting―professional development and career opportunities, outreach activities, advocacy opportunities, special talks, government agency sessions, exhibits, a science policy forum, and poster sessions, to name a few.  I hope you enjoy the many opportunities to converse, discuss, and network with your colleagues.

Congratulations and thanks to the F11 Meeting Chairs, Symposium Organizers, Volunteers, and MRS Staff, who have once again created a meeting that offers not only excellent symposia, but activities to inform, educate, enrich, and enjoy.

Jim De Yoreo

MRS President