Meeting Events

Advocacy

Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship Program Information Session
Attendees learned about the MRS/OSA and MRS/TMS Congressional Fellowships and heard from current and former Fellows about their experiences as scientists in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Materials Voice
At the Materials Voice Booth, attendees sent convenient, personalized letters to their representatives on Capitol Hill.

Research Funding Opportunities
The Research Funding Opportunities sessions provided interaction between government agency presenters and MRS Membership. 

Awards

Graduate Student Award Finalists' Special Talk Sessions
The MRS Graduate Student Awards honored graduate students whose academic achievements and current materials research display a high level of excellence and distinction.

Meet MRS Award Recipients—Lightning Talks and Panel Discussion
MRS thought leaders discussed their award-winning research. Award recipients addressed materials science hot topics and current trends, and discussed what impact these new technologies will have on materials research.

MRS Awards and Recognition Program Featuring the Von Hippel Presentation
We honored our distinguished award recipients at the 2019 MRS Fall Meeting Awards Ceremony.

Education and Outreach

Hands-On Coffee Break
Researchers and education directors presented stimulating educational outreach through hands-on activities in materials science applications and sustainability.

MRS Frontiers Reception—Building Communities
An evening of beverages and hors d'oeuvres that helped forge new communities on topics at the frontier of materials research: Artificial Intelligence, Biomaterials, Quantum Materials, Sustainability, Responsive and Adaptive Materials, and emerging areas of interest.

PowerPoint™ Karaoke
What kind of slide is that? PowerPoint Karaoke asked the presenter to explain a slide without prior knowledge of its content or author. Prizes went to the best presenter and slide author.

Public Outreach Center—Focus on Sustainability, Impact of Materials on Society
We discussed how you can participate as we partner to bring the science of materials to the general public, explore the topics of sustainable practices and the impact of society on materials science, education and outreach.

Science in Video Competition
MRS Members selected the People's Choice Award from an amazing list of finalists.

Science in Video (SciVid) Competition—Awards Presentation
The Science in Video (SciVid) Awards Presentation for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Awards and the announcement of the People's Choice Award.

Speed Coaching with the NSF Division of Materials Research
Representatives from the NSF Division of Materials Research answered questions about funding opportunities, diversity and sustainability. 

The Role of Plastics in Achieving Energy Sustainability by 2050—Friend or Foe?
The MRS Energy & Sustainability journal and the MRS Focus on Sustainability Subcommittee convened top experts for a thought-provoking discussion on the challenges and complexities associated with plastics and their role in enabling energy sustainability by 2050.

iMatSci

Chemical Angel Network Meeting and Pitch Session
The Chemical Angel Network provides a mechanism for accredited angel investors to source and vet quality early-stage investment opportunities. Three iMatSci innovators pitched their companies to CAN and competed for an opportunity to win a $10,000 seed round investment.

Creating an Effective IP Strategy—What Startups Need to Know
In this workshop designed specifically for the unique needs of startups in industry, founders and entrepreneurs learned  how to establish their presence in the marketplace, and how developing, protecting and managing their intellectual property (IP) is essential to maintaining a competitive edge.

iMatSci Closing Keynote Address: Customers. Investors. Team. Oh My!
Transitioning from a research field to entrepreneurship requires a mental shift that is both intrinsic and extrinsic. Via Separations CEO, Shreya Dave, discussed the importance of interdisciplinarity, creativity and changing the world with market-driven technologies.

iMatSci Innovator Networking and Awards Reception
The top iMatSci innovators were presented with first, second and third place prizes and the Chemical Angel Network and the Delaware Innovation Space announced the winners of their $10,000 seed-stage investments.

iMatSci Innovator Speed Pitches Q&A
iMatSci innovators presented a three-minute pitch of their new and original materials-based products.

iMatSci Innovator Table Demonstrations—Meet & Greet
Innovators demonstrated their newest materials-focused technologies, designed to deliver value in real-world applications. 

iMatSci Keynote Talk: From Mad Science to Mad Money—The Journey from Lab Concept to Commercial Success
Most university science concepts never cross the chasm from concept to commercial product. Matt Crowley of Vesper told the story of one company that made it all the way from PhD thesis to tens of millions of unit shipments, and the many setbacks and obstacles on the road to success.

iMatSci Pitch Session Boot Camp—Hosted by Wolf Greenfield
In preparation for the Innovation Showcase, participating iMatSci startups were welcomed to Wolf Greenfield, Massachusetts's largest intellectual property firm, for a private pitch session boot camp.

Joint Ventures and Industry Partnerships
A panel of industry professionals - who immerse themselves in the world of innovation and technology transfer every day - explained how to develop partnerships between small businesses and large organizations, and discussed the process of transitioning small-scale prototypes to market-worthy products.

Startup Support Communities for Materials-Based Companies—Which Is Right for You?
This panel discussed the different roles that various Entrepreneurial Support Networks play in helping to get early-stage innovators started, and which option offers you the best chance for success.

Venture Funding for Materials Startups
Our panel of top-tier materials-focused  angel networks, venture capital firms and private equity practices discussed the current trends in venture funding and the “dos and don’ts” of raising capital.

Other

Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry in Electronics and Photonics Workshop
The National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, an initiative to accelerate U.S. advanced manufacturing, focuses on catalyzing the development of new technologies, educational competencies, production processes and products via shared contributions from the public/private sectors and academia.

Meet Your New Faculty Candidate—Poster Session
This event provided an opportunity for faculty candidates to showcase their research in a poster session while networking with recruiters and search committees.

More than Pretty Pictures—The Importance of Creating Compelling and Honest Visuals
Graphics, images and figures – visual representations of scientific data and concepts – are critical components of science and engineering research. They communicate in ways that words cannot. They can clarify or strengthen an argument and spur interest into the research process.

MRS University Chapter Representatives Meeting
This brief meeting discussed the MRS University Chapters Program.

Nanocarbons Through the Artist's Lens
Daniel Heller and Joseph Cohen collaborated to develop carbon nanotube-based paints that allow paintings to be imaged in the near-infrared (IR), resulting in a painting that looks one way to the observer in visible wavelengths, and differently upon imaging in the near-IR.

Plenary Session Featuring The Fred Kavli Distinguished Lectureship in Materials Science
Sharon C. Glotzer, University of Michigan, presented Engineering Matter Across Scales.

Poster Session—Attendee Viewing

Poster Winners Announcement
Poster winners were announced.

PREM Research Scholars Summit Poster Session
The participants of the PREM Research Scholars Summit presented their advances in scientific research and prepared for their careers as materials scientists. 

Science as Art: Viewing and Voting
Attendees viewed and voted for their favorite Science as Art images!

Science as Art: Winners Announcement
The Science as Art Winners were announced.

Symposium Assistant Training
MRS staff conducted a PowerPoint training presentation for Symposium Assistants.

Professional Development

Building an Inclusive, Productive and Transformative Materials Research Program for Early-Career Professionals
This interactive workshop focused on key strategies for building an inclusive, productive and transformational research program for postdoctoral researchers and early-career professionals.

Career Fair
As an extension of the MRS online Job Board, the Career Fair provided an opportunity for Meeting participants and top employers to discuss career opportunities.

Careers at Government Laboratories and User Facilities—Panel Discussion
Participants learned about potential career paths for students and early-career professionals at government laboratories and user facilities in the United States.

Essentials of Getting Your Work Published
This interactive "how to" session highlighted the fundamentals of successful scientific publishing from MRS journal Editors-in-Chief.

Green Cards for Scientific Researchers—How to Win Your EB-1/NIW Case!
Brian Getson, Esq. discussed everything you need to know to understand the U.S. immigration system and maximize your chances of winning a green card.

How to Develop an Effective Proposal for User Facilities – Workshop
Representatives from user facilities and student researchers gave overviews on different types of user facilities, advice on proposal writing and steps to establish connections with a user facility.

How to Prepare for Your ABET Accreditation
This session provided information to help you understand the accreditation process and any updates to the criteria so your materials department is prepared.

Navigating a Successful Transition from Undergraduate to Graduate Education
This interactive workshop provided an overview of key trends in materials research and hands-on activities providing critical information, actionable strategies, resources and reflection that support the successful transition from undergraduate to graduate education and beyond.

PREM Research Scholars Summit—NSF Directors Talks
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of the NSF's Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) Program, this kick-off to the PREM Research Scholars Summit included a brief historical overview of the program, accomplishments and plans for the future. 

PREM Research Scholars Summit—Welcome Networking Reception
This kick-off to the PREM Research Scholars Summit included a brief historical overview of the program, accomplishments and plans for the future.

Real-Life Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Product Design Seminar
Alan Rae discussed how to incorporate sustainability principles into your research in a more comprehensive way while considering the real-world application of these principles to product design and manufacture.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Workshop—Agents for Sustainable Community Change
Workshop participants learned about sustainability and UNSDGs and how to align both in the development of year-long community action plans. The workshop is to provide a learning platform for each participating MRS student chapter in how to catalyze collaborations toward a shared project plan.
*This workshop was limited to members of MRS University Chapters.

Using Improv for Communications
In this fun, interactive session, science communication professionals led improvisation exercises and games to help participants gain confidence and positive communication skills.

Women in Materials Science & Engineering Breakfast
Lynnette D. Madsen presented Surviving, Thriving and Making an Impact:  Perspectives of 100 Women.

Women's Workshop and Reception—Understanding Unconscious Bias in the Workplace
Unconscious biases, otherwise known as implicit biases, are inherent or learned stereotypes about people that everyone forms without realizing it.

Symposium X

Alessandra Lanzara, University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, presented  Engineering 2D Heterostructures with a Twist.

Brian Litt, University of Pennsylvania, presented Ghost in the Machine—Translating New Technologies into Next-Generation Neurodevices.

Francesco Stellacci, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, presented Using Materials Science Concepts to Design New Drugs.

Evelyn N. Wang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presented Nanoengineered Materials for Advanced Energy and Water Technologies.

Tutorials

Tutorial EL01—Optical Metasurfaces—Materials, Designs and Advanced Applications
This tutorial covered the fundamental principles, advanced designs and technological applications of optical metasurfaces.

Tutorial EL04—Introduction to Chalcogenide Discovery and Design
This tutorial offered a brief introduction to theory and computations as well as to synthesis and characterization, in particular when applied to sulfides, selenides, tellurides, and multi-anionic systems.

Tutorial FF03—Aggregation-Induced Emission
The tutorial aimed to bring attendees updated information on fundamental AIE research and state-of-the-art applications of AIE luminogens.

Tutorial FF06—Advanced Manufacturing and Computational Tools for Reactive Materials Science
The tutorial offered a short course in advanced experimental and computational techniques as applied to the study of reactive materials.

Tutorial MQ02—Introduction to Ion Trap and Superconducting Qubits and Their Material Challenges
The tutorial gave an overview of the basics of ion trap and superconducting qubits and the history of material development for these two quantum computing platforms.

Tutorial MT04—Advanced Materials Exploration with Neutrons
This tutorial gave an overview/introduction of a few commonly used materials characterization techniques using neutrons, such as SANS, NSE, BS/TOF, PDF, etc.

Tutorial MT02/MT03—Applied Machine Learning for Materials Research and Development
This tutorial gave an overview of applied machine learning fundamentals.

Tutorial EN08—Processing and Device Optimization Strategies for High Efficiency Solar Cells
This tutorial introduced materials researchers to the most important aspects related to the preparation of state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells.

Tutorial EN11—Silicon Photovoltaics—Device Concepts, Materials and Interfaces Engineering, Fabrication, Testing and Applications
Silicon and related thin films are applied widely in solar cells and other electronic devices. This comprehensive tutorial introduced the processing methods, material properties, fundamental nature of interfaces and device engineering concepts.

Tutorial EN17—Nuclear Materials and Damage—Design and Impact
The tutorial provided an introduction to the challenges faced by nuclear materials, whether they be within or outside the core.

Tutorial FF01—Advances in Large-Scale Synthesis of Beyond Graphene 2D Materials
The research areas of beyond graphene 2D and layered materials remain highly active and are continuously expanding. This is particularly true with many growth techniques emerging as promising methods for controlled large-scale synthesis of single monolayers and heterostructures. This tutorial showcased the current status and future directions in the area of large-scale synthesis, doping and alloying of 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures.

Tutorial MQ01—Introduction to Quantum Spintronics
This tutorial provided an introduction to the materials and operating regimes that tend to exhibit room-temperature spin coherence and spin correlations, methods of calculating and measuring these properties, areas of initial application and critical open questions.

Tutorial SB06—Molecules and Materials in Mechanobiology
This tutorial reviewed the fundamentals and applications of mechanobiology in the context of materials science. A comprehensive overview from the cellular principles to biomaterials was given.

User Facilities

Careers at Government Laboratories and User Facilities—Panel Discussion
Learn about potential career paths for students and early-career professionals at government laboratories and user facilities in the United States.

How to Develop an Effective Proposal for User Facilities – Workshop
Representatives from user facilities and student researchers gave overviews on different types of user facilities, advice on proposal writing and steps to establish connections with a user facility.

Science at the Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) established a project office to further develop, and ultimately build, the Second Target Station (STS) at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). An overview of the STS conceptual design and its unique characteristics was presented.

Society for Science at User Research Facilities (SSURF) Sponsored Refreshments
SSURF is a not-for-profit organization that supports those interested and engaged in research conducted by users of America’s national user facilities.

User Facility Flash Talks
Short presentations from user facilities across the country about capabilities, expertise and how you can gain access to conduct your own research.