The aim of the Biomaterials Day at Texas A&M University is to enhance networking between academic and industrial sectors and increase student exposure to exciting biomaterials research. The meeting program will include a keynote lecture and two invited talks by leading biomaterials scientists. Oral presentations from both academic and industrial researchers will showcase ongoing research and promote collaboration and knowledge exchange between institutions and industry. Finally, abstracts will be solicited for an afternoon poster session that will provide a venue for student research presentations and networking. Judges will select poster award recipients in each student category (Undergraduate, Graduate) which will be presented at the banquet. This one-day symposium will be held at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center in College Station, Texas, which provides lecture/banquet halls, support staff, and catering. NSF support will go entirely toward rental of facilities for the event. Other sponsors are the Texas A&M Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering and the Society for Biomaterials. Events of this sort introduce students to the excitement of the biomaterials field and help them in formulating career decisions.
The aim of the Texas A&M Biomaterials Day was to enhance networking between academic, industrial, and clinical sectors and increase student exposure to exciting biomaterials research. The program included a keynote lecture (Jennifer West, Rice University) and two invited talks by a top biomaterial scientist and a clinician (Rena Bizios, University of Texas San Antonio and Robert Probe, Scott and White). Oral presentations from leading institutions (TAMU, UT, UT Arlington, TAMU Health Science Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center) and biomedical companies (ENTrique, Southwest Research Institute, ECM Technologies) in Texas showcased ongoing research in the region. Finally, abstracts were solicited for an afternoon poster session that provided a venue for student research presentations and networking. Judges selected poster award recipients in each student category (Undergraduate, Graduate) which were presented at the closing awards reception. The symposium was held at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center in College Station, Texas which provided lecture/banquet halls, support staff, and catering. In total, there were 104 attendees at the Biomaterials Day symposium from 14 universities and 4 biomedical companies. Student Involvement: There was active student involvement in the meeting to address the continued need to encourage student interest in biomaterial careers and foster the development of young scientists. The program was designed to provide students with an excellent overview of biomaterial research and an industrial perspective on biomaterial education. This year’s planning included social activities the day before the conference to encourage informal communication among students from different universities. 17 students attended the Texas A&M vs. Nebraska baseball game and 21 students met for dinner and games following. Through these introductions, collaborations between students and SFB chapters were established which will increase communication between chapters in the future. The poster session during the conference was dedicated to showcasing student research and poster awards were selected by a panel of judges from regional institutions. 52 students participated in the student poster competition. This poster session provided valuable experience in presenting research and offered numerous opportunities for students to network with academic and industrial researchers in the region. A panel of student volunteers from TAMU was in charge of assembling the program book that included bios from the speakers and a list of the student posters. This book was handed out at registration and will serve as a resource for students in selecting graduate school advisors and mentors.
