This award by the Division of Materials Research to University of Florida provides partial support for a conference on "The Future of Materials Science and Engineering Education" to be held April 5-9, 2004 in Kona, Hawaii. The broader objective of this conference, organized by Engineering Conferences International (ECI), is to stimulate exchange information and ideas among the various engineers, scientists and educators on the future of materials science & engineering education in the US and around the world. The conference, attended by representatives from academia, government and industry, will address all aspects of the future of materials science & engineering education. The main themes of the conference will be: 1) Current needs of public and private sectors for materials scientists and engineers; 2) Future industrial and Government needs and funding opportunities; 3) Balancing research and education, and developing outreach programs by academic institutions; 4) Addressing Science learning and retention through materials examples; 5) Government research and educational funding opportunities; and 6) Alignment of industrial needs and government vision.
