This award provides partial funding for the 2013 Polymers Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). The 2013 GRC will be an integrated educational forum for discussion of the most recent advances in polymer research across the broad horizon of the field. The conference will consist of nine technical sessions on polymer innovation in biomacromolecules, nanotechnology, catalysis, sustainable polymer chemistry, renewable technologies, and electronic, optical, stimuli-responsive, and biomedical materials. The invited speakers are widely recognized as leaders in their fields and will deliver focused lectures with broad scientific appeal. Special attention is devoted to the development of a diverse program including under-represented groups, international participation, and broad interdisciplinarity.
A Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will again precede the GRC as in the last two conferences. The 2013 two-day seminar will include only graduate students and post-doctoral associates, who will give oral presentations and posters. All GRS attendees will be invited to remain for the subsequent GRC, where the GRS award speakers will present their talks to the entire audience. Strong international participation will offer opportunities for global collaborations and discussions of emerging areas.
2013 GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE and SEMINAR on POLYMERS FINAL PROGRESS REPORT NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT NO. DMR-1338941 The Gordon Research Conference on POLYMERS was held at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, June 9-14, 2013. The Conference was well attended with 198 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 198 attendees, 121 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 121 respondents, 19% were Minorities – 1% Hispanic, 13% Asian and 5% African American. Approximately 29% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women. The Gordon Research Seminar on POLYMERS was held at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, June 8-9, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 55 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 55 attendees, 35 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 35 respondents, 12% were Minorities – 0% Hispanic, 9% Asian and 3% African American. Approximately 47% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women.