The 2011 Macromolecular Materials Gordon Research Conference (GRC) (formerly Polymers West) is focused on advancing the frontiers of polymer science. The collection of leading expertise in a Gordon Research Conference setting enables a cross-disciplinary dialogue and opens opportunities for collaboration. The invited speakers are internationally known, world-class experts in their respective areas of polymer synthesis, polymer physics, polymer engineering, nanocomposites, and polymer biomaterials/therapeutics. In addition, this conference will be preceded by the Graduate Research Seminar(GRS). GRC and GRS poster sessions offer an exceptional opportunity for scientific discussion in an informal setting, where early career researchers interact with established experts from academia, industry, and government laboratories.
The broader impact of this GRC/GRS lies in cultivating and developing tomorrow's leaders in the polymeric materials and related interdisciplinary fields, and in advancing diversity in the scientific workforce performing such interdisciplinary research. In keeping with the past tradition of the Polymers GRC (formerly Polymers West) the Programmatic Themes of this year's conference cover a range of important and timely topics spanning the range from nanostructured polymers and composites, to polymer physics and engineering, to polymer materials for therapeutics including drug delivery and gene delivery. These themes, combined with the diverse array of speakers and attendees, will constitute a GRC of strong technical merit and broader impact.
The Gordon Research Conference on MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS was held at Four Points by Sheraton Ventura, California, January 9 - 14, 2011. The Conference was well-attended with 111 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 111 attendees, 64 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 64 respondents, 31% were Minorities – 0% Hispanic, 27% Asian and 5% African American. Approximately 31.5% of the participants at the 2011 meeting were women. In designing the formal speakers program, emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate lively discussion about the key issues in the field today. Time for formal presentations was limited in the interest of group discussions. In order that more scientists could communicate their most recent results, poster presentation time was scheduled. Attached is a copy of the formal schedule and speaker program and the poster program. In addition to these formal interactions, "free time" was scheduled to allow informal discussions. Such discussions are fostering new collaborations and joint efforts in the field. Thank you for your support of this Conference. As you know, in the interest of promoting the presentation of unpublished and frontier-breaking research, Gordon Research Conferences does not permit publication of meeting proceedings.
