The 2013 Macromolecular Materials Gordon Research Conference (GRC) (formerly Polymers West) is being supported in part through this award to help enhance participation of young faculty members, postdoctoral researchers and senior graduate students in the meeting. This GRC will be focused on state-of-the-art research in materials science, polymer chemistry, nanocomposites, and biomaterials science and technology. In keeping with the past tradition of this GRC the programmatic themes of this conference cover a range of important and timely topics spanning the range nanostructured polymers, to polymer physics and engineering, to targeted polymer materials for delivery and repair, and the mechanics and assembly of polymer structures. These themes, combined with the diverse array of speakers and attendees, promise a GRC of strong technical merit and broader impact. The invited speakers are internationally known, world-class experts in their respective areas of polymer synthesis, polymer physics, polymer engineering, nanocomposites, and polymer biomaterials. In addition to the invited talks, poster sessions will 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 GRC will be preceded by the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), which will provide a special opportunity for postdoctoral researchers and graduate students to present their latest results and benefit from the feedback and interactions with the other participants of the GRS and GRC.
The Gordon Research Conference on MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS Four Points by Sheraton/Holiday Inn Express, Ventura, California, January 6- 11, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 112 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 112 attendees, 64 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 64 respondents, 25% were Minorities – 3% Hispanic, 20% Asian and 2% African American. Approximately 24% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women. The Gordon Research Seminar on MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS Four Points by Sheraton/Holiday Inn Express, Ventura, California, January 5-6, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 35 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 35 attendees, 23 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 23 respondents, 17% were Minorities – 0% Hispanic, 17% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 26% of the participants at the 2013 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.
